When I learned that Franklin Academy had been voted Best Private School in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine’s Best of Connecticut Awards, my first reaction was not excitement. It was gratitude.

Not because of the title itself, but because of who chose us.

This recognition was not determined by a panel of experts or through an internal ranking system. It was earned through the voices of our community: families, students, alumni, faculty, staff, colleagues, and supporters who believe in what Franklin Academy represents.

As Head of School, I cannot think of a more meaningful endorsement.

This past year has been one of the most transformative in Franklin Academy’s history. Together, we welcomed our largest enrollment in years, achieved record student retention, expanded dual enrollment opportunities, launched new programs, experienced unprecedented philanthropic support, and prepared for the opening of the Center for Neurodiversity. We strengthened our curriculum, deepened our residential programming, expanded professional development for our faculty, and continued building a school that reflects the evolving needs of today’s students.

Yet none of those accomplishments are what I think about first.

I think about the student who raised their hand for the first time. The student who discovered they could be successful in math after years of believing they simply “weren’t a math person.” The student who found a group of friends that accepted them exactly as they are. The parent who told us they finally felt someone understood their child. Those are the moments that define Franklin Academy.

Every decision we make begins with one belief: our students deserve a school intentionally designed for them.

Many of our students have dyslexia, ADHD, autism, executive functioning challenges, anxiety, or other neurodivergent learning profiles. They are incredibly capable young people whose strengths are too often overshadowed by educational systems that were never designed around how they learn. Franklin Academy exists to change that story.

Specialized education is not simply about providing accommodations. It is about creating an environment where students are understood before they are evaluated, where relationships come before expectations, and where instruction is intentionally designed to help students build confidence alongside competence.

Our students are artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, performers, athletes, advocates, and leaders. They bring remarkable creativity, curiosity, and perspective to our community. Our responsibility is not to change who they are. It is to create the conditions where they can thrive.

That work belongs to an extraordinary group of people.

I have had the privilege this year of watching faculty redesign lessons because one student needed a different pathway to success. I have seen advisors spend hours helping students navigate challenges that extended well beyond academics. I have watched residential staff transform evenings into opportunities for students to build friendships, independence, and confidence. I have witnessed every department ask not, “How have we always done this?” but instead, “How can we do this better for our students?”

That mindset has defined this year. It has also defined our community.

One of the things that continually inspires me about Franklin Academy is that our mission does not belong to one department, one administrator, or one teacher. It belongs to all of us. Families partner with us. Alumni continue to advocate for us. Trustees invest in our future. Faculty challenge one another to grow. Staff members, often behind the scenes, create an environment where students feel safe, valued, and known. That collective belief cannot be manufactured. It is earned over time, one relationship at a time.

As I reflect on this recognition, I also recognize the responsibility that comes with it.

Across the country, more families are searching for schools that understand neurodivergent students. They are looking for schools where students with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, executive functioning challenges, and other learning differences are challenged academically, supported socially, and prepared for meaningful, independent lives. I want Franklin Academy to continue leading that conversation. Not because we have all the answers, but because we never stop asking how we can serve students better.

This award is not the culmination of our work. It is a reminder that the work matters.

To every student who trusted us with their journey, every family who believed in our mission, every alumnus who continues to champion Franklin Academy, every trustee who invests in our future, and every faculty and staff member who pours their heart into this community each day, thank you.

This recognition belongs to all of you.

I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together this year. And I am even more excited about where we are going next.