When Erby Mitchell told his mother he was leaving the world-famous Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., the first question she asked was, “Did you get fired?”
It’s a logical question, not because of Mitchell’s work habits, but because while at Sidwell, he had helped recruit Malia and Sasha Obama to the school. It didn’t seem logical that a man who had dealt with Michelle Obama would give up Washington, D.C. for a private prep school in Windsor, but he has.
And Mitchell has a compelling reason: family. After a career that had taken him from Maine to D.C., he figured it was time to be closer to his wife’s family in Windsor. That’s why he moved from Sidwell Friends to become assistant head for enrollment management for Loomis Chaffee, the prestigious private prep school located in Windsor Center. “My friends are surprised I’m leaving for the ‘small, sleepy town of Windsor,’” he said.
While advancing his career at places like Bowdoin College and Saint Joseph’s College in Maine and then Sidwell Friends, Mitchell said, “It was increasingly difficult to stay in touch with our families.” He wanted his children, ages 9 and 7, to have that sense of family.
Mitchell is also looking forward to working with older students again. At Sidwell Friends, he was recruiting children as young as 3 for the prestigious school. “I care very deeply about working with older children. It’s where my heart is,” said Mitchell, who will now be recruiting eighth-grade students to Loomis, which is grades 9-12.
And speaking of recruiting, Mitchell said Michelle Obama, among her other well-known skills, should consider writing a book about finding the right school for your child. “She’s a normal person who asked all the questions you and I would about what’s right for her children. People lose sight about getting their children into the most prestigious schools.”
Mitchell also hopes to get involved in Hartford and Windsor public education. “I will find some way to make a contribution to public education,” he said. “Being near a major city, where I can participate in public education, is exciting to me.”
