ASIJ’s new Head of School Ed Ladd with young alumni who were back on campus as counsellors at the Summer Day Camp. THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN
The American School in Japan (ASIJ) welcomed new Head of School, Mr Ed Ladd, who took up his position on August 1, 2010.
Mr Ladd joins ASIJ from Qatar where he was Director of The American School of Doha. He has worked in international schools for the past 25 years, holding leadership positions at The American School of Taipei, The Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel, and The American School in London. In 2009, he was named International Superintendent of the Year by the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE).
ASIJ’s mission statement of developing compassionate, inquisitive learners, prepared for global responsibility, resonated with Mr Ladd’s own beliefs as an educator, and he said, “Being in Japan in a culture that embraces both tradition and the ultra modern, and at a school with a history of excellence, provides us with a great context for developing 21st-century learning.
“Our aim is to prepare students for life and an as yet-unknown future, and I think that our mission and values at ASIJ capture that intent, particularly with regard to global responsibility. The potential for learning how to explore the world in new and different ways is immense, especially in this school in this country at this time, and that excites one as an educator.”
Mr Ladd holds degrees in English from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC, and completed his graduate work in English and education for an MAT degree.
Outside of school, he is an avid golfer and photographer, as well as a lover of books, especially fiction. His wife of 25 years, Carol, will work in the elementary school library at ASIJ. They have an English Cocker Spaniel, Johara, and three cats: Tiger, Gray, and Peanut.
Mr Ladd succeeds Mr Tim Carr, who left ASIJ in June to take up a headship at Jakarta International School.
— MATT WILCE
