Thayer’s Fortunato On Inspiring Schools Podcast 

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 took part in the latest episode of the Inspiring Schools Podcast, a forum which welcomes educators from around the world to discuss the future of education. 

In Season 6, Episode 3 of the podcast, which dropped today (Oct. 15) and is hosted by Simon Noakes, Fortunato discussed a number of topics, including his own personal journey from practicing attorney to educator. He also discussed several recent initiatives at Thayer — among them the decision to limit student access to cellphones during the school day, scheduling changes to create more community time, and the increased application of relationship mapping to make certain that Thayer students are known, connected, and prepared — to serve the purposes of deepening student engagement and instilling an authentic sense of curiosity. 

“That’s actually what school is supposed to be about,” Fortunato told Noakes at one point during their roughly 30-minute conversation. 

Fortunato touched upon the issues facing parents and guardians today, notably the increasing challenges of social media, and emphasized that, no matter what the future holds for schools, the best schools will always place learning within a framework of connection and community.

“Education should always be a relational experience,” he said. 

To listen to the podcast, click here.