10/31/2022 by Carney Sandoe Staff |
10 Questions with Aggie Underwood
Aggie Underwood spent 18 years at Carney, Sandoe & Associates, recently retiring from her role as Vice President. Prior to working at CS&A, she served for 25 years as a headmistress, first at Garrison Forest School in Maryland and then at National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. As a leader, she is interested in mentorship and making a difference in the lives of children.
1. What is the core of your current job, on a day-to-day basis?
I retired from CS&A in September 2021, and I am available as needed. Over the last eight months, I have been taking time to think about what I want to do next. I’ve done some volunteering and joined a book club but nothing serious. I have two grandchildren in Washington, D.C., and I am planning on spending time with them.
2. What was your first job in education? What are the major steps you’ve taken since then?
My first job in education was as an apprentice teacher at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA. I went on to work at The Spence School in New York, took a year off for Columbia Business School, and then started as the Head of School at Garrison Forest School. I had a one-year-old at the time!
After Garrison Forest School, I was the Headmistress at National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. I loved the place! When I left NCS, I was recruited to CS&A to build the Search & Consulting Group. I planned to stay for two years, and I stayed 18. Helping a broad range of schools and boards is very satisfying. I enjoyed learning about all the models and ways to teach and learn.
3. Have you had a career detour or surprise that has—perhaps in retrospect—served you well?
I haven’t really had a surprise or detour, except that I went to business school, which is not a traditional thing to do. Going to business school, specifically understanding accounting, helped with budgeting and strategic planning as a head of school. It also built credibility for developing the school’s “big picture” view. And this last CS&A gig that I did – that was a detour that turned into a superhighway!
4. What is something you learned about yourself through your current role and/or the leadership positions you have held?
I learned two things. During my 25 years as a headmistress, I learned to err on the side of kindness. In leadership, if you are guided by kindness, you get a better outcome. I also learned to care about faculty as having a whole life. I wanted to know about their families and other things that they were doing.
5. Where do you look for inspiration, support, and advice? Perhaps a specific person, group of people, author, thought leader, or community?
Those of us who led schools in the 70s and 80s had wonderful mentors in heads of schools and early headmistresses. We would meet at conferences, and the early headmistresses seriously cared about bringing along other women. They were stunningly interesting people, and I valued the camaraderie tremendously.
6. What is the best career advice you have received? From whom?
Dusty Houston, former Head of School at The Spence School, would tell me the truth about my career choices. He was very candid and honest.
7. What career advice would you give someone in education?
I would say to find a mentor and don’t hesitate to ask for candid feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask about how you can do things better. Also, always take the moral and ethical high ground. We brought that to CS&A, and it has served us well.
8. As educators, we are always learning and growing. What is something you’ve recently learned or are working to learn?
I’ve been doing a lot of reading. One thing I have learned is how much harder it is to run a school today than it was 10 years ago. Being a head of school is a difficult job. Today, constituencies are more complex and there are political divides, pandemics, and other issues layered on top.
9. Is there a motto, quote, or saying that you try to live/lead by?
Take the moral high ground. Do the right thing.
10. What advice would you share with those aspiring to leadership? What advice would you give your younger self?
Use all the resources that are available to you. Teachers can often go in the classroom and close the door, and it’s a wonderful world in there. Many teachers don’t realize the resources out there for them in leadership. Seek out that mentorship. Look for people to mentor you, because there are a lot of enthusiastic people out there who want to help.
Carol Dopp 11/1/2022 at 5:05pm
Thank you, Aggie.