Incoming Director Landau Visits WAB, Affirms Focus on School Mission and Core Values

WAB's incoming Director, Robert Landau, was on campus the week of April 14-18 on a preparatory visit for his arrival in July. He met with parents, staff, the Board, and, perhaps most importantly for Robert, students. Throughout his visit, Robert expressed how much he enjoyed spending time with students.

"One of the things I can take back with me to Prague, when I’m reflecting, is that the highlights of my visit have included playing guitar at the ECC Sing-a-Long, having lunch with the student councils and taking a student-led tour," he said. "I love that I didn't see much of campus during that tour. That's how much the kids were talking, telling me how much they love this school."

When introducing himself to the community, Robert identified himself first as a teacher, with a true passion for education. Over the past 34 years, he has lived abroad, teaching and directing in international schools around the world, most recently at the International School of Prague, where he balanced coaching sports teams and dropping into classrooms with carrying out his myriad duties as director.

“I’m a teacher," he said. "I grew up in camps, every summer of my life. I love kids, and I will do everything I can do here to shape my schedule to have kid time. My early education experience took place in one of the most progressive schools in the US. This influenced me to become a teacher and school leader, so I know how important those school experiences are for kids.”

Robert shared with the community his idea of how he will make the transition into his new role as Director, and how he will manage the accompanying jobs and responsibilities of the position. He stressed the importance of WAB’s mission and core values, and elaborated on how he plans to embrace them thoroughly. “Everything I do will be guided by WAB’s mission and core values,” he said. “All of my decision making will go through the sieve of those guiding philosophies.”

Robert recognizes that WAB has a legacy and is keen to respect and understand its history, as well as its present state and where it needs to go in the future. Focusing on the school’s mission and core values, he stressed, will be vital to ensuring WAB’s identity, even as it continues to adapt itself and perpetuate its reputation as among the leading international schools in the world. 

“When the accreditation team comes next year,” he said, “they will acknowledge our strengths but also offer suggestions. When those suggestions come, we’ll examine them through the lens of our mission and core values.”

While on campus this week, Robert also held a meeting for anyone interested in learning about the transition committee he plans to form to help ease his transition into the WAB community. He explained the function of this team of diverse individuals, which will represent the spectrum of stakeholders in the WAB community, as "critical friends." 

"Transition has to be strategic," he stated, "You need people on the ground to help you."

Robert foresees the transition team as assuming the following roles and responsibilities:

1. Help clarify and maintain WAB’s mission and vision
2. Help the new Director better understand WAB history, present situation and future prospects
3. Maintain the school’s existing momentum
4. Build or rebuild organizational infrastructure to move forward
5. Plan a communication strategy -- who will be told what, by whom and by what means
6. Plan a ‘get to know you’ strategy -- who will CHANGE meet and by what means
7. Identify core stakeholders and determine their role in transition
8. Articulate the legacy of those before the new Director and review the organization’s core competencies
9. Identify organizational priorities for the future and the kind of leadership that is needed.

Parents or staff interested in learning more about the committee can email Anna He, Assistant to the Director, at ahe@wab.edu.

Robert, his wife Kate and younger son Matthew will be moving to Beijing this summer. Matthew, age 11, will enter WAB in Grade 7. Robert's older son, Sean, is reading sports management at the University of Bath (UK), having completed the full IB Diploma at the International School of Prague.

"I've learned a lot about applying for and enrolling in British universities," Robert assured the PTA, "but my wife has much more experience. The process of applying for university involves the whole family!"

The WAB community looks forward to welcoming the Landaus into the WAB family when they arrive in July. We also are looking forward to a special surprise at WAB Idol tonight – perhaps a chance for the new Director to start his WAB experience the WAB way!