The Country Day School movement was one of the leading progressive educational initiatives of the 19th Century. A description like that might make it sound like an antique, a thing of the past, but that’s hardly the case. Actually, the country day school model is very much alive and well, thriving at various campuses across the country. And it has a number of proponents who are held in high regard in educational circles—Alexander Harvey IV being only one of several examples.

Indeed, as a proponent of the country day school model, Alexander Harvey IV is tireless and passionate. His entire career as a school administrator has been in the service of country day schools—and if you don’t believe that, simply take a peak at his resume. You’ll see that he started out as the middle school director of Charlotte Country Day School, then spent three years as the headmaster of Denver’s Graland Country Day School. After that he was named headmaster of Alexandria Country Day School in Virginia—and he ended up spending ten years there.

But what is the country day school model, and why is Alexander Harvey IV such a firm advocate for it? The basic idea behind the country day school is to replicate all the benefits of a college preparatory boarding school—but also to allow kids to go home and see their parents and siblings at the end of the day. The notion is to combine academic rigor with a vibrant home life—and also to emphasize character development, athletic and artistic growth, and camaraderie with other students.

They’re called country day schools because, back in the day, they were established in the country—what we’d call the suburbs today—in order to avoid the perils of big-city pollution, crime, and disease. Today, these schools can be found all over the country—literally. Alexander Harvey IV’s country day school career has taken him to North Carolina, Colorado, and Virginia, but you can find these institutes all over the place.

Less common are country day school enthusiasts as vocal and passionate as Alexander Harvey IV—but then, his work on behalf of this educational model is enough for several men, it seems sometimes. His career as a school administrator in a country day school setting is simply peerless; as long as the movement has advocates with his level of conviction, one suspects it will continue to grow and to thrive.