What follows is information I share with parents during a typical
tour of the campus to show them that MBA is separate, on a different
level than any other school in Nashville or the nation. Few schools in
the country can match our excellence with regards to faculty, students,
academics, athletics, fine arts, and facilities.
Plenty of schools may hit one or even two of these categories, but parents
need to know that we hit them all —with excellence—right
here in Nashville, Tennessee. Look at our programs and results to see
that our rhetoric matches our reality… How many nationally recognized
independent schools have such a high number of national merit scholars
or AP scholars, while also garnering a national ranking in football?
How many schools have students who participate in a jazz concert one
night and a state championship basketball game the next? Where else does
a state champion wrestler win a gold medal in a regional art contest?
Such balance is common at MBA and makes our school truly unique throughout
the country.
Below are some points that I emphasize with parents as we discuss aspects
of the school. Enjoy!
- The all-boys environment—MBA’s single-sex environment
allows the boys to concentrate fully on academics in the classroom.
The boys have plenty of opportunity for social interaction after school
and on weekends. Such events are fostered through joint programs with
Harpeth Hall and through close proximity with St. Cecilia, two of the
leading girls’ schools in the state and the nation. What is more,
the single-sex experience often heightens the relationship between
a mother or father and a son. Events like the mother-son breakfast,
mother-son lunches, father-son dinner, and father-son golf outing provide
a time of reflection for the boys and their parents. MBA is fast-paced
for sure, but the school takes time to recognize the importance of
relationships with both parents and members of the opposite sex.
- Our teachers—71% of our teaching faculty has graduate
degrees and 15 of them hold doctorates. Most independent school teachers
have five classes a day and have an average student load of 75. Our
faculty members teach only four periods per day and instruct an average
of 52 students. Smaller numbers allow our teachers more time for tutoring
and answering questions outside of class. What is more, the extra time
allows our teachers to get some of their own work taken care of during
the school day so that they can lighten their nightly load. Such an
environment for independent school teachers is uncommon nationally
and has created great longevity among our faculty. Presently, 37 members
of our faculty have been here for 10 years or more, 17 have been here
for 20 or more, and 3 have been here for over 30 years. Why do
the faculty members stay? Because of the quality of
the school, the students, the colleagues, the facilities, and the compensation. The
school’s commitment to seeking and retaining quality faculty
is second to none nationally among independent schools.
- Taking time to discuss—MBA brings outstanding speakers
onto the campus and creates an interactive environment that allows
the boys to converse with them. Recent speakers have included: writers
like Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, ER), Buzz Bissinger
(Pulitzer Prize winner, Friday Night Lights), Frank DeFord (Sports
Illustrated, NPR commentator), Jeffrey
Marks and Joe Ehrman (Season of Life); professional athletes
like Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (’03) and PGA
golfer Brandt Snedeker (‘03), and politicians like Senate Majority
Leader Bill Frist (R-TN, ’70) and Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell.
Guest speakers offer words of wisdom and field questions from the boys.
- Taking time to develop responsible citizens—MBA encourages
the students to consider difficult topics before they are confronted
with them. Each class takes part in student awareness meetings whose
topics range from the mundane (safe driving habits) to the practical
(how to treat a young lady) to the essential (the dangers of drug and
alcohol abuse).
- Taking time to discipline…you bet— Civility
is embraced by everyone in the MBA community. Young men are expected
to treat faculty, staff, and their fellow students- regardless of age-
with respect. No school is void of social pressures, but we strive
to minimize them by refusing to tolerate inappropriate behavior. The
boys meet our social expectations, and their compliance allows a shy
or timid boy some time to find his way, to develop inner confidence
at his own pace, and to grow without having to worry about being bullied
or ridiculed.
- Our attention to the balanced life—We do not just
pay lip-service to balance; we achieve it. Balance is brought to life
in an environment where athletes have no fear of stepping onto the
stage, behind an easel, and up to the debate podium, or where artists
are embraced on the field or court. At MBA, offensive linemen from
a nationally ranked football team star in the plays and musicals of
an award-winning theater department. Boys regularly step out of their
comfort zones to gain new perspectives. Their willingness to do so
creates an appreciation for their classmates’ achievements
in music, athletics, debate, writing, and visual arts. Such balance
is rarely achieved elsewhere.
- Extracurricular participation policies that encourage boys to
find their place—Why have policies? Why not let the boys
go home after school and get started on all that homework? We believe
that our extracurricular participation policy encourages boys to
discover aspects of life that they had no idea even existed. They
may discover a talent in debate, newspaper editing, sculpting, film,
scriptwriting, choral or instrumental music, sports medicine, or
sports itself. A boy may enter MBA not realizing that he has one
of the aforementioned talents, but our participation policy challenges
him to experience something he otherwise may not. The first step
onto a field, court, or stage may be difficult; but the rewards far
outweigh any youthful hesitancy that a boy might have.
