A Bush Retrospective: The Rambler Interviews Dr. Percy Abram

Photo Credit to the Bush School

Recently, I (Teoman Champagne ‘25) and Lilly Price ‘25 had the pleasure of interviewing Head of School Dr. Percy Abram. This being our and Percy’s last year here at Bush, our goal was to engage in a reflective dialogue about Percy’s over a decade-long tenure leading this school. In the hopes of encouraging students to reflect on their journey at Bush thus far, we wanted to share that conversation with you, members of the Bush community. 

Regardless of where you are in your journey here — be that a freshman thrilled about the impending summer break, or a junior fixated upon the looming threat of college applications — I implore you to, as you read this, take a step back for a moment. Take the time to query what experiences and opportunities have thus far been most meaningful to you at Bush, and ask yourself how you have engaged with those opportunities. 

As a senior about to graduate, I’m compelled to say this because I know just how enthralling prospects of the future can feel. But I also know that it’s crucial to take the time to be appreciative of what you have right now. I know it’s cliché, but really, high school will be over before you know it, and you don’t want to only realize how valuable it is until it’s gone. 

So without any further ado, here is an edited transcript of our interview with Percy. We thank Percy for his willingness to talk with us, and we hope you enjoy reading! Our questions are formatted in bold, and Percy’s responses are in paragraph style below: 

Why do you view Cascades, the Methow Campus, and other experiential learning programs as valuable to Bush and its mission? 

Our tagline is experience education. Place-based learning programs teach students a lot about independence, about pushing their boundaries, and about finding whether their limits are. That area of discomfort — that’s where the best learning happens. So with the Methow Campus, we wanted to try to create that experience for our students during E-Weeks, retreats, Cascades, and with the new semester program we’re building out. I have seen the richness of kids coming back from these trips, gaining an appreciation for what we have here, and for the faculty who traveled across the world with them. 

In your view, what does student success look like, and how does Bush support that ideal? 

I would say that 10 or 15 years ago, the idea of student success felt immediate, attainable, and prescriptive — in terms of the idea that you go through this experience, you get a good grade, you get into a good college, and hopefully turn out to have a great career. I think student success now means that you could put a student in any environment — socially, economically, or geographically — and they would have the skills to adapt. So at Bush, we teach students how to reason critically. I now have two children and college, and they say that that emphasis on critical thinking at Bush has meant that whatever class they take in college — whatever environment they’re in — they are able to find success. And that success isn’t really tied to any sort of job or income. I think we develop really good kids who want to do great things for the betterment of the world, as opposed to for selfish interests, and I think that really exemplifies what student success looks like at Bush. 

What are the unique benefits of having K-12 in the same school?

I am deeply invested in this opportunity for kids to learn and grow at each development stage, while knowing that there are people older than them who will serve as their mentors. At convocation, for example, kindergarteners sit there, partly bored, but then they see the seniors coming in, and you can see their eyes light up. And you can see them imagining themselves 12 years later, being able to be the leaders of this school. And for the older students, that connection gives a sense of responsibility to pay forward what they’ve learned. 

How has Bush changed since you started here? 

It has changed significantly in that, when I arrived, there were only about 600 kids here. Next year, we plan to open at 750, so we have grown by over 20% in my time. A lot of that growth had to do with talking with students, who unilaterally appreciated the close relationships with their teachers and the curriculum, but who wanted a little bit more of a social milieu and to have a greater opportunity to expand their social parameters going from 8th to 9th grade. So that growth, I think, has been really positive. Additionally, when I arrived, we were at about 30% kids of color, and part of the aim has been to provide greater access to the school as we grow. And we have done that, both in terms of socio-economic and racial backgrounds.

I think that all of those aspirations had always been here at Bush, but perhaps weren’t always executed in the best ways. But now, to have a board of trustees and a senior leadership team that are fully committed to these aims — it makes more families be able to say, “oh, I could really see myself at that school.” That has been very important. So I would say that the Bush School is, in many ways, like Gracemont Alumni Hall. It feels like it has retained its character and the essence of what it is, while we’ve also been able to update, expand, and improve upon certain aspects of the school. 

How has Bush changed your philosophy about education and leadership?

I’m somewhat of a product of public schools, and in my schools, learning was very rote — it was formulaic, which made it easier to study for a test, get good grades, and then move on and potentially learn nothing. Seeing how much our students come alive and engage with the material has led me to believe that, as John Dewey said, the best way to learn is to learn by doing. I think I knew that intellectually, but I just hadn’t seen that concept in its full essence until I came here. 

In terms of leadership, this school allowed me to be my full self. Bush taught me that leadership is not about knowing everything, but that it is actually about being transparent, vulnerable, and asking others for help. 

What is your favorite part of Bush and your job, and what has brought you the most joy?

My favorite part of the Bush School is the community. I think about all the constituents whom I have an opportunity to work with: students from five years to eighteen years old, the faculty, and the board. One of the things I always remark on is the alumni. They typically are doing something very interesting in their job, and staying connected with Bush, but, more than anything, they're just really good people. I think that goes to show how not only the mind but also character is developed here at Bush, which speaks to what an incredible place this is.