Head of School

Georgetown Day School – one of the nation’s most respected independent schools, recognized for its commitment to academic excellence and progressive education – seeks a mission-aligned, intellectually nimble, and community-focused leader to serve as its next Head of School beginning in the summer of 2026. Founded in 1945 as the first racially integrated school in Washington, D.C., GDS was established as a school where children from across the Washington area could learn together in diverse groups, be joyful in their learning, and aspire to have a meaningful impact locally, nationally, and globally. This founding vision remains at the heart of the School's identity and purpose today.

The next Head will inherit a thriving school shaped by a dedicated faculty and staff, engaged students and families, and a passionate alumni community. The School has a strong foundation and is well-positioned for the future, with a robust demand for admission and strong student retention, a recently completed AIMS accreditation (2024), a newly unified campus, and a strong financial position with a growing endowment. The current strategic plan, Audacious Beginnings, Bold Futures, was completed in 2024 and outlines four guiding priorities for GDS’s next chapter: (i) purposeful, joyful, and integrated education; (ii) thriving educators; (iii) equitable access and long-term sustainability; and (iv) innovation and reinvention.

GDS offers a rigorous, inquiry-based program led by 230 full-time educators with an average tenure of 15 years. Students experience small classes, extensive co-curricular opportunities, and an ethos that values self-reflection, respectful dialogue, high academic standards, and ethical leadership. With over 1,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade, GDS draws from all eight wards of D.C., as well as surrounding communities in Maryland and Virginia. The School’s newly unified campus in Northwest Washington, D.C. fosters a joyful and inclusive learning environment that pairs academic excellence and rigor with social impact, empowering students to ask hard questions, solve complex problems, and lead with purpose.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a visionary leader who believes in the power of progressive education and the limitless potential of young people and their ability to become leaders in a diverse and evolving society. The next Head will model empathy, integrity, and joy; build trust across a diverse and dynamic community; celebrate excellence and the sometimes messy (yet always essential) pursuit of it; and steward an institution that takes pride in its powerful legacy while embracing academic rigor, innovation, and forward progress. The Head will guide the School in strengthening cross-divisional collaboration; supporting and celebrating faculty and staff; ensuring high academic standards and achievement; advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and amplifying GDS’s voice in a competitive local and national landscape. Most importantly, the Head will ensure that students remain the School’s north star and that GDS cultivates a learning environment where academic excellence, personal growth, and community engagement are interwoven. 

Andy Lee and Katie Rockman are leading this search with Elizabeth Weithman, Gigi Mensah, and Maria Connor.