Welcome from Ben Weinberg, Headmaster
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the American School of Madrid. For over sixty years ASM has served the American, Spanish, and International community in Madrid. ASM's mission is to ensure all of our students have the skills, habits of mind, and motivation to become citizens of their world, the future. ASM strives for excellence in all aspects of learning and student performance, from academics to service and from the arts to athletics. ASM students are inquirers, creative problem solvers, and collaborative leaders. They see opportunities where others might see obstacles and limitations.
Our students may have different nationalities, cultures, and experiences, but they are all part of one school culture and belong to one school community. A school community that values connection, caring, honesty, and respect. No matter where they come from and no matter where they may go, ASM is their home. As we say, “Once a Lancer, Always a Lancer!”
It is this sense of belonging that supports learning at every level at ASM. We are proud of our dynamic and comprehensive program and the ongoing professional learning that supports it. We are proud of our ASM students who go on to the finest colleges and universities in the world. We invite you to join us and look forward to welcoming you.
Thought Leadership Articles
Ben took a decidedly different career path to arrive at his current position of Headmaster of the American School of Madrid.
Ben left college after three semesters, determined to leave school behind, and was successful for many years working as a commercial fisherman, organic farmer, builder, and writer.
Education found him when he volunteered to read aloud to a student at a Vermont elementary school. First as a one-to-one aide for an emotionally disturbed boy, then as a Special Education paraprofessional in rural Maine schools.
Many years later, having lived in Africa and Europe, he could not imagine doing anything else. Education is his source of inspiration and hope. It is where he finds new energy and wonder every day.
Ben believes that it is only by working together that we can create the habits of mind, the skills, and quality of inquiry that will allow today's young people to find the solutions that have eluded previous generations for the all-too-familiar and all-too-human problems that face us and our world.