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Director of Studies & Strategic Initiatives | Severn School
Dr. Sidra Smith has dedicated her professional life to helping others grow. She has held various roles throughout her career, including a teacher, a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) practitioner, an academic dean, a human resources professional, an assistant head of school, and a leadership coach. She currently serves as the Director of Studies & Strategic Initiatives for Severn School.
Smith shares her passion for education, her love of service, and her insights about how Severn School successfully guides students and prepares them to enter a rapidly changing world.
What inspired you to pursue education as a career?
My personal educational experience and my teachers are the reason why I do what I do. I received an excellent education, and I believe all children deserve to receive quality instruction in a nurturing environment. I also come from a family that values service. I was raised to give back, and I get to do that through my work in schools. As our strategic plan states, “Education is about the who.”
What makes Severn School stand out from other schools in the area?
Severn lives up to its values and is an evolving place. Severn students are scholars, photographers, athletes, singers. A high school student can be in the spring musical, play a varsity sport, lead a student club, AND take college-level chemistry. They can try on various hats and decide which ones suit them.
Academics matter at Severn, but they aren’t all that matters. Severn offers a robust co-curricular program for all grades. In addition to academics, students spend time engaging in activities that develop their emotional intelligence and their intellectual agility. They also focus on personal wellness, developing their own moral compass, and fostering an inclusive environment.
What excites you most about your profession?
No two days are the same. On any given day, I could work with middle schoolers to design a lever and pulley machine, lead a new teacher workshop, host a lunch for students to engage with a guest speaker, and meet with a high school student about her newfound interest in ceramics.
I began teaching 30 years ago, and a lot has changed. Thinking about how we can best prepare students for a rapidly changing world is something I enjoy. I live by the sentiment of this quotation: “What got you here won’t get you there.”
Teel Campus (Grades 6-12) 201 Water Street Severna Park, Maryland 21146 410-647-7700 Chesapeake Campus (Preschool-Grade 5) 1185 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. Arnold, Maryland 21012 410-647-7700
