English Department Chair Wendy Deming and Ninth Grade Dean of Culture, Community and Belonging Stephanie Ferri hug Pavliscak as they celebrate her promotion to Associate Head of School for Teaching and Learning in 2019. Photo courtesy by Stephanie Ferri.

Last week, Middle School Director Reed Farley and Upper School Director Maggie Cenan announced that former Associate Head of School for Teaching and Learning Karen Pavliscak will not be returning to Archer after taking a leave of absence. In an email sent to the student body, Farley and Cenan wrote that Pavliscak, who many community members refer to as Ms. Pav, chose to leave Archer due to personal reasons.

“Having collaborated with her closely, we share the profound sense of loss that we know others in the community feel,” Cenan and Farley wrote in the email. “While we respect Ms. Pavliscak’s decision, please know that we are here to support you as we navigate this transition together.”

Farley and Cenan wrote that the Archer community wishes Pavliscak the best and appreciates her contributions to the school. Students had the opportunity to write a note for Pavliscak in Student Services Administrative Assistant Cori Morris’ room if they wished to, according to the email. The school has not yet announced their plans for redistributing Pavliscak’s responsibilities or if they will hire a replacement.

Head of School Elizabeth English wrote to all Archer parents on this matter. An additional email was also sent to the Archer Alumni to notify them.

In response to an email from The Oracle collecting comments about Pavliscak’s legacy, history teacher Bethany Neubauer wrote that she has worked with Pavliscak during all 20 years Neubauer has been at Archer. Neubauer said Pavliscak often speaks about “superpowers,” and shared some of Pavliscak’s superpowers that had an impact on her, one of which being Pavliscak’s ability to persuade others that they could do anything.

“Her faith in me and her certainty that I could rise to any challenge I was facing, helped me appreciate what I am good at, when I sometimes couldn’t see that for myself,” Neubauer wrote. “I’ve more than once had the experience of walking out of a meeting with Ms. Pav and thinking, ‘Wait — what did I just agree to take on?’ Her enthusiasm and confidence are truly infectious, and they have led countless Archer teachers and students to raise their game in response.” 

Seventh grader Anika Jain also wrote how Pavlisack believed in everyone, one of Pavliscak’s traits she noticed after being at Archer for one year.

“I can safely say that Ms. Pav was loved by everyone. Her warm smiles from across the hallway and willingness to believe in everyone was something I always appreciated,” Jain wrote. “No matter what you were going through, she could always make you believe in yourself to get through it.”

Another of Pavliscak’s superpowers is asking thought-provoking questions, Nuebauer added. She wrote this was undoubtedly honed through Pavliscak’s years of teaching English.

“Over two decades of working with her, she repeatedly posed questions that helped me rethink or reframe a dilemma, leading me to a new perspective or deeper understanding — of students, of teaching, and sometimes of myself,” Neubauer wrote. “While I miss hearing Ms. Pav’s raucous laughter in the halls, I will miss those quieter moments of reflection more.”

The Oracle collected comments from Archer students, faculty and staff about the impact that Pavliscak had on their lives and time at Archer. Below, the comments not included in the article are compiled for viewing.