RE LOG Fall 2024

FALL 2024 Ransom Everglades LOG 23 curriculum. Whereas, at Palmer, he would take his students across Old Cutler Road to collect a little seawater every so often, now he could take them out on the bay. At RE, he also pursued opportunities in administration and began to develop his signature brand of warm, compassionate leadership. Before he became Dean of Students, then-Head of the Upper School Mike Ferguson set him up to be mentored by Owen Paris, a longtime coach and assistant dean who was treasured by the community. Cramp took inspiration from Paris’s ability to be firm yet kind. “He taught me so much about being someone who really Cramp’s first stint at Ransom Everglades After six years at Palmer, during which he also coached football, soccer and baseball, Cramp interviewed for a position at RE. He was tentative at first; at the time, Palmer considered itself RE’s chief rival and had just taken possession of the famous Oar. But when he met legendary RE science faculty members such as Jay Calkins, Doc Crabtree and Bob DuBard, he was impressed. “I was blown away by how welcoming they were, how real they were, how open to making some changes they were,” Cramp said. The new job carried other perks. Cramp got to coach football. He got to revamp the ecology cares for people, for students, but also helps them recognize the consequences of their actions. He helped me find that balance of being able to say, ‘Yeah, you’re going to get a detention, but when you leave my office, you’re still laughing. We’re still simpatico. We’re still good,’” Cramp said. As dean, Cramp prided himself on making the rounds, being attentive, and being flexible when necessary. He kept a stash of Bic razors in his office so that unkempt Ransom Everglades boys could clean themselves up. He would also play foosball on the senior deck and challenge students to rock-paper-scissors if he saw phones – which were banned at the time – creeping out. Above all, he endeavored to model the kind of respect and care he was expecting from them. “It takes a lot of energy and thought to ensure that students recognize that at the end of the day, even though you’re making them shave, or you’re asking them to leave the school, that you still care for them, that you still know that they’re good kids, that they just made a mistake,” he said. By all accounts, Cramp was effective. Faculty and staff members who knew him 10 years ago speak in reverential tones about his tenure as dean. “I have never seen Don without a smile,” said front office support staff member Monique Regis. “He handles situations with grace and ease. Students always had respect for him even when they had to be disciplined. He has the power to speak to students in a firm and even manner, getting his message across without causing offense.” When the time came for Cramp to move on and assume the role of Upper School Head at Duchesne, the move was “Within the first week, I was like, ‘This is fantastic.’ I just fell in love with teaching.” – Donald Cramp 2005 yearbook 2003 yearbook