The Role of Vision

For centuries, Phillips Exeter Academy has stood at the pinnacle of education standards around the world. Students flock from numerous countries spread out over the planet in an effort to learn with some of the most motivated students and knowledgeable teachers the world has to offer. Although it rests on this educational peak, PEA continually strives to make itself better by offering new courses, revising old ones and improving upon its already existing infrastructure—both physical and syllabic. From the moment it was founded, PEA has continually had a direction towards achieving academic excellence for both its faculty and students.At the forefront of such revolution has been the principal of the Academy. The duty of the principal is to serve the school by maintaining the ideals upon which it has been founded, to execute reforms in order to bring PEA closer to the perfection and to maintain order. Although perfection is an unattainable goal, it is what Exeter, Andover and any great institution strives for.The definition of perfection, however, is a fluid concept that varies between faculty members, students, parents and inevitably principals. Because conflicting principal’s interests can possibly hinder the progress of the school, maintaining a control of personal passion while balancing it with the bigger goals of the institution is possibly the hardest duty of the principal. It forces our leader and captain to exercise the true morals of non sibi and exercise due control to restrict personal ambition.Under no circumstance am I insinuating that the principal is merely a pawn of the larger scheme that PEA has established for itself, because although the goals and morals that John Phillips established when founding the school still carry us forward as a community, at times customs change, and it is the principal’s, and school’s, duty to change along with it. Spearheading this movement remains a keystone duty of the principal. One of the greatest displays of this power is when the school became co-ed, opening up the same opportunities to females as males, and although at the time it was slightly unorthodox, it followed the lead of what society would deem acceptable.It is crucial that principals have a vision for the school; however, that vision must remain within the boundaries that constitute the ultimate goal for the school. Without a passion that they can pursue, the job of the principal merely becomes the enforcer of a law that will remain obstinately stuck in the recess of ancient eras and cannot remain malleable to the changes of time. Additionally, the principal’s view on certain aspects of the community allows him to make his mark upon the school and have a lasting impact. The position of principal at this school carries such great weight and responsibility, but as the times change, it is crucial to have a representative of the founding values of this institution that is able to change the customs for the better. The flip side, however, is quite a grim one. If a principal chooses to violate the trust and faith put into him by disembodying non sibi, instead choosing to further his own personal cause or letting personal interest overcome his concern regarding the well-being and future of the school, the principal can be quite dangerous and harmful to the future of the school. For this reason, it is crucial to have a principal that understands his place regarding the future of the school.The principal steers the ship toward greatness, and it is the principal’s directive and motive that allows the school to assimilate to modern times while maintaining the true morals upon which such a great institution, as Exeter, was built.