Head of School Transition

September 13, 2024

Last week, our Head of School search partners, Educational Directions, visited the Emma Willard campus, speaking to faculty, staff, and students about their hopes for the school's next head. Senior search team members Chris Arnold and Nicole McDermott spent two days in discussion and discovery with the campus community and shared that the highlight of their visit was with "Red Tier" student leaders. In particular, one student leader shared guidance for the next Head of School that encapsulated the campus community's input: "Let Emma shape how you are going to lead—learn from Emma on how to lead Emma."

We want to thank members of the entire Emma Willard community—including alumnae, families, and friends—for the many nominations we have received to date; we have developed an excellent pool of candidates as a result. The immediate next steps in the search process include first-round interviews with the search committee in early October, second-round interviews and campus tours in late October, and finalist interviews in mid-November. We remain confident in completing the search by the end of this calendar year, with an announcement and introduction to the community anticipated in January.

The most important responsibility of any governing board is to select the right individual to lead the institution. To this end, engaging a search firm to conduct a national search was a decision made by the Board of Trustees to ensure a rigorous, confidential, and thorough selection process in line with National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) best practices. The search process also offers time for community reflection, affirmation, and consensus-building around the school's needs. We are grateful to have partnered with Educational Directions at this critical moment in Emma Willard's history and for their efforts to understand our school, mission, culture, and especially our students and staff.

As always, thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Wendy Graham ’85 & David Howson
Search Committee Co-Chairs

July 31, 2024

The opportunity statement for Emma Willard's new head of school has been completed by our search partners at Educational Directions and may be found below.

The statement was informed by a thorough review of school documents, interviews with school administrators, and a survey of the community. The release of the opportunity statement represents the first major step in developing a head of school search pool and nominations of qualified candidates are welcome. Please submit referrals for consideration to a member of the search team at Educational Directions, including Chris Arnold or Nicole McDermott.

June 25, 2024

We are pleased to share that we have formed a formal search committee to lead the selection of our next head of school. The search committee represents a diverse array of perspectives from across the school community and includes the following members:

Wendy Graham ’85 Co-Chair/Trustee

David Howson Co-Chair/Trustee

 

Vivian Brady-Phillips ’85 Alumnae Association Council Karen Brifu-Lacy ’04 Trustee Emily Carton Director of Student and Community Life Gina Egan Language Department Chair Jim Hackett P’20 Trustee

Julie Massry Knox ’98 Trustee Betts Howes Murray ’73 Trustee Megan Scremin ’00 Chair of the Board of Trustees Karlyn Wilkins Director of Leadership Gifts

 

The firm Educational Directions has been selected to consult and guide the process based on their experience working with many private schools nationwide. We are pleased to be assisted by members of their senior search team, including Chris Arnold and Nicole McDermott. For questions, comments, or to submit referrals, we encourage members of the school community to contact our partners at Educational Directions directly via email (linked to each name above).
 

May 23, 2024

Dear Emma Willard Community,

It is with mixed emotions that I share that after more than seven years leading Emma Willard School, Jenny Rao will assume the headship of the Brearley School in New York City on July 1, 2025, following the next academic year.

Jenny has led our beloved school through a particularly significant time in history, and thanks to her steadfast leadership, Emma Willard’s long legacy of excellence has been strengthened and solidified. As the chair of the Board of Trustees, it has been my distinct honor and privilege to partner with Jenny and witness her pour her heart and soul into all things Emma Willard, and I know she will leave our school well-positioned for its next leader. 

Earlier today, Jenny announced to the school community her plans to depart after the 2024-2025 school year and you may find her letter to the community below.

While it’s difficult to capture all that has been accomplished during her time as head, I’ve witnessed first-hand the impact of Jenny’s commitment to our students, our faculty and staff, and our school's enduring mission. She is a true champion for the education and empowerment of women and girls.

At a time when many school leaders were still reeling from the chaos of a global pandemic, Jenny not only kept the doors to the school open but led a strategic planning process that would ensure the best educational experience for generations of Emma Willard students to come. Her efforts ushered in academic pillars that shaped the school’s pedagogical approach, leveraging new teaching techniques and technology while encouraging collaboration across departments and disciplines. She helped students pursue deep learning in and out of the classroom, making way for the school’s own Advanced Studies curriculum and expanding experiential learning programs. Most of all, Jenny emphasized building a sense of belonging for all students at Emma Willard, proving that equity and inclusion are key to the vitality of our living and learning environment.

