Dean of Students Greg Griffeth recently announced that he will leave Darlington at the end of the current school year to become upper school headmaster at Barstow School, an independent PK-12 day school in Kansas City, Mo. In his 12 years at Darlington, he has held numerous roles including teacher, head of house, football and track coach, and dean of students.
Griffeth was hired to teach science at the Upper School in August of 1996. Four years later, he would take on a more active role in student life by becoming a head of house. This came at a time when Darlington was evaluating its residential life program and looking at ways to improve the quality of life for boarding students. After much research, the school decided to transition to an English-style House system, and as a head of house, Griffeth was integral in the development and implementation of the new residential program.
“The introduction of the house system in 1999 was a strong statement that we were going to try and take better care of our residential students, and I spent four years on a great head of house team doing just that,” Griffeth said.
He also worked closely with other heads of house and admission officers to recruit boarding students to Darlington. In 2004, then Dean of Students Gordon Neville (’55) retired and Griffeth stepped into an administrative role.
“The transition from head of house to dean of students was very natural for me,” he said. “The biggest adjustment was analyzing and managing the day student culture as well as the residential culture. With the help of many, we began to breathe new life into many student life programs that had served our students well in the past but were in need of updating.
“It was also a priority to elevate our level of support for students. As members of a school community, it’s important to educate beyond the classroom – with high expectations and unconditional love,” Griffeth continued. “Mistakes are a part of development and are not a permanent indictment against the character of a student. We as educators must recognize that fact, maintain high expectations, and support young people through their mistakes.”
Over the past four years, Griffeth has restructured the discipline process, implemented a successful advisory program, created a “health track” for students with substance abuse issues, and initiated a wellness and character education program. He also found time to earn a master’s in private school leadership from Columbia University and teach a Biology class each year.
“I really enjoy teaching, and it was important to me to continue growing as a teacher,” Griffeth said. “I believe the classroom is where the rubber meets the road for a school. The experiences a student has in the classroom determine the health of a school culture. As dean of students, I needed and wanted to be a part of that action.”
“Greg’s announcement is not only a validation of the good work that he has done here for the last 12 years, it is also a tangible recognition outside of our region of the mark that Darlington School is making in the independent school world,” said Mark Carleton, director of Upper School. “Students at his new school will appreciate Greg’s style of being very hands-on. It is common to see Greg on the sideline of a football game; chatting with students in his office between classes; or teaching his Biology class. His commitment to young people is apparent to all.
“Teachers will appreciate his thoughtful approach to scholarship as well as his academic pedigree as a Klingenstein fellow. Parents will come to value his approachability, his high standards, his character and his values,” Carleton continued. “We are excited for Greg, Susan, and their boys as they turn the page into this new chapter of their lives. We celebrate the imprint that they have left on this community, and we wish them all the best as they move into a wonderful new future.”
After 12 years in one place, it is difficult for some to express what they will miss the most, but for the Griffeths it’s the people. “Our most cherished memory will be the relationships we have built with so many fine people,” Griffeth said. “I feel very fortunate and proud to have been a part of some important transitional years for Darlington. Working with the heads of house, Gordon Neville, David Rhodes, Jim Hendrix, Tom Whitworth, Mark Carleton and James Milford has been a phenomenal experience for me professionally and personally. I am also going to miss the diversity of our students and the community environment of a boarding school.”
In 2008-09, James Milford will serve as director of student life, while continuing his work as head of Darlington’s residential life program. In this new role, he will no longer serve as a head of Cooper House.
