World Views From Every Classroom

Interview with Drew Alexander, Head of Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Drew Alexander is the Léman Manhattan head of school. He returned to the United States after serving as head of school at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and Cairo American College. Drew has also been an educational leader and teacher at Singapore American School and schools in Alaska and Arkansas. He answered a couple of questions about his new tenure at Léman Manhattan. What excites you most about Léman Manhattan? First, we are a new school creating our own traditions. And we are empowering students to participate in the process. Not many students applying to a university can write an essay about creating the future of their school. What does the motto "World views from every classroom" mean? Our student body is represented by over 40 nations, so we truly are an international community. And our students participate in learning, leadership, athletic and art programs at our sister campuses in Europe, Asia, Latin America and throughout the U.S. This develops a real-time cultural exchange that will prepare them to lead and succeed in a global world. Critical thinking is the focus of Léman's curriculum. Why is this so important? Today, it's not enough to know who, what, where and when. You need to be able to analyze and interpret information to understand why. This is the essence of critical thinking. It's what colleges are looking for and what the world needs to solve its problems. What can you expect in the upcoming year? We are developing a program of academic excellence that downtown hasn't seen before. Our first group of international boarders arrives next week, and we're looking forward to sharing our culture and community with them. This is also the first year that we have a graduating class of seniors. That's exciting as well. How would you describe Léman to people who don't know about it? We're preparing students to be 21st-century learners and become complex problem solvers. You've developed a five-year plan. Where would you like to see the school then? I expect continued growth of our student population so that the number of students is 10 to 15 percent higher. We will have more curriculum offerings and our international exposure will grow. Soon students will be heading into classrooms. What can they expect? It's a new year and new beginnings for all of us. I'd like to see families, students, the community and teachers from all over the city work together to provide the best academic year possible for our children. For more information about Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, visit www.lemanmanhattan.org