Friends School Haverford names Andrea Myers new head of school
Andrea Myers has been named Friends School Haverford’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2021. After a comprehensive and thorough process, the Search Committee recommended Andrea to the School Committee by consensus and with great enthusiasm. The depth of Andrea’s experience, especially as a successful Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at The Miquon School in Conshohocken, and her warm and engaging style are an excellent fit for our school community.
Throughout her career, Andrea has demonstrated the professional agility necessary to lead across a variety of areas of independent school life. In addition to Andrea’s role as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Miquon, she has also been a valued member of the school’s leadership team, providing strategic direction to improve the school’s operations, professional development programming, and business growth opportunities. Before this, Andrea spent her career in PreK-8 and lower schools working in admissions and teaching grades 2-6 in a range of schools around the country. Andrea holds an undergraduate degree in fine arts from Hampton University, a master’s in elementary education from Lesley College, and an M.B.A. from Temple University. Andrea currently lives in Lafayette Hill with her daughter, Ava, and dog, Maggie. They enjoy spending time hiking trails along the Wissahickon.
Andrea is compelled by the opportunity to lead FSH as she is drawn to small, progressive communities that value kindness and celebrate the joy in learning for children: “Joining the FSH community brings me great joy, for which I am grateful. Through the interview process, I observed an abundance of kindness evident in the ways teachers talked of their colleagues, children engaged with their peers, and heard in the stories parents shared. I look forward to connecting with everyone and learning all there is to know about FSH.”
We know Andrea will lead Friends School Haverford with an abiding commitment to growth and innovation, all while recognizing the importance of preserving our deeply rooted Quaker values and traditions. Current parent Laura Been reflected, “I came into the search thinking it would be tough to find someone who had all of the qualities needed to lead FSH, but Andrea is exactly the right person for the job! She has a natural rapport with both families and faculty, reflecting her experience as an educator, an administrator, and a parent herself. On top of that, she has the business acumen to lead the school into its next phase, but her vision is couched in values that ensure the school will retain its core identity as it grows.”
For 136 years, Friends School Haverford has offered an intellectually-rich academic program on its beautiful campus, guided by Quaker philosophy and the tenets of progressive, constructivist education. By promoting academic scholarship, creativity, respect, integrity, and kindness, Friends School Haverford nurtures the voice within each of our students and empowers them to speak their truth. Nursery through grade 5.