Ian Craig, Head of School, The Shipley School

Ian Craig, Head of School at The Shipley School, sat down with Invest: to discuss Shipley’s people-driven culture, the integration of academic rigor and relational learning alongside formal social-emotional instruction, and his long-term vision for fostering student success and institutional sustainability. “Like most schools, we are looking to have a healthy enrollment, strong college placement, and happy, well-adjusted kids who are prepared to take on an ever-changing world,” Craig said.

Since stepping into your new role at Shipley, what observations have most shaped your understanding of the school’s current strengths and areas of opportunity? 

I have taken time to meet as many constituents as possible. Meeting with current parents, past parents, colleagues, and trustees has allowed me to form a sense of the school. I believe it is very important to understand the institution first before advocating for any particular changes. The Shipley School has an incredibly strong balance of the arts, academics, athletics, and other extracurricular activities. That has only been reinforced since I took on this role. 

What differentiates Shipley’s culture and approach to education from other schools you have led? 

I have been in a variety of different schools, some of which include all-boys schools, K-8 and K-12. The strength of any school is in the people. The two most important things that we do are admissions and hiring. If you get that right, everything else takes care of itself. We have wonderful facilities, but it is really the people who make the program. The alumni don’t come back to see the science lab, they come back to see their science teacher who prepared them to major in biology. We place a heavy focus on people, and that has proven to be a very successful strategy. 

Shipley has a deep legacy of nurturing both academic achievement and character development. What does it mean to deliver on both fronts? 

Too often schools get painted as warm and fuzzy but not particularly rigorous, or very rigorous and not relational. Our belief has always been that you cannot have the level of rigor that we have without being deeply relational. They go hand in hand. Kids will not take risks in class, raise their hands, or find their voice if they feel like the teacher or other students in the class are not going to be receptive. Students will only stick out their necks, take risks, and challenge themselves within an environment where they feel safe. We feel as though rigor and relationship must go hand in hand. 

How do you see Shipley evolving its academic program to prepare students not only for college, but for meaningful and purpose-driven lives?

There is a significant number of jobs that kids in college are training for that will not exist in five years, whether that is due to advances in AI or other technological shifts. Preparing kids to be leaders and good citizens will translate across whatever their chosen profession is. We also believe that if kids can express themselves in written and verbal form, work on things in group settings, are curious, and have the ability to think critically, those skills will transfer over well into anything they choose to do. 

Social-emotional learning has become a central pillar of Shipley’s philosophy. How do you plan to sustain and deepen this commitment across all grade levels? 

This is a formal part of the curriculum for us. Other schools tend to rely on advisers to play catch-up or other programs to teach those skills. We make this a formal part of our schedule because our goal is to prepare students to be great at life, not just great at college. Social and emotional learning is equally important as math, science, and history. How our students engage with the world around them, treat one another, and the leadership skills that they leave here with are highly important to us. 

Given the challenges many independent schools face in enrollment and differentiation, how do you plan to strengthen Shipley’s value proposition? 

We are fortunate to have many different independent and public schools. For us, rather than comparing ourselves to others, we focus on being the best version of ourselves. If you are constantly trying to adapt to what other schools are doing, pretty soon you no longer have your own identity. We focus first and foremost on academics, but also on the arts, athletics, and preparing students to be leaders in college and beyond. Deepening what we do here, while also being thoughtful about what is going on in the world around us, has been key for Shipley. 

What opportunities do you see for expanding interdisciplinary learning, experiential education, or real-world application of classroom concepts? 

We have an amazing program here on campus; however, there are also opportunities for us given our proximity to Philadelphia. We will be working to get kids involved in programs that will get them into a pragmatic role in an industry that they may aspire to major in. For example, if a student wants to go to veterinary school, we might be able to find an opportunity as an intern at a local veterinary clinic. 

What role does technology play in Shipley’s teaching and learning model?
We all learned during the pandemic that online learning was not as effective as in-person learning, especially for younger students. Our philosophy is that while technology is a powerful tool, the teacher remains at the heart of learning. Great teaching, supported by the right tools, is what makes the difference.

At Shipley, we integrate technology thoughtfully across all divisions. We have a 1:1 laptop program for students in Grades 5–12, and younger students use iPads in weekly technology classes where they build skills in digital citizenship, coding, and responsible online engagement. Our growing STEAM program includes courses in Python coding, engineering, and design thinking, and students also have access to two Makerspaces equipped with 3-D printers and digital fabrication tools. In this way, technology enhances, not replaces, the core relationships between teachers and students that drive learning.

What are the most significant challenges independent schools like Shipley will face over the next three to five years? 

There is a demographic shift in the number of school-aged children being born that will affect all of our schools. Fewer families are having as many children and that will impact enrollment on some level. Financial sustainability is also really important to all of our schools. We have a historically deep commitment to equity and making an education equally accessible for all students through the use of financial and other support for families. Leveraging our campuses, building our endowment, and looking at additional sources of revenue to help offset increases in tuition is always something we are thinking about. 

What metrics will you be watching most closely to assess how the school is performing across academics, culture, and community? 

We look at a lot of data and have a large data sheet to keep track of a number of things. Our admissions funnel is a key driver of our revenue and the success of the school. We look at our comparative teacher salaries. We work to get kids into the right college for them, not necessarily the highest-rated institutions, though many of them do get into those schools. We also look at our standardized test scores and our alumni’s success after they leave Shipley. 

How do you envision Shipley deepening its partnerships with alumni, parents, and the broader Main Line community to build a more engaged and sustainable future?

We will continue to deepen our partnerships with parents, alumni, and the broader Main Line community by creating meaningful opportunities for connection and collaboration. Parents and alumni are already a vibrant part of the life of the school, whether that’s speaking to students in classes or clubs, like our thriving finance club, mentoring in the arts, or providing real-world opportunities for our students in their fields. Beyond the classroom, our events, from performances and athletic competitions to community gatherings, bring people together and strengthen relationships. Shipley also benefits from a robust alumni association network that helps us stay connected to graduates across generations and engage them in shaping the school’s future.

We’ve also seen significant growth in participation through initiatives like Pennsylvania’s EITC program, which directly expands access and affordability for families. And with our recent purchase of College Hall, we are positioning the school for a future of thoughtful growth that will serve students and families for decades to come. Together, these efforts ensure that Shipley is not only sustained by its community, but also shaped and enriched by it.

What is your long-term vision for the school?

Like most schools, we are looking to have a healthy enrollment, strong college placement, and happy, well-adjusted kids who are prepared to take on an ever-changing world.