With the start of the school year 2024 | 2025, accadis International School welcomes its new Head of School: Welcome, Maximilian Müllerleile! Originally from Oberursel, he succeeds Janina Sparks, who is stepping down after more than six years for personal and family reasons. Janina Sparks has always led accadis ISB with great passion and enthusiasm and has continuously optimized the quality of education. We would like to thank her for her highly professional work and are pleased that she will remain with accadis ISB as Head of Education.
We spoke to Maximilian Müllerleile to find out more about his personality, his career so far, his goals as Head of School and his first weeks at accadis ISB.
What has your career been like so far?
I began my academic career at Goethe University Frankfurt where I studied secondary school teaching, specializing in English and Physical Education. Stints as a research assistant at the Interdisciplinary College for Didactics in Tertiary Education and as a lecturer at the Institute of Sports Sciences enriched this time. I completed the second state examination following the German “Referendariat” (practical teacher training) at a secondary school in Eschborn. I integrated my passion for exploring the world with international experiences, working in educational settings in Australia, Spain, and Egypt. After completing the teacher training, I started out as a Physical Education teacher at the European School RheinMain. While teaching brought me great joy, I also discovered a passion for administrative tasks and gradually took on more responsibility. Step by step these experiences led me into a school leadership position.
What motivated you to become Head of School at accadis ISB?
At accadis ISB I particularly appreciate the school’s culture as well as the mix of organizational tasks and working directly with people. I am looking forward to developing the school further whilst continuing to stay in contact with students in lessons. I have always been keen to work internationally without giving up my roots in Oberursel. At a accadis ISB I work in my chosen field and - with more than 50 nationalities - the school community brings the world to my doorstep.
How do you organize collaboration among teachers, parents and the students?
I view the school as a community in which all participants - teachers, parents and students - are equally responsible for creating a successful and enjoyable learning environment. A constructive and trusting relationship with all stakeholders is essential for the well-being and educational success of the students.
Are there any educational philosophies or concepts that are particularly important to you?
A holistic approach in education is very important to me: the focus is on the individual as a whole. Of course, the academic success of our children is important to us, but this should be in harmony with their social and emotional development. Sharing our values is also very important to me: Children learn values primarily through interaction and interpersonal relationships and that is why our individual behavior sets an example every day.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Open-minded, dedicated, curious.
Do you have a role model who inspires you?
The term role model has a subtle implication to convey perfection. Since nobody is perfect, I prefer to be inspired by the behavior of the people around me and the little gestures in everyday life.
What should parents and students know about you?
My door is always open. I am always there for parents and our students when they have something on their mind.
What are your first impressions of our school and community?
I received an incredibly warm welcome. The atmosphere of the school is very positive and you can tell that everything here has been built thoroughly. Every part of accadis ISB is well thought out and you can feel the positive energy and commitment everywhere.
How do you plan to preserve the traditions and values of our school while encouraging innovation?
Values are the foundation of our behavior, they guide us in everything we do. They give us the direction in which we want to grow as individuals but also as a school community. To me, tradition and innovation are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, our values give us the framework to break new ground and develop innovative approaches that are in line with the principles of our school. I can identify with the accadis values and my impression so far confirms that these values are authentically lived here.
What do you think about the integration of new technologies and teaching methods in everyday school life?
Integrating new technologies into the classroom is essential to prepare our students for an increasingly fast-paced world. However, we must not forget that value-based behavior and emotional and social health develop through “real” interactions and interpersonal relationships. Our societies and thereby our schools' challenge is to reconcile the two.
Thank you very much for the interesting interview and welcome to the accadis community, Mr. Müllerleile!