7 minute read
Meet Dr. Tara Christie Kinsey
By Lee-Anne Black, Editor
A nationally recognized leader in independent school education, Tara Christie Kinsey, PhD, will join Country Day in July as our next Head of School. As she completes her decade-long tenure leading The Hewitt School, a K–12 school for girls in New York City, she has also visited Country Day’s campuses multiple times during the 2024–25 school year. In addition to bearing joyful witness to some of our enduring traditions, Dr. Kinsey has been actively listening and learning as she engages with students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and school leaders past and present.
On one of her visits, we sat down with Dr. Kinsey to learn more about her background, vision, and leadership style. Read on to learn how she is ready to make an impact by amplifying Country Day’s strengths and leading our school into the future.
Q: How did you come to education as a career choice?
A: I am an educator because education changed my life. I attended a big public school where I had good grades and was a serious athlete. When I got to Princeton, even though I was working hard in my studies and on the softball field, I wasn’t sure that I belonged. A professor took me aside after a seminar discussion about the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett and said, “You’ve got something important to say about this author.” He gave me a stack of books written by Beckett and said, “Come back when you’ve read them all.” I never forgot that moment because I felt seen and valued and known for my unique abilities and desires. That one professor’s influence began my love of Irish literature. I ended up studying abroad on a scholarship at Trinity College in Dublin. That academic experience eventually led me to teach Irish Literature at the Peddie School and then pursue my PhD at Emory University. My love of scholarship, writing, and teaching began when a single teacher noticed me, affirmed my unique gifts, and set a high standard for me.
Q: If we asked those you’ve worked with in the past, “What is Tara’s superpower?” what do you think they would say?
A: One of my favorite quotations is by the French philosopher Simone Weil, who said, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” I think others would say that I pay very close attention and that I am fully present when I am with others. Even if I don’t ultimately agree with what they’re saying or want me to do, I think that people feel they are seen and heard. I believe that giving somebody your full presence is a gift, especially when we have so many technological distractions.
I felt warmly welcomed, intellectually engaged, and genuinely inspired to help unlock the extraordinary potential of a school that has a long history of groundbreaking firsts and is now poised to write its exciting next chapter. I am honored and delighted to become Country Day’s next head of school and to work alongside such extraordinarily talented, passionate, curious, committed, and kind members of this very special school community.”
Q: What attracted you to Country Day?
A: What first drew me to Country Day was the sense of opportunity: the opportunity to play a part in more students’ lives; the opportunity to put the school’s resources to highest and best use for our students, faculty, and staff; the opportunity to rally a passionate and dedicated school community around an inspiring educational vision for the future, a vision that honors our past while moving forward. I’ve had the honor of spending time with two longtime former Country Day heads of school, Margaret Gragg Bissell and Mark Reed. I’m grateful for my discussions with them and others on how to build on the incredible legacy of leadership and forward thinking.
Country Day has a long track record of groundbreaking firsts. But what’s truly exciting to me about Country Day is that the more I get to understand who this school is and who we are, it’s very clear that it’s not just the first; it’s the best. We have extraordinary teachers, first-rate facilities, and an incredibly dedicated community with a great big heart. At the Selwyn Society Reception, I was in a room with over 400 dedicated volunteers and donors to this school. And the stories that they were telling me made it very clear that this is not just a school—it’s a community that creates experiences that last a lifetime.
Q: Country Day has a long history of forward thinking. What comes to mind when you think about that in the context of our next chapter?
A: My favorite part of my visits has been my time with the students. They’re ready and they’re looking to us to help them be ready for their future. I love that this is such a walkable campus, and I can bump into so many students just walking from one building to another. It keeps us honest when we’re talking with students and listening to them.
One of the things that I’m looking forward to is centering students’ voices in leadership decisions so that they’re a part of co-creating positive changes that impact them. Why is that important? Because the future of education is going to be about developing student voice and leadership. We must give students those experiences now to help them create the positive change they want to see, not only in school but in the larger community and the world.
I think we also need to address the fact that technology has dramatically changed the shape of the school day for students and teachers. We have work to do in terms of better understanding how to deliver smart, effective, and targeted use of technology while balancing the more important need to develop human connections and relationships that are deep and meaningful.
Q: What are you looking forward to in the months ahead?
A: On a personal level, I’m looking forward to making a smooth transition with my family. My husband, Matthew, and daughter, Charlotte, will be moving down to Charlotte with our lab Otis. Charlotte will be joining the Country Day community as a sophomore, while her older brother, Sam, begins his freshman year in college.
I’m also looking forward to getting to know the people here. I like to say, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I’m really focused on understanding who people are, and what their hopes and dreams are, so that I can lead in a way that is resonant with this community.
Lifelong Educator
Since 2015, Dr. Kinsey has served as the Head of School at The Hewitt School in New York City. Previously, she was Associate Dean of the College and Campus Life as well as Senior Associate Director of Capital Giving at Princeton University. In addition to teaching occasionally while at Hewitt, she previously taught and coached at The Peddie School at the independent school level and at Emory University, Georgetown University, Oxford University, and Princeton University at the college level.
With an AB in English from Princeton University and a PhD in English from Emory University, Dr. Kinsey is a skilled public speaker and writer and has published extensively on literature, leadership, and the value of athletics.
A Few of Tara's Favorite Things
French Fries: “I have never met a French Fry I didn’t love. I’ll eat any kind, but my favorite are the waffle fries from a place called The Committed Pig on the Jersey Shore.”
Live Music: “I love to sing, I like a lot of genres of music, and I’m looking forward to exploring what Charlotte and North Carolina have to offer.”
Long Walks: “A great morning includes a long walk with my husband Matthew and our black lab Otis. I also really like to run.”
Watching Soccer Games: “Both of my children play soccer, so we spend a lot of time cheering them on.”
Cooking: “I love to cook, but it’s mostly a weekend activity since weekdays are so busy with schoolrelated events.”
