Emerson Announces New Head of School
March 13, 2009
Emerson School is thrilled to announce that our Board of Trustees has chosen Jerry Loewen as
our new Head of School, effective July 1, 2009. The Board’s decision
to select Jerry was based on
the enthusiastic recommendation of the Search Committee and incredibly thoughtful, positive and voluminous feedback from all who met Jerry during his time at our school
last week!
Pat Adams will continue to provide her wonderful leadership to Emerson until June 30, 2009. Over the course of the next three months, Pat, her team and the Board will work with Jerry to guarantee a smooth transition.
Jerry has spent the last sixteen years as Middle School Director, teacher and coach at Kentucky Country Day School in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to his time at KDC, Jerry spent six years as the Middle School Coordinator, while also actively teaching, at the Derryfield School in New Hampshire.
Jerry has a B.A. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley; a Klingenstein Fellowship at Teachers College, Columbia University where he earned his M.A. in Educational Administration; and is a graduate of the NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring Heads.
In Jerry’s letter to the Search Committee, he wrote: “The aspects of your school that jumped off the page for me were many. Your frequent emphasis on creativity and collaboration mirror both my administrative and teaching experience. Your stated objective to stretch students’ minds speaks to the extra effort put in by your teachers and the extra challenge and fulfillment gained by your students. Your dedication to problem‐based projects speaks to the real world multi‐disciplinary approach our students must possess… I was delighted to see the foundational emphasis you place in the arts at Emerson. Additionally, your statement claiming diversity as a ‘conscious element of its institutional identity’ is one of the most appealing and inspiring characteristics of Emerson I have discovered.”
In accepting our offer to lead Emerson, Jerry said, "I went into my search for a head of school position with the hope that I would find a strong match between my educational philosophy and the school's mission and culture. After only a short time on campus at Emerson, I knew I had found that match and more. Not only did I find an immediate comfort with the guiding philosophies of the school but I was also so invigorated by the energy of the students, faculty, staff, parents and board members that I knew the Emerson community would continually inspire me to excel and to grow as an educator and a leader. Now, that is a great match!"
The Emerson community extends a hearty welcome to Jerry Loewen!