Designing for the Future
Taft is committed to shaping a clear vision for the school’s future and an actionable strategy to begin the journey toward that vision. Our goal is to thoughtfully plan a future that honors Taft's long-standing tradition of excellence while fostering the growth and success of future generations of Taft students.
Why Strategic Design?
At its heart, strategic design is about ensuring Taft continues to be a place where students thrive, develop their talents, and prepare for meaningful lives in the world beyond the classroom.
For a private boarding school like Taft, strategy is vital. In an increasingly competitive educational landscape and with the rapidly changing needs of students, the strategic design process will ensure the school builds on its strengths and remains agile and innovative. Strategic design will help us identify the core values that define Taft, ensuring we preserve what is essential while outlining a clear path for our evolution to meet future challenges and opportunities.
Taft’s Portrait of a Graduate (POG) will serve as a foundational framework in strategic planning, and continue to guide educational goals. As we adapt to changing educational landscapes and community needs, the POG will continue to evolve, ensuring that it remains a relevant and dynamic reflection of our aspirations for all learners.
Who is Involved?
Everyone! The strength of our community lies in the collective wisdom of those who have contributed to making Taft what it is today. Whether you walked our halls years ago or are deeply connected to the school now, your voice matters. Your participation in this process will help ensure that we remain true to our core values while continuing to grow and evolve in a rapidly changing world.
This is your chance to share your ideas, offer feedback, and help us imagine what the next generation of Taft students will need to thrive—academically, personally, and socially.
How You Can Participate
Taft alumni and parents will receive a survey in late October. Please look for a survey link in your email. Your feedback is essential to our process!
Key Questions and Challenges
Strategic design involves a deep and collaborative exploration of what the school is today and what it aspires to be. Through this process, the school will craft a clear, actionable plan for the future. The outcome will serve as a roadmap that guides decisions, inspires innovation, and strengthens the school’s commitment to academic excellence, student well-being, and community engagement.
The strategic design team will be exploring key questions and challenges as they work to craft a vision for Taft’s future. Those questions include:
What is the purpose of our school today and in the future?
What outcomes for our students matter most?
How do we achieve deeper learning for a future where artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to evolve?
What can Taft do exceedingly well that other schools can’t–or won’t?
At the end of this process, Taft will have a “strategy on one page” document that will articulate Taft’s vision, mission, strategy, and values.
Resources To Stimulate Thinking
Listed below is a sampling of materials that the Board of Trustees, Strategic Design Team, and Senior Administrative Team have used to generate ideas. As the strategic design process unfolds, we invite you to explore these resources as foundational documents for our work.
The Road to Character, David Brooks
What the Year 2050 Has in Store for Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari
Strategic Design Team
The Strategic Design Process is being led by a Strategic Design Team composed of Taft constituents in partnership with Greenwich Leadership Partners. Their charge is to articulate a vision and strategy for Taft that clarifies the school’s identity and value proposition, focuses the school’s work, and drives implementation planning and decision-making over the next 3-5 years. Strategic Design is being led by:
Emily Bakemeier, Vice Provost for Arts and Faculty Affairs, Yale University
Peter Becker ’95, Head of School, The Taft School
Eileen Bouffard ’98, Director of Teaching and Learning, English Department Head, The Taft School
Justin Hudak, Dean of the Lower Mid Class, Latin and English, The Taft School
Michael Humphreys ’93, Taft Trustee; Teacher, Harlem Renaissance High School
Christian Jensen ’01, Partner and Co-Head of Private Investments, Dragoneer Investment Group
Paul Klingenstein ’74, Former Taft Trustee; Founder, Aberdare Ventures
Gina Ludlow, Director of Learning Services, The Taft School
Amanda McGovern ’93, Taft Trustee; Co-founder, Seas It; Development and Communications Manager, The Sconset Trust.
Ozzie Parente, Associate Dean of Students, Chemistry, The Taft School
Brynne Rojas ’06, Co-founder and CEO, Habi
Launa Schweitzer, Head of School, Washington Montessori School
Join Us in Shaping Taft's Future
In addition to the strategic design team, members of Taft’s senior administrative team, board of trustees, faculty, and staff have been involved in the design strategy which falls in two parts:
- What we know, have, and value about a Taft education.
- What we imagine, want, and predict about the future.
We hope you will join us in shaping Taft’s future. Please respond to the survey you receive and send any thoughts or feedback to strategicdesign@taftschool.org.