Whitworth Family Establishes Endowment in Support of ESD's Faculty

November 9, 2023

Ashley and Bryan Whitworth are committed to teaching their young children to invest their time and resources in things that are important and meaningful to them. One such demonstration is the recently established The Ashley and Bryan Whitworth Family Endowment to support the faculty at The Episcopal School of Dallas.

“We chose to establish an endowed fund as it allows us to contribute to the school today and at the same time provides ESD the opportunity to plan for the future to make the most impact,” said Bryan Whitworth. “We are excited to watch ESD grow and evolve. We are supportive of the school taking the initiative to implement new and cutting-edge programs that can expand the resources available to the students.”

ESD has long benefitted from people dedicated to the craft of teaching. The school’s strategic plan, ESD2030, calls for significant investment in people and programs with the need for increased faculty compensation foremost among the plan’s priorities. 

“When we learned of the ESD2030 campaign, it really resonated with us,” said Ashley Whitworth. “As we have watched our children grow over the past few years, we started to understand that education is not one size fits all and extends beyond the textbook. We think ESDistinction is going to be paramount in setting our children up for success and fostering their confidence inside and outside of school. We also understand that a program such as this is not possible without the faculty and teachers standing behind it and being willing to put in extra effort for the students, therefore supporting teacher compensation is an important part of program success.”

Endowed and named teaching positions will provide supplemental funding moving ESD faculty closer to being compensated on par with peer schools.

“Great teachers make great schools,” said David Baad, Hobson Family Head of School at The Episcopal School of Dallas. “Through our rigorous hiring process and robust professional development program, we believe that ESD is in a solid position to recruit, develop, and retain the best educators possible. Our teachers know they will encounter an intellectually diverse group of students in their classrooms. We are united in our goal to optimally challenge each student to be the best version of themselves in all aspects of their lives.”