This year The Lab School welcomes Ms. Schantz as  the new head of school.  Ms. Schantz began the year with a very important change to the student's dress code.  Blue jeans are now allowed for students. Every day Ms. Schantz is asked many times to consider a number of changes in the school, for example, how to use the space that was the former library. Ms. Schantz is trying to get a second opinion from several people before arriving at a conclusion on how it should be used. Ms. Schantz is currently contemplating new ways to improve student transitions from the intermediate, junior high, and high school. She is in the midst of learning more about the day to day operations in the school.

Ms. Schantz has been in education for two decades.  She works with students with learning disabilities because she finds them to be imaginative and interesting.  Ms. Schantz commented, "I like to think about changing learning disabilities into learning differences; in other words with good teaching, learning disabilities become less of a problem and more paths to success open up."

During college Ms. Schantz studied economics because she wanted to work in a non profit organization to help developing countries improve their economies. Some years later Ms. Schantz went in another direction and was offered a spot for teaching at  schools for students with ADHD and Dyslexia. She was Head of School at Delaware Valley Friends School in Pennsylvania, which has  a similiar mission as The Lab School. They teach smart students with learning differences and help them improve their reading, writing, and self-advocacy in preparing for university.

Ms. Schantz advises students, "Know your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can choose studies and activities that best suit your abilities; then dream big, but be prepared to work hard to reach your dreams.  Successful people are hard workers." Ms. Schantz feels that schools need to be places where students can discover their strengths and where teachers and staff need to have deep interest in their subject.

She expects to face many difficulties this year because she is new to Lab. One of Ms. Schantz's top priorities is to find the talents of the faculty and staff so that they can assist her when there is a problem to solve. Although she has only been at Lab for two months she has already learned much of the elements that make it so unique.