Worcester Prep Announces New Head Of School

Worcester Prep Announces New Head Of School
Retiring Worcester Prep Headmaster Dr. Barry W. Tull, right, is pictured at the school’s annual bazaar in December welcoming incoming Head of School Randal Brown. The two have been meeting regularly as part of the school's transition process. Submitted Photo

BERLIN – After an extensive search process, the Worcester Preparatory School (WPS) Board of Trustees has announced Randal Brown as its new Head of School effective July 1, following the retirement of Headmaster Dr. Barry W. Tull.

Last June, Tull announced he would retire after the 2018 school year. Tull has served WPS since it was founded 48 years ago, including the last 33 years as headmaster. Brown will be the school’s third Head of School.

Brown’s successful leadership, commitment to excellence and focus on relationship building will all benefit WPS in the years to come. To ensure a smooth transition, Tull and Brown have been meeting and will continue to meet in the coming weeks to discuss ongoing and future school matters.

“Barry’s departure will be the culmination of an exemplary career that spans 48 years at Worcester Prep and over 50 years in education. Barry has done an extraordinary job of leading our school for the past 33 years and has set a high bar for his successor. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Barry for his decades of service and express our gratitude for all he has done for the school,” Board of Trustees Chairman Charles Jenkins said. “In many respects, Barry has set the moral and visionary compass that has made Worcester Preparatory School the premier independent school in our region.”

Brown comes to WPS as a seasoned school leader with over 25 years of professional experience in independent schools. He has spent the last decade in senior administration roles, including five years as the Head of School in a small urban setting similar to that of WPS. Brown brings an understanding of WPS values and programs, with a keen eye on the vision for the future.

Brown is currently the Associate Head of School for Advancement at Christchurch School in Christchurch, Va., and previously was the Head of School at All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler, Texas. Brown earned a Bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College and a Masters of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Army National Guard, where he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for distinguished service during the Iraq Campaign. Brown and his wife, Kristen, a NICU nurse, have a son, Collin, a sophomore at Texas A&M University-Maritime Academy, and two daughters, Amelia, a junior, and Mary Esten a freshman, both at Christchurch School.

An educator at heart, Brown has been recognized as teacher of the year and spent time advancing his craft as a history teacher at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans where he became passionate about teaching students how to write. Working at nationally recognized schools has provided Brown an opportunity to gain an understanding of successful college prep curricula, and how best to innovate current programs to support students’ long-term success.

“I am excited about joining the WPS community and all that it has to offer. During my visit to campus, I met with truly extraordinary faculty, staff, students and parents. I was impressed with the facilities and the palpable enthusiasm everyone has for the school and its mission. I look forward to meeting everyone, listening to the community, and being a part of the WPS family,” Brown said. “It is an honor to follow such an extraordinary, long serving and capable head as Dr. Barry Tull. Working with you all, I look forward to building on his many successes. After reflecting on my visit to your beautiful campus, and my many great meetings, I realized how fortunate I would be to join such a vibrant and talented school community. Kristen and I were both so impressed with everyone we met. The faculty, staff, students, parents and board members all showed such a passion for the school, and have clearly accomplished so much.”

“After working with Randal the past few months, I have been so impressed with his extensive knowledge and background that he will bring to Worcester Preparatory School. Given his insightful vision and strong leadership skills, I envision a bright future for the WPS community,” said Tull.

In summing up his 48 years at WPS, Tull added, “I have been so fortunate to have been part of this vibrant, dynamic and energetic community since its founding in 1970. The enthusiasm everyone has for our school’s mission and core values has helped WPS make enormous progress in the breadth and quality of education we offer our students. Our Advanced Placement program has become a hallmark of our rigorous academic course of study as our emphasis on character development has promoted the values that will serve our students well throughout their lives. It is difficult to imagine my life without the daily joy and privilege of teaching young people, standing on the sidelines, applauding student productions and watching the amazing intellectual, physical, artistic and personal growth of WPS students as scholars, athletes, artists and citizens. Since my earliest days as Headmaster, I have sought to fulfill a job description provided to me by a Kindergarten student. When asked by her teacher what the Headmaster’s job was, the girl raised her hand and answered with the profound wisdom only a child can impart: ‘He takes care of the school.’ During the past three decades, it has been my joy to aspire to this responsibility.”

About The Author: Charlene Sharpe

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Charlene Sharpe has been with The Dispatch since 2014. A graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and the University of Richmond, she spent seven years with the Delmarva Media Group before joining the team at The Dispatch.