Mission & Philosophy

Katherine Delmar Burke School is an independent K-8 school for girls located on a 3.5 acre campus in San Francisco.  The school was founded in 1908.

Mission
Burke’s prepares able, motivated girls for academic challenge, life in community and lifelong love of learning. Burke’s celebrates childhood as the best preparation for adulthood, enabling girls to take risks and become confident in who they are. Burke’s embraces individual and cultural differences, teaching that each girl can make a difference in her world.

Philosophy
The mission of the Katherine Delmar Burke School is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our emphasis on academic achievement has clear and measurable outcomes. Burke’s graduates attend the leading independent, public, boarding and parochial high schools, where they thrive both in and outside the classroom.  Our commitment to personal growth and to the worth of each individual in a community that values differences contributes directly to our students’ success.

Burke’s provides a rigorous academic program in an environment that cherishes each girl for who she is. At the core is our commitment to building an inclusive community in which each girl can participate fully and knows that there is a special place for her at Burke’s.

Our students excel because we treasure and promote learning through the joys and exploration of childhood. Skillful and dedicated teachers and staff create a cooperative, collaborative environment that fosters independence, responsibility and respect for self and others. Burke’s girls know that they are expected to use their unique and individual skills to make a positive difference in the world—and they do.