Lofty Aspirations Overseas and at Home

Profile: TOM BOASBERG

Tom Boasberg has big dreams — and he wants the communities he leads to dream big, too.

When he assumed the superintendency of the Singapore American School in 2019, he became responsible for educating 4,100 students in pre-K through 12th grade from more than 70 countries.

Given Boasberg spent 10 years previously as superintendent in Denver, Colo., the demands faced in the international sector struck him as both familiar and new.

“I love that we’re in a place with so many voices,” he says. “It makes you value every perspective and think carefully about how to support everyone.”

Diversity of the student body was just the beginning. Boasberg’s real focus was to build a school culture where every voice is heard.

“No strategy, curriculum or technology is ever going to be remotely as important as the quality of your people,” he says. “The more you create opportunities for staff to learn and grow and the more you build a positive culture of feedback and development … the more effective learning becomes for the kids you serve.”

Boasberg practices this by hosting Monday takeout dinners for teachers and principals, custodians and finance staff.

“It’s a simple way to get to know people, hear their stories and just enjoy each other’s company,” he explains. Boasberg laughs as he considers his previous superintendency, where his staff exceeded 10,000, saying, “It’s impossible to have that kind of personal connection. Here, we can do it — and it’s really fun.”

Those connections — along with earlier work in law and corporate management that included stints in Hong Kong — shape the larger culture of the school. Darnell Fine, the high school principal, says Boasberg leads with clarity and care. “He expects excellence,” Fine says, “but he also makes sure people feel seen and heard. It’s not about directives — it’s about engaging the community and bringing people together.”

Under Boasberg’s leadership, the school has moved toward equity, belonging and joy, says Fine.

Reflecting on his relatively short past as a professional educator, Boasberg notes that his time leading the highly diverse Denver system shaped his approach overseas. “Denver pushed me to dream big and think systemically,” he says. “It taught me how to involve stakeholders, listen closely, adjust and make sure that our efforts would truly help kids. I carry those lessons with me here.”

In Denver, he closed achievement gaps and increased college-going rates for students of color. Dropout rates fell by two-thirds and the number of families leaving for private schools dropped by half. “That shaped my belief in the transformative power of public education,” Boasberg says.

An AASA member since 2017, he credits his involvement in the association for shaping his approach. “I don’t think there’s anything that we are doing that I haven’t borrowed, in some cases modified, from another school district,” Boasberg says. “The willingness of other educators to share … has been incredible.”

Even when the pandemic hit just months after he arrived in Singapore, Boasberg kept community connections strong. For him, leadership comes down to a few core principles: Listen closely, build strong teams and always start by dreaming big.

“I hope schools continue to be places where students learn from one another, build friendships across cultures and backgrounds, and find joy in learning,” he says.

Boasberg’s leadership is defined by vision, empathy and connection — making every student and staff member feel both valued and challenged and always encouraging the community to dream big.

Amiela Arcellana is marketing coordinator at AASA.