The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, has a lot of history under its belt. It was founded in 1870 by renowned educator and former U.S. Senator Sawney Webb. Today it is the South’s oldest continuous co-ed boarding school, with over 400 students in grades 6-12 hailing from 12 domestic states and 25 countries. A new historical moment was made in recent months as The Webb School named Dr. Polly Parker as its 14th Head of School. In the 155-year history of the school, this is the first female to hold this office.
The school boasts strong ties to the Murfreesboro community, with over 25% of the student population being day-students from Murfreesboro families. As such, we wanted to get to know Dr. Parker more and introduce her to our readers.
Congratulations! What has been on your mind since being named the next Head at The Webb School?
Thank you. I’ve been really excited about this journey. I’ve already had many meetings with the Board Chair and the current Head of School. Plus, I have also visited campus a few times to meet with faculty and students. There is so much to learn about the history of the school and the current community dynamics.
How did you get into education as a career path?
My parents and sister are all educators, and I vowed to not become an educator. I went to college and grad school to be a social worker. Every single job I had from the minute I got out of grad school was in a school – I just kept finding myself there. I finally said, “Okay, I think I’m meant to be in a school.” I then took more leadership and education courses, gained certifications, and now I know it is where I was meant to be.
What have been your professional highlights up until now?
For me, I feel most proud when the people I’m working with are aspiring to be leaders and I’m supporting them and helping them to get to the next place they want to go. Hopefully, they are staying and working with me, but if not, I want to be a person that helps them aspire to the next thing. I’m eager to work with the excellent faculty and staff present at The Webb School. It's such an honor to have the opportunity to invest in students’ lives so that they can strive to become the leaders of tomorrow.
The Webb School is known for its strong diversity. How important is that topic to you?
You are right! Webb’s campus community has 40% who identify as a student of color, hailing from 25 countries. So, there are a lot of cultures, worldviews, and perspectives that our students get to interact with. Most of my previous schools have been fairly diverse. From my experience, it’s important to talk about and understand differences. Every student should feel like they belong and are valued – it’s very important to me.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I’m very collaborative. I want to hear what people are thinking and what their opinions are. I recognize that to run a school it takes a team of people making decisions. Everybody has different skillsets, and we need to acknowledge that. However, I do like to move things along, so I’m often a pacesetter when I lead.
Is there anything in your move to Middle Tennessee that you are looking forward to?
We have lived in a lot of places, and so we are excited to learn as much as possible about the region and see as much as we can. It will be fun to learn and explore the beauty of Tennessee.
We hear that you are a dog lover. Is that true?
Yes, guilty as charged. We own eight dogs – seven Bernese Mountain Dogs and one old Akita. We used to only have Akitas, and we did some research about what kind of dog you could bring into a family of Akitas. Bernese Mountain Dog was the only one. We fell in love and kept adding more to the family. I’ve always been a dog person. We always had dogs in the family when I was growing up but never as many as we currently have.
Do you have a favorite inspirational quote you often come back to?
One quote that I often have painted in my office is by renowned computer scientist Grace Hopper. She said, "The most dangerous phrase in the language is, 'We've always done it this way.'" We need to be brave and not shut ourselves off from innovating or trying different things, even if those things seem scary.
The Webb School’s current Head of School, Ken Cheeseman, is moving to North Carolina to be closer to his grandchildren and to begin serving as Head of St. David’s School in Raleigh. He shared these affirmations: “Dr. Polly Parker is an excellent choice to lead Webb. She is a strong leader with a particular skillset that is needed at this time. It’s been a joy to work with her closely in recent months to ensure that the torch is passed seamlessly.”
Dr. Polly Parker, her husband Brett, and their eight dogs are in the process of moving to Bell Buckle, with her tenure as Head of School officially beginning on July 1.
I’m eager to work with the excellent faculty and staff present at The Webb School. It's such an honor to have the opportunity to invest in students’ lives so that they can strive to become the leaders of tomorrow.