Friends’ Central is thrilled to welcome new Upper School Principal, Lee Payton. Formerly the Assistant Director of the Upper School at William Penn Charter School where he worked for over 20 years, Lee is a seasoned teacher, advisor, coach, and administrator. He began his career teaching social studies/history at Penn Charter and has since served in many roles: Upper School Social Studies teacher and Department Chair, Director of the College Prep program, and Quakerism teacher. In addition to his work at Penn Charter, Lee has served on the boards of the Friends Council on Education and the School in Rose Valley. He is also a trainer for Lion’s Story, an organization that prepares individuals and organizations to identify and address issues around race.

Lee is a member of the Religious Society of Friends and a graduate of Friends Select, where he met his wife Karyn. They have three children; Savannah, a junior at the University of Richmond, Davis, a first year student at Towson University, and a newborn baby, Charlotte.

What drew you to Friends’ Central?

I’m a Quaker School lifer, so this is my 40th year associated with Quaker education. When I started to look at FCS, what really drew me in was the mission and vision statement, ‘to cultivate the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical promise of our students; to awaken courage and intellect – and peacefully transform the world.’ As a product of a Quaker school, I believe fully and deeply that our graduates can and do transform the world. And I believe that Quaker education – the way we approach answering that of God in everyone and the moral, ethical, and spiritual practices and framework of the Religious Society of Friends – is an important message for our local, national, and global communities. And to see that articulated out front and present at Friends’ Central felt really special. 

You know, sometimes Quaker educators talk about what’s caught versus what’s taught, and we tell people what we’re about or we let them experience it. At FCS, it is articulated up front. And then, throughout the process of getting to know Friends’ Central, in speaking with people both formally and informally, I found that it was all actually happening too. You can see the mission and vision in action. You talk to the teachers, watch the students doing labs and experiments, reading and writing about things that they’re passionate about, having fun in their own discoveries, directing their own learning – that is cultivating intellect, that is awakening courage. When you see the walls of teachers’ classrooms, you see the values and the practices visualized. And when you talk to folks about their deep commitment to the community and see the number of people who have been associated with the School as faculty, staff, admin, parents for a long time, it speaks to the depth of community and the commitment that people have to the institution. I want to be in that boat. 

What do you value most about Quaker education?

It’s the idea of answering that of God in every person. And if we start with that, that covers everything. I had many wonderful teachers over the years, and they saw something in me that was about more than just grades. It was about bringing out my talent, my passion, my interests, my engagement. So if we do that, whether as teachers to students or colleagues to colleagues, we’re always trying to answer that of God in each person. That’s the whole ballgame. If every voice in Meeting for Worship has value and the ability to speak truth, and receive and share messages from the Divine, then we have to make space in our community so that everyone can have those experiences. We want everyone to feel enlivened so that we can all have that chance for spiritual enrichment.

What has been your impression of FCS so far? Is there anything that stands out to you as unique from other schools you’ve worked for?

What stands out at FCS is the dedication of folks to the community and to the School, and all of the long-term commitment. It’s also the willingness and flexibility to do new and different things. People seem really open to new ideas. That’s another thing that drew me to FCS. It was clear that I would be welcome and invited to infuse my own offerings into the community. That unwavering commitment and desire to be flexible is huge, and a big part of what I think makes FCS so special.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

I’m looking forward to a lot of things! Just personally and professionally, I’m looking forward to continuing my involvement in the Quaker school enterprise because I think Quaker education is necessary and needed, particularly at this current moment. The kind of personhood that we, as Friends schools, build, advocate for, and support is much needed: truth-telling, integrity, stewardship of our natural world and resources, all of that is so critical. I’m looking forward to continuing that work.

There are also some great initiatives that are underway or about to be underway. The Strategic Vision for the School and thinking about what’s the next iteration of Friends’ Central, that idea of being at a point in an institution where you get to chart sort of a new part of the trail, that’s totally exciting. At this point in my career, I’ve done a lot and have a lot of experience, but I’m also excited to be at the helm of the Upper School division at a time when we can think new and differently about things to come. As a Friends-school educator, I’m thrilled to join a community and co-create this new thing that we can all be really proud of while still keeping the things that are quintessentially Friends’ Central.

From small things like scheduling, to big things like, “what are the next steps for the Upper School,” I'm very excited to be at a school that really values discovery and education. 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

That’s a tough one. Teleportation would be great because I could just blink myself to the produce aisle in Giant, or Scotland, or wherever. That would be really neat.