About
Head of School
Tao Smith '90, P'23
I felt like I belonged in a way I hadn’t felt anywhere before then. We were driving away— not even out of sight of the field house roof—and I turned to my mom and said, ‘That’s my place.
NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL TAO SMITH ’90 AND THE PATH BACK TO GOULD
Photos by M. Dirk MacKnight, P’10
From the moment Tao Smith ’90 set foot on campus as a prospective student, he felt an immediate connection. It was the summer of 1987, and things had not been going well for him at public school in Pomfret, Vermont.
“I stood out from the other kids my age,” Smith says. “Private school was not in our purview, but I needed a change. We’d looked at a few other schools, and liked them, but when we came up here, I felt like I belonged in a way I hadn’t felt anywhere before then. We were driving away—not even out of sight of the field house roof—and I turned to my mom and said, ‘That’s my place.’”
Including that day in 1987, Smith found his way to Gould Academy three times. First, as a three-year student. Second, as a ski coach and faculty member, from 1995 to 2001. And third, as the 39th head of school—and the first alumnus to serve in the role—arriving just in time to lead Gould through reopening plans in the face of the pandemic.
Including that day in 1987, Smith found his way to Gould Academy three times. First, as a three-year student. Second, as a ski coach and faculty member, from 1995 to 2001. And third, as the 39th head of school—and the first alumnus to serve in the role—arriving just in time to lead Gould through reopening plans in the face of the pandemic.
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Tao Smith
We have the most beautiful campus of any boarding school in New England, nestled up against a beautiful town. It’s the root of all our good fortune and impacts our curriculum, the people we attract, the decisions we make about sustainability.
Finding the Way to Gould
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Finding the Way to Gould, Part One : His Younger Years
As Smith tells the story, he was born “at the tail end of the hippie movement” on a houseboat in Sausalito, California.Read More
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Finding the Way to Gould, Part Two: A Work in Progress
After Gould, Smith attended the University of Vermont, majoring in comparative religion and minoring in history.Read More
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Finding the Way to Gould, Part Three: Head of School
Read MoreSmith left Gould after six years, during which time he’d helped build Gould’s competitive ski program; led trips abroad; taught history, French, and Ideas of Religion; served as a Davidson dorm parent; restarted the dormant Outing Club; coached mountain biking, lacrosse, and tennis; and learned more than a few lessons from his former teachers/now colleagues.
Gould is a small, co-ed, independent boarding school for grades 8-PG. We are passionate about preparing academically motivated students for college, helping them to become independent-minded, ethical citizens who will lead lives of purpose, action, excellence, and compassion in a dynamic world.
