Bobcat Stories

“Meaning” is a word that might seem vague, but Chip Miller, the new Upper School Division Head, uses it a lot, and in very specific ways. Even his relocation here from Connecticut was meaningful, as it allowed him to reconnect with an impactful period of his life when he was a student at the University of New Mexico and active in the Southwest’s outdoor community. He believes Bosque School embodies his ideal school: flexible, student-centered, and where students are really involved in constructing meaning. His job, as he sees it, is to provide the teachers with what they need, so they can, in turn, give the students what they need. His vision of leadership is that good decisions emerge from collaboration within a community.  If there is to be meaningful change, he says, it must occur at the cultural level.

Another word he likes is “responsibility.” He appreciates how two of Bosque School's signature programs—the Immersives and Capstone Program—help students take charge of their own learning and take responsibility for their education. He views student success as something that tests can’t measure; instead, we must measure it by whether we raise successful adults. He defines a successful graduate as someone who leaves Bosque School with a sense of self-awareness and responsibility.

At Mr. Miller’s previous school, one of the traditions he helped steward involved hiding a cannonball and a 10-mile hike. Who knows what he will make happen here at Bosque School this year!