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Photo by Jim Graham
After two successful decades, Mark Anderson steps down as Sanford’s head of school.
Mark Anderson’s first step into the Brandywine Valley came when he accepted the head of school position at the Sanford School in 2011. Prior to that, he’d made his entry into education as a teacher at the Whitfield School in St. Louis, Missouri, before becoming president of the institution in 2004 at age 30. “I wanted to be of service. When I made that decision many years ago, I never looked back,” he says. “It was hard work, but it was fun—and it fed me.”
Anderson made his move to Sanford when long-time head Douglas W. “Chip” MacKelcan Jr. stepped down due to illness. “Mark was the one candidate who combined energy with the ability to step back and be thoughtful about difficult problems,” says Tom Allingham, former president of the board of trustees. “You could see it right away. He was a young guy, but he’s wise beyond his years.”
The board convinced Anderson to move across the country to take the job—and a daunting one it was. Hit hard by the economic downturn of the early 2000s, the school had seen its enrollment drop from 711 to 570. “I didn’t realize the scope of what we needed to do,” Anderson admits.
In the end, it came down to boosting morale. “We needed to have more pride. We needed to own who we are—and who we are is pretty awesome,” says Anderson. “Why aren’t we in people’s mouths when they’re making decisions about where to go to school?” he says.
Together with former communications director Cheryl Fleming, Anderson got to work on improving the school’s brand and marketing, along with refreshing campus spaces. Eventually, enrollment returned to its healthy numbers. “Leading Sanford has been the singular highlight of my career,” he says.
When Anderson first toured Sanford, he knew right away it was special. “I saw the way the kids interacted—the way they treated one another. ” he says. “It didn’t matter what socioeconomic status, race or gender they were. They all treated each other with respect and kindness—and that had to come from somewhere. It’s part of the DNA of the place. It fits very well with my own deep beliefs ”
The board at Sanford convinced Anderson to move across the country to take the job—and a daunting one it was. Hit hard by the economic downturn of the early 2000s, the school had seen enrollment drop from 711 to 570. “I didn’t realize the scope of what we needed to do,” he says.
It’s something incoming faculty and staff continue to take note of, as well. “When we have folks applying for jobs and [the employers] meet our kids, that’s almost always one of the first things they’ll say: ‘Your students are special. I’ve never seen teenagers like this,’” Anderson says. “I’ll nod and say, ‘Yeah, I know.’”
Before deciding to step down, Anderson was heavily involved in mentoring potential successors, working with the Klingenstein Center for Independent and International School Leadership at Columbia University and a similar program at the University of Pennsylvania. Jamie Morgan, a 2002 Sanford alumna, parent and current associate head of school advancement, was one of those mentees. She’ll take the mantle as head of school and continue to raise the game.
As for Anderson, he’s off to Rhode Island’s Wheeler School to be its new head.
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