Hotchkiss School head to step down in 2013

LAKEVILLE — In a letter released to The Hotchkiss School community last week, Jean Weinberg Rose, president of the board of trustees, announced that Head of School Malcolm McKenzie will be stepping down effective June 2013. McKenzie also made the announcement during an all-school assembly on Wednesday, Nov. 30, after having submitted his letter of resignation to the Hotchkiss board.In his letter to the board, and addressed to “Jeannie,” he wrote, “ ... I intend to leave Hotchkiss in the summer of 2013, at the end of my sixth year as head of school. You and I have discussed this timing, and have agreed that I shall serve Hotchkiss for an additional year beyond the end of my current five-year contract.” Neither McKenzie’s letter to the Hotchkiss board, nor Rose’s letter to the school community stated a reason for the resignation.Five years ago, McKenzie was brought on board with a mandate to help make “Hotchkiss a leader in 21st-century education.” Both McKenzie’s and Rose’s letters referenced the changes he instituted during his tenure. Rose wrote, “It is too early to commemorate his accomplishments, as much remains for us to do together. Nevertheless, I want to highlight a few of his achievements thus far. “Malcolm ... led a rigorous process of curricular reform ... ... in both the immediate and the global environment. ... Malcolm has made the farm [a reference to Jack and Jeanne Blum’s Fairfield farm, which Hotchkiss purchased in two parts, in 2004 and 2010] an integral part of the school and an innovative tool for experiential teaching and learning.”Rose also noted that McKenzie, a native of South Africa, “has deepened the school’s global awareness ...” Before coming to Hotchkiss, McKenzie was principal of Atlantic College in Wales.McKenzie did not respond to requests for an interview for this article.

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