Head of Upper School, Dr. Molly MacKean, has announced her leave from Germantown Academy at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year. After a four-year tenure, Dr. MacKean will return to her roots in New England, where she will serve as Head of School for the Kents Hill School in Readfield, Maine. In light of this news, the GA community recognizes Dr. MacKean’s leadership of the Upper School throughout the past four years whilst also beginning the rigorous process of finding a new Head of School.
Dr. MacKean joined GA during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This experience forced her to navigate the responsibilities that come with being new to a community during a crisis, highlighting the limitations of not having enough time to establish familiarity with the community before facing the challenges brought by the pandemic.
“Coming in the middle of COVID was so incredibly challenging, and it was just one of those really hard life curveballs,” Dr. MacKean said. “I think it was hard to be totally new to a community and figuring out what it needs best when we couldn’t even be together to talk.”
Despite these hardships, Dr. MacKean worked to make GA a safe learning place where everyone could continue to come to school to connect during the pandemic.
“I’m proud of the fact that we kept the school open and we kept coming to school. Everything that we’ve learned since then has shown that that was probably the most important thing we could have done,” Dr. MacKean said.
Beyond providing academic support during and after the pandemic, Dr. MacKean wanted to create a way for the community to unite beyond the classroom. Notably, the invention of “Flex” was one of the ways the Upper School community could spend time with one another, which was spearheaded by Dr. MacKean in 2020.
“I wanted [flex] to be for things like improv performances in the library or just being outside with your friends,” Dr. MacKean said. “I don’t think we leave enough time for the spontaneous, joyous, and the human connection pieces [of school]. Community time didn’t exist before I arrived, which was really important.”
Along with being the Head of Upper School, Dr. MacKean also taught a History class: Visualizing Power: Nations and Popular Media.
“She’s a great teacher, and she always made the class enjoyable and engaging,” said Caitlin Lozano, a student of Dr. MacKean. “I hope even after she leaves, the course continues.”
One of Dr. MacKean’s fondest memories at GA is House Olympics. In fact, one of the reasons that she came to GA was because she loved the house system and its integration into Upper School life.
“The House system is part of why I came [to GA] because it feels like boarding school,” said Dr. MacKean. “I might take some ideas from House Olympics and apply them to the Winter Carnival, which is what we have at Kents Hill.”
Something else she will miss at GA and hopes to bring to her new school is having snacks and Capri Suns for the students to enjoy throughout the day. Even though she will be leaving, she hopes the new division head will continue this tradition of hers.
“I will definitely ask the new division head if they’ll continue to stock Capri Suns,” Dr. MacKean said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be one of their priorities, but it’s been one of the small joys in my life.”
The search for a new Head of School in the Upper School is a meticulous and thorough process that involves multiple stages. A dedicated Germantown Academy team reviews these applications, leading to a series of interviews and candidate vetting processes.
Leading this critical process is the Head of School, Mr. Rich Schellhas, who brings valuable experience to the table, having served as GA’s Head of Upper School. The involvement of long-standing administrators Ms. Sue Szczepkowski, the Head of Lower School, and Mr. Jonas Jeswald, the Head of Middle School, further solidifies the depth of expertise guiding the selection process.
Each candidate will go through several interview rounds visiting campus and interacting with small groups of faculty and the House prefects until the committee decides on a finalist. According to Dr. MacKean, this process is expected to close in roughly two months.
“I’m excited to help in the new search, and I think it will be fun finding new people,” said Roberts prefect Claire Durkin.
While the exact details of the final stages may be subject to adjustments, the goal remains clear: to bring in a new Upper School head who will seamlessly integrate into the community and continue fostering the excellence and vibrancy that define the Upper School.
“For a person who wants this kind of experience, you can’t do any better than Germantown Academy to be a division head,” said Dr. MacKean. “It’s a pretty amazing opportunity.”
It’s been several years since Germantown Academy has conducted an intricate process like this. Still, the committee is doing its best to find a new head of upper school who will be able to meet the students’ expectations.