Dear Members of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Community,
I write to share that Dr. Susan (Sue) R. Groesbeck, interim director of the Laboratory Schools, is leaving her role effective today. Sue has had a long, distinguished career in PreK-12 education, and, in her brief time at Lab, demonstrated a commitment to engaging a broad range of the constituencies that make up our community. While we lose the prospect of benefiting from her depth of experience, we wish her well in the future.
Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, dean of the Harris School of Public Policy, will step in and serve out the remainder of this academic year as interim director of the Laboratory Schools. As you know, Ethan chaired the committee that I charged to review Lab last year. In that role, he met with a wide array of faculty, parents, and administrators across the Schools, and, with a view towards the future, developed a deep understanding of the unique community that makes Lab so special. The report they produced will soon be shared. Ethan is not an expert in pre-K-12 education and will rely on the educational expertise at the Lab Schools—of which there is a great deal—to manage the day-to-day aspects required to sustain ongoing, successful operations.
I strongly believe that there will be significant benefits to having an interim leader of the Schools who is deeply embedded in the life, culture, and values of the University. Ethan is a leader whose approach and commitment to the University’s values and mission is unequivocal. There will be significant effort this year to advance this connectivity and to bring more positive opportunity to the Lab School through the University. Ethan will hit the ground running and will work together with all of you as we continue what is already another successful year for our students. You should expect to hear from him next week.
Sudden changes can be unsettling and families, faculty, and staff who have been part of the Schools have experienced many changes. One of my team's key goals will be to help create the foundations of mutual understanding and alignment that will allow us to attract an extraordinary director for the long-run. We have already launched the search for a permanent director and will accelerate that search starting this week—with a goal of having a long-term, permanent leader in place for next academic year.
Finally, I will join a conversation with the Lab community this month on important topics including our shared values. There is much work to be done to ensure that Lab emerges through this transition ready to serve its vibrant, curious, diverse, and generous community. Working together, we can strengthen what are excellent schools for current students and for the generations of students who will follow them.
Sincerely,
Paul
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A. Paul Alivisatos
President, University of Chicago