Facilitator: Steven Dexter
Contact: sdexter66@gmail.com
Stephen Dexter, Jr., a native of New England, started his career in the American public schools and now serves as the secondary principal of Stamford American International School in Singapore. A graduate of McGill University (B.A. political science), Boston College's Donovan Urban Scholar Program (M.A. secondary history) and the University of Massachusetts/Boston (C.A.G.S. education administration and principal/superintendent licensure), Stephen's career has been influenced by the creative tension of adaptive and technical leadership (Ron Heifetz), the pioneering work of Larry Rosenstalk (high tech high), and the unflappable optimism of young people who question the status quo. After serving for three years in the Peace Corps (Togo, West Africa 1988-91) as a construction volunteer, Stephen worked for seven years as a history and AP political science teacher in the Quincy Public Schools (MA/USA) during the cooperative learning/multicultural movement that shaped his thinking about diverse learning environments. For his efforts, he was selected for an "Attracting Excellence to Teaching" scholarship in 1997. As an assistant principal at Middleboro and Westwood High Schools (MA/USA) from 2002-2008, Stephen developed his experience around community-based initiatives and student voice, efforts which landed him Assistant Principal of the Year honors for the State of Massachusetts in 2007. In 2009, he left Massachusetts along with his wife Stephanie and children Zoe and Ian for a leadership post at Leysin American School, a boarding school in the Swiss Alps. In his current role in one of the fastest growing schools in Singapore, Stephen has embraced the influence of design thinking on learning environments, building visionary leadership teams, and connecting international schools to public institutions. He can be found tweeting @SFDjr1, blogging for The International Educator, practicing bikram yoga to maintain his balance, and bike touring in a number of undisclosed locations.
