KIS Welcomes Cameron Fox as School Director

 

 

For Cameron Fox, understanding a school is all about asking the right questions and listening. Mr. Fox joins Korea International School (KIS) as its new school director and brings nearly thirty years of experience in education including as the head of school at the American International School in Hong Kong and as founding head of school at VERSO International School in Thailand. Mr. Fox was familiar with KIS through leading 2016 and 2019 accreditation visits with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. He was impressed then by the level of innovative thinking he saw at KIS.

Now Mr. Fox arrives at KIS during a pivotal moment in the school’s growth. KIS offers outstanding academic and co-curricular programs that support high levels of student learning. KIS also has the opportunity to imagine what comes next.

Before a school can institute any meaningful change, the leadership and community must identify areas of strength and areas of growth. Mr. Fox recalls the revisioning process he led at the American International School in Hong Kong. That experience taught him the importance of provoking reflection to generate interest and excitement for the many possibilities of a school. At KIS, Mr. Fox plans to structure listening sessions and surveys to collect and synthesize data that directs further research. 

"Let’s reset the parameters of our imagination,” says Mr. Fox. “Let’s ask what is the big thing this school wants to be?” Mr. Fox believes that this period of discovery is fruitful. A human-centered approach gives the whole school community a voice. He is curious what new ideas and questions will emerge from the KIS community.

The process of reimagining what a school can be seems daunting. Mr. Fox reminds us that effective change does not have to be massive or radical. “We celebrate innovation,” he says, “but to build a culture of innovation we must create opportunities to experiment.” People must be willing to try something new and make mistakes. At KIS, we encourage our students to practice design thinking. Now Mr. Fox hopes to more fully shift the collective mindset to appreciate iterative thinking and collaboration. 

"We’ll keep the process light, engaging,” says Mr. Fox, “and continually remind ourselves that change does not have to be perfect. Each change is an iteration.” Together, KIS students, staff, and families will ask how this change feels, does this change work? The KIS community will remain open, nimble to respond and adapt to the needs and growth of our school. KIS is proud to welcome Cameron Fox as school director as we design the future.  

Excerpts from this piece appeared in The Korea Herald.