- Homework—138 years of high expectations in the classroom
have created certain urban legends about homework at MBA and have caused
more than a few boys to proudly profess that they have 13 hours of
homework tonight. No doubt, MBA challenges students, and we are very
proud of that, but some points should be made in addressing the workload:
- All of the boys, regardless of their chosen curriculum (regular,
honors, AP), are met with high expectations in the classroom. The
day is usually rounded out with sports or other extracurricular activities
in the afternoon, dinner at home, and then a couple hours of homework
in the evening. However, the challenges at MBA are approached with
vigor together. Meaning…
- The boys are challenged, but they are also nurtured. Our teachers
take great pride in helping the boys succeed, and they make themselves
available every morning before school, throughout the academic day,
and even when classes end. Because of the commitment of our teachers
and students, MBA’s attrition rate is less than 3%, while the
average nationally among independent schools is more than 12%
- How is this success rate possible in such an environment filled
with high expectations in every aspect of the school-academics,
athletics, and fine arts? Love:
The boys love the school; the teachers love the school; the teachers
love the boys; the boys love (or, in some cases, will come to love)
their teachers.
- These same expectations in the classroom spill right into the debate
tournaments, the stages, and the sport fields. The high academic
expectations resonate in the spirit of our sports teams which for
decades have beaten opponents who are bigger, stronger, and faster.
It causes the theater troupe, the jazz band, the debate team, and
every other extracurricular group on campus to do their best and
to accomplish their goals together.
- Work habits breed success—The study habits formed
in MBA’s junior school annually produce more national merit
scholars than any other school in the state, and a pass rate of 90%
on Advanced Placement exams taken by our seniors. These strong work
habits endure during college and throughout professional careers.
- Lives of the boys and teachers—As one MBA English
teacher likes to say, “We burn a hot fire here.” A common
thread among students and teachers is that both groups stay busy. Often
a student will have a debate or soccer tournament or a series of theater
performances over a weekend, or a basketball game one night and a theme
due the next day. The teachers share these deadlines, and their lives
serve as visible reminders that we all have work to do. We all strive
for excellence, and we all refuse to make excuses. As in real life,
deadlines are met at MBA.
- Women—Yes. MBA does have bathrooms
for women and actually quite a few female teachers…and we always
have. Two of our most influential English teachers—Mrs. June
Bowen and Mrs. Mary Helen Lowry—created the very academic fabric
that produces our national merit scholars today. MBA presently has
14 full-time female teachers including the chairs of the English and
Foreign Language departments. Numerous other women work throughout
the campus in Counseling, Admissions, Alumni and Development, and administrative
roles.
- Challenges—Challenges are what make young men grow,
and boys who attend MBA take their share of lumps. They do not ace
every test or star on every sports team. They learn to pick themselves
up after a missed field goal or a poor grade. Such experiences change
boys into men and give them the mettle to persevere when they face
trials in college, in their careers, and in their personal lives.
- Athletics—MBA is renowned for its athletic program. Every year, every MBA
athletic team consistently competes for state titles. We are extremely
proud of this feat, and we know that it does not occur by chance.
Our staff of professional coaches is second to none on the national
scale, and our facilities are arguably the best in the state on the
high school level. Additionally, we have an excellent strength and
conditioning program that allows our student-athletes to achieve their
maximum potential and compensate for innate disadvantages of size and
strength.
- Theater—Many theater programs at independent schools
are led by a single English teacher charged with putting on one play
a year while possibly having no formal training in the theater. Our
theater program is led by three professional theater teachers, and
is considered one of the finest in the nation. Each year, we have
four challenging and artistic productions, and we conclude with one-act
plays in the spring that are written and produced by students. In
2004, MBA’s
theater program was recognized by the American High School Theater
Festival as one of the best theater programs in the nation. As a
result of this achievement, MBA, along with 49 other high schools from
across the country, will perform at the Fringe Festival in
Edinburgh, Scotland, in August of 2005.
- Debate—The debate program is led by three professional
coaches who have great knowledge, experience, and passion. We
are among the nation’s top teams year in and year out. Our top
debaters travel nationally to compete with the very best schools
in the country, and they come home with a lot of hardware. Two
MBA debate teams shared the 2005 National Championship.
- Music—The music department employs three professional
musicians who work tirelessly to provide personal attention and prepare
concerts for our chorus, jazz band, and orchestra. The attention
that our instructors give the boys is reflected in the wonderful performances
offered at alumni receptions, concerts, assemblies, and theater productions.
- Art—We employ four art teachers in order to meet the
demands of the boys’ interests in studio art and art history,
offering an AP curriculum in each. MBA students consistently win
more art awards on the state level than any other school, and they
frequently garner attention on the national level. A number of
students receive scholarships to pursue art on the college level
and continue pursuing their interests once they graduate. For the
boys who are not as gifted artistically, the relaxed environment
of the art studios proves to be a great haven from the fast pace
of History, English, and Math lectures.
- College Counseling—MBA is a college preparatory school.
As such, we employ three college counselors to assist the students
and offer them advice as they apply for scholarships and admission.
The college counseling office sits right across from our senior room
so the boys and the counselors are in constant contact. The personal
attention that the boys receive helps them choose the school that
is right for them.
- Financial Aid—Our financial aid budget of more than
$800,000 assures that we have a diverse student body. Currently,
more than 17% of our student body receives need based financial aid.
I hope that these comments have been helpful in giving you a better
glimpse of MBA. Simply put, Montgomery Bell Academy is a boys’ school
with a single vision of excellence in all endeavors. I hope to meet you
soon. If you are on campus, please stop by our offices to say hello.
If you would like to schedule a tour, simply call us at (615) 369-5311.
All the best,
Robert S. Black
Director of Admission and Financial Aid
4001 Harding Road
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 369-5311
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