Supported by a historic fundraising effort, Jenny has championed the need for faculty and staff to receive competitive compensation, resources to innovate in their roles, and access to professional development opportunities. She encouraged curricular innovation and excellence in teaching and learning, created the school’s first dedicated Equity and Inclusion Office, and raised the school's reputation as one of the most desirable institutions to work for among peers. While Jenny has been clear in her belief that people come first, she has also led key capital investments to transform the physical landscape of Emma Willard through the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts and an initiative to create new faculty housing. These projects—and many others—have been made possible by the unprecedented support garnered toward the $175 million Infinite Horizon campaign under Jenny’s leadership.

To all in the Emma Willard community, Jenny is beloved for energetically embodying the school’s mission. Her love of learning is evident in everything she does, but for me, it is her conviction of character, deep well of moral strength, and joyful spirit that have truly set Jenny’s leadership apart. Her tireless efforts helped instill the students of this school with the skills and self-confidence needed to shape the world in new, exciting ways.

The Board of Trustees, in partnership with a Search Committee, is prepared to lead a thorough process to select the next Head of School. The process will begin immediately, with details and other updates shared here as we pursue another dynamic and dedicated leader for Emma Willard. We welcome input and involvement from the entire community throughout the process and it is our goal to announce a new Head of School by the end of this calendar year. Jenny will assume the headship at Brearley on July 1, 2025 and until this will remain actively focused and engaged as Head of School at Emma for the 2024-2025 school year.

Although we are sad to see Jenny move on to this next chapter, I hope you will join me in offering congratulations and deep gratitude for her unwavering service to this community.

Sincerely,
Megan Toohey Scremin ’00
Chair, Board of Trustees

May 23, 2024

Dear Emma Willard Community,

I write today with a heavy heart to let you know that the coming school year, my eighth at Emma Willard, will be my last. I will begin a new position as the Head of Brearley School in New York City on July 1, 2025.

Being a part of the Emma Willard community has been the experience of a lifetime for my family and me. We arrived when our sons were 3 and 7, and they are now 10 and 14.  I am so proud of how my boys have grown through the years in Troy and as a part of this community, and I am excited for this new step for my family. 

I love being the head of Emma Willard School! When I first stepped foot on Mount Ida I was greeted by brilliant, enthusiastic students who gave me a tour of our extraordinary campus. As stunned as I was by the beauty of our campus, what most impressed me was the curiosity, warmth, and incredible intellect of our students. Seeing the pride students felt for their school, I knew instantly I wanted to be a part of this remarkable community. 

Together we have envisioned and reached toward an infinite horizon for Emma Willard. We built an ambitious strategic plan and launched the largest campaign in the history of girls' schools. We did it all while weathering a global pandemic and embracing the urgencies of a racial reckoning in the United States. The steadfast courage that Emma Hart Willard lived by and with which she established our school and mission has guided and inspired us. I am so proud of the advancements we all have made to our program, our campus, and our community.

Throughout my Emma Willard journey, I have been fortunate to have worked with three incredibly strong and dedicated board chairs: Susie Hunter ’68, Lisa Allen LeFort ’72, and Megan Toohey Scremin ’00. I am grateful for the support, partnership, and trust they, along with our dedicated Board of Trustees, have placed in me to lead the school. I have also had the joyful experience of working with an especially strong and talented faculty, staff, and administration. The dedication of the Emma Willard team towards our students and girls’ education knows no limits. True partners in our efforts, our extraordinary alumnae and parent community inspire me with their generous support. It has been an honor to work with all of you to serve and shape our school and be a force for good in our world.  

I have said it many times, Emma Willard is a transformative place, not because it changes us but because it inspires us to be more of who we are meant to be. Every day, I witness 360 versions of success—every one of our students is different and extraordinary. Emma's students are ambitious, curious, hard-working, and kind. They continually inspire me and have helped me have the courage to reach toward my own growth as I see them reaching toward theirs. I have been proud to be part of a team whose singular focus is to ensure that we build an environment where our students can soar because they feel welcomed, loved, and encouraged to be true to themselves.

I am grateful to have one more year at Emma Willard; there is much important work for us ahead. I am looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2024 next week during Commencement and welcoming our newest Emma students in the fall. Next year will bring the grand opening of the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts, our second Jestermester, and the ongoing work to accomplish the ambitions of our strategic plan and complete our Infinite Horizon campaign. I will be here for all of it!

I look forward to partnering with the Emma team to ensure a smooth transition to the next Head of School. Leading Emma Willard has been one of the greatest honors and joys of my life.

With gratitude,

Jenny