Recently, it was announced that Dr. Thomas “Spree” MacDonald would be filling the position of Upper School Director for the next school year.
Dr. MacDonald has always been interested in school. When asked about a teacher who had a profound impact on him, he mentioned his 5th-grade teacher (who was also the vice-principal), Ms. Brink. This was his first teacher to use differentiated instruction in her teaching, meaning she helped keep all her students at different levels challenged and engaged with the subject matter; this really got Dr. MacDonald excited about learning.
In high school, he was involved in activities such as choir, sports, and the school play. He became very interested in English and creative writing, and envisioned himself becoming a reporter. After graduating from high school, he got an English degree in education at Northern Michigan University. After college, Dr. MacDonald joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer, where he went to South Africa to train teachers. He became very excited about African studies, prompting him to get a master’s degree from Ohio University. Dr. MacDonald said that, after watching a movie in his African film class, his teacher mentioned they were starting a PhD program in African literature and wanted him to transfer out of his master’s program to join it as the first student, so he went on to get his PhD from the same university.
After getting his PhD, Dr. MacDonald remained at the university to teach, but quickly realized he wanted to teach smaller classes so he could make more personal connections with all his students—something he couldn’t do with the large university class sizes. Because of this, he left the university after a year to travel to New Orleans—where he helped develop an after-school arts program into a full high school and became a teacher there. That job got him very interested in administrative work, in addition to high school teaching. But eventually, he wanted to try something different, so he moved to the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge as their Head of Upper School. From there, he took a similar role as the Upper School Division Head at Bosque School in 2018.
Dr. MacDonald said he’s had his eye on Breck for a while because he has family relatively nearby and has friends who live in Minneapolis. After applying for the job and being interviewed, he was really excited to find that he and the leaders at Breck share similar values and goals—and after stepping on campus with his family, he knew he would be super happy to work here. He can’t wait to get to know all the students, faculty, and everyone who helps Breck work! Dr. MacDonald said that understanding and taking care of the culture at Breck is his number one priority. He is looking forward to shadowing students, and getting to know them individually as he learns more about the people here. Beyond that, Dr. MacDonald is looking to ensure Breck continues to run smoothly—in a way where people aren’t even aware of what goes on behind the scenes.
Dr. MacDonald mentioned that, as an administrator, he believes that schools should be student centered and pointed out the large number of student leaders in our community. He’s excited to work with these councils and meet with them regularly. “Really it’s trying to figure out what are the main groups, who they speak for, and how to work best with the rhythms of the place to not just get feedback from students but really truly thought partner,” said Dr. MacDonald when asked about student leadership, “Part of it is receiving feedback, but [. . .] really anytime you’re working with a group of people, you’re actually creating the thing in real time that you want, you’re creating that partnership, you’re creating that experience of partnership that has real impacts”
Dr. MacDonald loves working with students and values being able to see them grow in a dynamic environment. He shared an anecdote about one of his students who was assigned to his supportive studies period and initially had some learning challenges. He remembers thinking how she was “such a positive force of nature,” full of optimism and resilience. She recently got her doctorate in music and is now teaching at the University of Louisiana.
While Dr. MacDonald likely will not be teaching during the 2025-2026 school year, he mentioned that he would love to get the opportunity to. He currently teaches a senior capstone course and it’s his favorite part of his day because he’s able to establish deep connections with students, beyond just passing in the hallways.
He said his knowledge and experience in African culture and history allows him to bring dimension to the table—especially because schools are often bound by their own culture—and connect with teachers who have more of a global perspective.
Both inside and outside of the classroom, Dr. MacDonald has been super involved in exploring his interest in poetry and creative writing. From a young age, he was heavily exposed to art—his mom was (and still is) a published creative non-fiction writer, and his dad was a rock musician. He took many creative writing classes in college and some of his poems have been published. His poetry continues to keep him creative—something he values a lot in life—while also allowing him to connect with both students and faculty.
Cover of Konkababy, one of Dr. MacDonald’s published poetry books.
Outside of work, Dr. MacDonald enjoys hanging out with his kids, going on road trips, and his writing. He even has a “coffee shop routine,” where he goes out in the morning to a coffee shop just towrite (and drink coffee), keeping him creative. He’s also an avid gardener, and while he’s sad about leaving his “food forest” in New Mexico, he’s excited to start gardening in Minnesota. Dr. MacDonald will be starting in July this year and is excited to join the Breck community!
