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February 18, 2015St. Matthew’s Episcopal School selected a new principal who has first-hand experience in rebuilding an Episcopal school after utter devastation.
S. Myers McAllister was selected to be St. Matthew’s new Head of School. He has 19 years of experience in Episcopal education. McAllister started his career teaching music at St. Paul’s Episcopal in New Orleans, but has been the principal of the middle school there for the past seven years.
St. Matthew’s church and school building were destroyed by fire in 2011. The upper school, which houses grades 5-7, has been repaired and renovated. The church is nearly rebuilt and should reopen within six months.
In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, St. Paul’s was submerged under nine feet of water when the 17th Street canal floodwall failed and flooded Lakeview.
“It’s taken us a number of years to recover completely and we’re back now to our pre-Katrina enrollment,” McAllister said. “And I feel that the relationship between church and school is stronger than ever. I can’t take credit for that personally, but I do feel like I can bring that experience to St. Matthews as well.”
An eight-member Head of School search committee received nine packets from applicants and decided on two candidates to interview.
The Rev. Craig Dalferes, St. Matthew’s pastor, interviewed the two. The ultimate decision was his to make.
“They were two very highly qualified, very attractive candidates, so it was not an easy decision. But after conducting all of the interviews and listening to the search committee’s thoughts, as well as…the peer review committee…taking all of that into account and praying about it, Mr. McAllister was the one I really feel was called to serve at this time,” Dalferes said.
McAllister’s educational philosophies are themed in social justice with practical applications.
“I am a big advocate of traditional academic excellence combined with experiential learning,” McAllister said. He describes experiential learning as having students experience the things that they are learning about instead of merely reading or watching a video about it.
Another big component of McAllister’s educational philosophy focuses on educational sustainability, which is the exercise of environmentally responsible practices to teach good stewardship of the environment.
McAllister also said he strongly believes in the importance of service learning, which reinforces students’ civic sense of responsibility through community service. McAllister said that he sees a service learning requirement in the future.
McAllister has a bachelor’s degree in music with a minor in education from Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, and a master’s degree in Private School Leadership from Teacher’s College at Columbia University in New York City.
McAllister was a voice major but also plays the piano and organ.
McAllister was part of a group of Episcopalian churches and educators who assisted St. Matthew’s in their recovery from the 2011 fire with the logistics of the project and was impressed with the new construction.
“What an amazing job they’ve done in restoring the church. It’s really beautiful,” McAllister said. “St. Matthew’s is poised for greatness.”
McAllister said the first step he will take as the new Head of School will be to build relationships with the St. Matthew’s community and see where the biggest areas for growth are for the school.
