Thornton Friends School applied for membership to AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland Schools) in late 2002 and we were granted provisional membership on March 7, 2003.  March 7, 2007 marked the completion of the AIMS team visit, the culmination of exactly four years of hard work and profound growth for the school. Congratulations are to be offered to many individuals involved in the process thus far. Chief among those are the Steering Committee and the chair of that committee, Sean Compagnucci, our upper school Dean of Students. The steering committee members were Farrar Williams, Marcy Seitel, Jess Henning, Norman Maynard and Michael DeHart, from the school staff, and Brooke Carroll, then Clerk of our Board.

We have spent the last two years engaging in analysis of every aspect of our school, from admissions to school culture, finance to governance, parent involvement to academic program. The result of that work is a 249 page “self-study” describing every thing we do and our assessment of how well we do it.  This document was presented to AIMS on February 8, 2007, one month prior to our accreditation visit.  The purpose of the self-study was, in part, to provide a team of experienced educators from diverse schools with a complete picture of Thornton. The members of our team represented Roland Park Country School, Worcester Preparatory School, St. Paul’s School, Chesapeake Academy and Capital City Public Charter School.  This team, chaired by Byron Forbush, former head of Friends School of Baltimore, spent three days in March 2007 visiting Thornton: sitting in on classes; observing activities and fire drills; and meeting with administrators, teachers, board members, students, and parents. 

At the conclusion of the team visit, Byron gave an oral report to the gathered faculty, summarizing the team’s findings.  In May of 2007, a final written report was sent to Michael DeHart, Head of School, and Brooke Carroll, Clerk of the Board. 

The next step in this process is for Thornton to create an action plan that responds to the visiting team’s recommendations for school improvement.  In March of 2008, this plan will be submitted to the AIMS Accreditation Committee, and that body will make a recommendation of accreditation to the AIMS Board of Trustees with whom the final decision about accreditation rests. 

We are so pleased to be engaged in this process. We have already learned a lot and anticipate learning still more. Taking the time to reflect on our program from top to bottom has reminded us of the remarkable work and accomplishments of our students and staff. Of course, it has also helped us focus more clearly on the areas in which we can still grow and improve as an institution.  Seeing both aspects of the school leaves us feeling proud of our mission and the direction we are headed for the future. The visiting team affirmed our work and also our courage and dedication in undertaking the school’s first accreditation process.  Finally, we appreciate the larger community of the school: parents, alumni and friends, who have shared their time in support of this process and their enthusiasm for our program.