Director's Communications

Learning by doing has guided the efforts of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools since Professor Dewey opened its doors over a century ago. Beginning with a handful of primary grade children from Hyde Park and growing to over 1770 students (nursery through grade 12) from throughout the metropolitan Chicago area, the Laboratory Schools have earned a well-deserved international reputation for excellence.

Our mission is focused on students. We are more than just test scores and college admissions statistics. We are about learning well and complementing the work of one of the world's premier institutions of higher learning, the University of Chicago. Our academic program is rigorous, but we are as interested in the development of character as we are in scholastic achievement. Alumni from all over the world regularly attest to how well they were prepared for life by the Laboratory Schools. In short, we are among the leading independent schools in the nation and pride ourselves on creating conditions for a purposeful search for knowledge and truth.

The Laboratory Schools represent the best that America has to offer with students who come from a rich variety of backgrounds. We view this diversity as a strength, representative of the world in which we live. In fact, we believe that Lab needs to be experienced in order to be appreciated. Prospective students and their families have been visiting us for over a century to determine if the Laboratory Schools are the right fit for them. If interested in knowing more about our Schools, please contact the Office of Admissions at 773-702-9451 or the Director's Office at 773-702-3236.

David W. Magill
Director

Communications from the Director

  • Create “Green Spaces + Places” on March 9— Connections tickets available now

    Posted February 7, 2013

    Did you get your invitation in the mail? Connections 2013 tickets are currently available online or return the reservation form with your check via US mail. Gather your friends and plan for a fun night, complete with an amazing silent auction! Auction donations are still welcome! For more information, email Connections.

  • Director’s opening day remarks, September 4, 2012

    Posted September 6, 2012

    Several years before I moved to Chicago, I answered my office telephone on a Friday at 5:00 p.m. Looking back on it, I don’t know why I would do such a thing. My office assistant had gone home, and I was ready for the weekend. But the caller ID indicated it was from out of the area, and I hate hearing a phone ring without someone picking it up. Thus began a conversation that led to one of my most memorable events in a career that is now over four decades old.

  • August Letter to Families

    Posted September 29, 2011

    David Magill highlights events and initiatives taking place in the 2011-2012 school year.

  • From opening day remarks, August 30, 2011

    Posted September 29, 2011

    I feel the excitement in the air today and like most of you, I love this time of the year. And in exactly a week, we will be greeting our students on their Day One, and, as we all know, the excitement will increase exponentially.

  • Director’s Address to Returning Faculty

    Posted September 2, 2010

    David Magill talks to teachers about change and improvements at Lab on day one of Planning Week⎯four days of preparation for the new school year.

  • On the Same Page: Light and Darkness

    Posted April 1, 2010

    The beginning of spring, the religious observances of the season, and the aftermath of an accident that occurred on March 24 have caused me to internalize the opening lines of Dickens’s, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . . it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.”

  • On the Same Page: In the salon tradition, celebrating Lab

    Posted October 28, 2009

    Director David Magill shares his conviction that the more we appreciate the talents of Lab’s community, the stronger we will become—academically, socially, and financially.
    “Combining adult learning with an enjoyable social event is an excellent way to become better acquainted with the plentiful and diverse resources of our community.”

  • Do + Think = Learn. Director Magill's Opening Day Remarks

    Posted September 1, 2009

    Director David Magill spoke about one of John Dewey’s legacies for Lab: Do + Think = Learn. And with nuptials on his mind as he was about to leave for his youngest daughter’s wedding, Mr. Magill also drew parallels between marriage and teaching.

  • On the Same Page: Designing for the Future

    Posted April 1, 2009

    Inspired by the historical significance of improving the learning environment of the entire Laboratory Schools' campus, representatives of the faculty and administration have joined the architects to help forecast the future.

  • On the Same Page: Impacting Education at the Highest Level, Part II

    Posted February 1, 2009

    In Part II of the letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, David Magill addresses four issues to consider in improving a U.S. education.

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