Jared Perlmutter–

After three decades Rye Country Day has a new head of school: Randall Dunn. Following the retirement of Scott Nelson, Dunn was hired to fill the role. Dunn’s leadership marks a new era at RCDS. He hopes to bring new approaches to the future of RCDS.

The Rye Crop interviewed Dunn for a profile. He began his story by sharing about his background and his interest in academia when he emigrated from Jamaica. “Coming to America was the promise of great education and great opportunities based on education,” said Dunn, “It is philosophically how I live my life, because I think the values that are in great educational institutions, and what it does for people, is what has an impact on the world.” 

As a young man living in the Boston area, Dunn was accepted into Milton Academy, an institution he said has many parallels to RCDS. “I discovered an environment like [RCDS]. It was similar in terms of the ability to participate in sports and in the arts. I was in the freshman play and fell in love with lots of intellectual pursuits.” 

Dunn said Milton Academy helped prepare him for an Ivy League school. “From Milton to Brown. That kind of trajectory only happens because of those opportunities.”

Dunn’s prior role was head of the Latin School of Chicago, a title he held for eleven years. He said he hopes to bring certain aspects of their culture to our school, such as a series he started there called “Conversations with the Head.” Dunn explained that it was all about having open conversations in order to foster a stronger community. 

Dunn’s teaching philosophy is one that reflects a well rounded student. “We must value all the pieces of what makes a kid a kid. Not just an AP score or how many touchdowns they get. We should look at the full picture of what makes up a child.” 

This ideology is especially relevant in terms of the college application process. Dunn said that now more than ever, universities are looking farther than just students’ test scores.

 With the changing landscape of college entrance exams, Mr. Dunn admits that as they adapt we must too. “I think we have to pay attention to the effectiveness of those standardized pieces. Where are they going? We need to assess how much room is being consumed in our school by standardized exams and how much room is in our school for more dynamic pieces.”

Dunn said he believes the dynamic pieces are growing while the standardized pieces are shrinking. “If we wait too late, I think we’re going to find ourselves behind in April.” 

Mental health is another prominent topic at RCDS and at high schools nationwide. Dunn said he is already at work to improve student life. The morning of the interview Dunnn pulled together a group of counselors, nurses, and learning specialists to talk about how to best help RCDS students. “There are ways in which I want to pump up life to be a fun place for kids,” said Dunn. 

Dunn emphasized what he loves most about his job are the strong bonds he can create within the school community. “I want to go to the plays and I want to go to the games, and I want to put things on my schedule where I’m able to hang out and connect with students.”

Dunn said he hopes students will drop by his office whether they have a problem or just need someone to talk to; he wants to be that person.