Headmaster Tom Whitworth announced today that Ken Wempe, dean of Middle School students, will leave Darlington at the end of the current school year to assume a new role as Middle School Head at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn., a K-12 day school founded in 1889.
“We are so proud of the work Ken has done here at Darlington,” said Headmaster Tom Whitworth. “Battle Ground Academy is gaining a strong educator who is completely committed to the Middle School-aged child. This is a great opportunity for Ken and his family, and I look forward to hearing great things about the work he does in his new role. Though he will be greatly missed by his friends at Darlington, we are all going to work together to ensure that our Middle School program does not skip a beat. I have great confidence in Division Director Jim Van Es and Dean of Studies James Hutchins to continue to build the finest Middle School program in the area around the people who currently work with and teach our students.”
Wempe came to Darlington in 1997 to teach eighth-grade English. Since then, he has earned his reputation as a student favorite among the Middle School faculty for his challenging and thought-provoking lessons in literature. In his classes, he incorporates the Harkness method, a technique he learned from a summer seminar at Phillips Exeter Academy in 2001. This discussion-based model of teaching, as opposed to a lecture, fits right in to Darlington’s goal of becoming a more student-centered learning environment.
“Ken has spent 12 years with us, and I’ve enjoyed watching his progress as a teacher and now, in the last couple of years, as an administrator,” Van Es said. “He is as fine an English teacher as I’ve ever known, and we will miss his insights and his creativity. I will miss him as both a friend and a colleague, but I know that he is ready to head a school. I’m so proud of Ken, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will do an outstanding job.”
A successful collegiate runner, Wempe has also served as head coach of the varsity and Middle School cross country teams. He has been integral in developing and maintaining Darlington’s campus running trails and cross country course. He has been a part of five cross country state championships and one girls’ track state championship, in addition to countless region wins. He has also had the opportunity to coach a number of state champions who have gone on to become successful Division I athletes.
Two years ago, Wempe took on an additional role as dean of Middle School students. In this position, he has partnered with Van Es and Hutchins to develop a top-notch academic program to match the state-of-the-art facility that will open in August. And because of his emphasis on student participation, Wempe has managed to get more than 96 percent of the Middle School’s student body involved in some sort of extracurricular activity, whether it be related to fine arts, athletics or academics.
Wempe said his time at Darlington has been an important part of his career path. Prior to his work here, he had taught at the Lower and Upper School levels, so Darlington provided the eye-opening experience of teaching Middle School-aged children.
“As soon as I started teaching eighth-graders, I knew that I loved that age group,” Wempe said. “It was a perfect fit for me. The students’ energy levels, their curiosity and their enthusiasm are things that I connect with. Darlington gave me the opportunity to find my niche, to be successful at coaching, and to grow as an educator. All of these experiences have prepared me very well for my next step, and I am so grateful to everyone who has been a part of my journey.
“We’ve just loved our experience here,” he continued. “One of the things that really sets Darlington apart is its people. Darlington folks are the nicest, most caring people that I have ever known, and we will miss being here. Since Elizabeth and I moved to Rome 12 years ago, this place has truly become our home. We lived on campus for eight years. We started our family here. Our children, Henry and Clara, began their educations here. So regardless of where we live, we will always think of ourselves as Romans and members of the Darlington Community.”
Ken Wempe
