Head of School Julie Anderson Announces Departure
Feb 13, 2024
Head of School Julie Anderson announced on Thursday, Feb. 8, that she will step down at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, concluding a more than two-decade career of service at Cheshire Academy.
“Serving as head of school these past seven years has been the most profound honor,” Anderson said, in her announcement to the school community. “I have collaborated with talented, resolute members of the Board of Trustees, a senior leadership team that challenges and inspires me, and a faculty and staff whose dedication has been a constant source of awe…These connections, spanning generations, are a testament to the enduring impact of CA and the incredible people who are a part of this community.”
Anderson started her career at Cheshire Academy in 2003 in a long-term substitute position teaching Spanish. Since her start, she has made CA her home, raising her two children Jenna, Class of 2019, and Kamden, Class of 2023, and meeting her husband, mathematics teacher Tom Marshall. Marshall, too, will retire at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
“When asked why I have stayed at the Academy for so long, my response is two-fold: I believe in our mission, and I believe in our people,” Anderson said. “This is a community of diverse thinkers, leaders, backgrounds, histories, and perspectives, and I am a better human being for having been a part of it. I have found my family here—and that family extends well beyond my husband and children.”
During her seven years as head, Anderson:
- Advanced academic programming, including the International Baccalaureate(R) program, Roxbury Academic Support program, and today’s curriculum
- Prioritized the recruiting, hiring, and nurturing of talented faculty and staff
- Successfully managed the NEASC and IB self-study and accreditation processes
- Enhanced campus facilities with the refurbishment of Simosa Field & Track and the addition of a second turf and several new tennis courts in the back fields
- Developed and implemented an unprecedented response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Made diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority
- Enhanced athletics and performing arts for all through the hiring of key positions, talented coaches, and directors
The Board of Trustees is forming a search committee tasked with finding Cheshire Academy’s new head of school. The committee’s first task will be to retain a qualified and appropriate firm to assist with the head of school search.
“Julie has been the face, heart, and soul of CA during her tenure, especially over the last seven years as head of school,” board chair Jennifer Freedman said. “Her steadfast leadership has brought the school increased success, status, and stability, and, most importantly, has supported, guided, and educated countless students in transformative and enduring ways.”
Read the full statements below:
For any questions, please contact Director of Marketing & Communications Sarah Fabrizi at sarah.fabrizi@cheshireacademy.org.
