That philosophy guides the Ethics Department Chair, Sr. Joseph Murphy, for his first-time tenth grade students. Sr. Murphy explains that, “they [students] think of opinions somehow like it’s property that they ‘own it’ somehow, but they really don’t own it fully until they can argue for it. Knowledge in a certain sense is a process, and you have to arrive at a conclusion through a process.”
Over this past Summer 2021, Ethics Department Chair Sr. Joe Murphy contributed a chapter within the anthology Intentional Disruption: Expanding Access to Philosophy (2021) published by Vernon Press. The anthology edited by Stephen Miller outlines how educators in philosophy have implemented the discipline at the pre-college level.
Students are always “in process” in class, formulating their ideas, at times, only in Spanish. Joe Murphy’s chapter “Once a Philosopher-In-Hiding: Teaching Philosophy in Spanish in the USA” details his journey from being the language department chair to trailblazing the now expansive ethics department curricula. He is one of few educators to integrate second language education with philosophical inquiry emphasizing that, “language is a way that we identify ourselves. When we talk and when we use language, it’s one of the ways that we make sense of the world.”
Philosophical education in high schools is often attributed as “critical thinking”. Sr. Murphy argues that what precedes the idea of “critical thinking” is first philosophical inquiry. He has seen what it provides in little moments: parents amazed with how their children have learned to discuss hard questions over the dinner table. Sr. Murphy hopes and implores other schools, administrators, and philosophers-in-hiding to take the leap. After all, they will become the philosophers and leaders of our future.
Diana Gross – Chief Innovation Officer
Diana Gross is D-E's new Chief Innovation Officer. Her experience is vast and spans being a global educator, a technology coordinator, a curriculum facilitator, an education strategist and most recently, a K-12 Learning and Innovation Strategist and Consultant in the...
Welcome to Our New Faculty and Staff!
Dwight-Englewood is delighted to announce our newest faculty and staff members for the 2024-2025 academic year. Learn more about each of them below.
Natalia Arbelaez – Leave Replacement Teacher, 4th Grade
Natalia Arbelaez joins the D-E community as a 4th-grade Leave Replacement Teacher. She has been teaching for more than seven years and says she is dedicated to fostering a love of learning in her students and creating a supportive and engaging classroom environment....
Valerie Berrios – Content Strategy Manager
Valerie Berrios is the Content Strategy Manager on the Communications & Publications Team. Her experience includes overseeing the strategy, development, editing, and publishing of a wide range of digital and traditional content for leading organizations. She has also...
Emma Brandow – Upper School Latin Teacher
Emma Brandow will be teaching high school Latin and serving as an assistant coach for varsity cross country this fall. She attended the Brearley School in Manhattan from lower to middle school and New York City's Riverdale Country School for high school. Emma majored...
Amanda Burnett – Middle School English Teacher
Amanda Burnett is an English Language Arts educator in her sixth year of teaching. She has dedicated her career to empowering students and has taught in Harlem and the Bronx, where she cultivated a deep appreciation for diverse voices and perspectives in literature....
Dylan Bryant – Grade 9 (Class of 2028) Dean
Dylan Bryant joins D-E as the Dean for the Class of 2028. For the past seven years, he served as the Head Chemistry Teacher at the Churchill School and Center, a K-12 day school in New York dedicated to supporting students with language-based learning disabilities....
Jason Dargan – Assistant Director for Student Life
Jason Dargan takes on the role of Assistant Director for Student Life. He is a proud alumnus from the D-E Class of 2015. After graduating, Jason attended Syracuse University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. Following his studies, he served as a student...
Zamin Khan – Maintenance Technician
Zamin Khan is a Maintenance Technician with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Zamin says he is always willing to take on new challenges and assist with any projects, and he enjoys interacting with people.
Anthony Martorell – Upper School Science Teacher
Anthony Martorell is a neuroscientist specializing in Alzheimer's disease therapeutics and joins Dwight-Englewood's Upper School to teach Integrated Biology and Chemistry II. This will be his fifth year teaching high school science. Anthony says he is passionate about...
