Memphis Top Workplaces 2023: Presbyterian Day School 'a very happy place to work at'

A few years ago, when Brad Sewell interviewed for the top position at Memphis-based Presbyterian Day School (PDS), he was struck by the strength of its culture. Even in a short period of time, he could tell it was a warm, hospitable place to work, where staffers treated each other with dignity and respect.

“The culture is remarkable,” he said. “It is a very happy place to work at. People love being here. They love staying here.”

PDS’ workplace environment — as well as the academic abilities of its students — ultimately helped draw in Sewell, who became its Head of School in summer 2021. He’s also far from the only person at PDS gushing about its culture.

The institution, which serves toddlers through sixth graders and has 119 employees, was named the Top Workplace among midsize employers in the Memphis area for 2023. In an anonymous survey, employees praised its familial atmosphere.

“I am surrounded by loving coworkers and a supportive community who cares for each other,” said one staffer.

“I look forward to coming to work every day,” said another. “The atmosphere is happy; everyone genuinely seems excited to be here. I feel appreciated for the work that I do.”

Added a third: “It is such a fun, happy place to be. I have been here for 15 years and not a day goes by that I'm not thankful to be here.”

Lifelong learning

PDS, however, offers its employees more than just an encouraging and friendly work environment. The school provides a competitive salary and benefits, Sewell explained. It has a faculty nursery for staffers with babies. And it provides its team members with opportunities for professional development and unique experiences on an international scale.

“We encourage our boys to be lifelong learners,” said Emily Lequerica, PDS’ director of research and innovation for boys’ education. “If we're going to expect that of our boys, we have to be modeling that as faculty and staff of the school.”

Lequerica and several other employees, for example, recently returned from Australia, where they observed methods at an all-boys school and sought ideas they could bring back to PDS. And not long ago, the school sent around eight staffers to Toronto for a similar purpose.

These trips can benefit both the school and the employees. PDS gains new ideas that it can weave into its instructional methods, while the employees get the chance to visit a new country with colleagues. Lequerica noted that during their weeklong trip to Australia, they had a day-and-a-half to explore.

PDS also offers two grants each year that fund professional development and learning opportunities, which its staffers can apply for. An early childhood teacher, for instance, used one of the grants to spend three weeks taking a psychology course at the University of Oxford in England.

“She's never had an opportunity to travel before outside [the U.S.],” Sewell said. “To go study at University of Oxford was a great opportunity for her.”

Opportunities for growth

Sewell thinks of these overseas trips PDS provides as “pinnacle experiences,” but even beyond the chances to go abroad, the school gives its employees opportunities for career growth, whether that ultimately helps them take higher-ranking positions elsewhere or climb the rungs at PDS.

Lequerica is an example of someone who took the latter route. She spent years teaching junior kindergarten at PDS, then moved into the admissions office. She also gained leadership experience overseeing the faculty nursery, and she had the chance to further advance her career in early childhood education. But Sewell approached her with what she called “another dream,” which led to her current position as director of research and innovation for boys’ education.

“There is great opportunity for growth,” she said. “Now, every person that walks in our halls is not going to be guaranteed a leadership opportunity… But if we can help build their resume and help them grow and help them learn, so that they could go somewhere else and shine, we're happy to help them get that boost.”

Still, many of PDS’ teachers and staffers remain at the school for a long time. Its turnover rate last year, Sewell noted, was just 4%. And much of the reason for this, he believes, stems from the school’s culture — the culture that he first noticed several years ago, back when he was a candidate interviewing for the job he now holds.

“It’s just an outstanding place in every way,” he said. “And how people treat each other here — you treat each other with dignity and respect — I think that is what creates that level of culture… and that leads to everything else.”

John Klyce covers education and children's issues for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at John.klyce@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Top Workplaces 2023: Presbyterian Day School honored