Heads of School

Meet the

Heads of School

His favorite book from childhood is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

Head of Lower School

Whit McKnight joined the Westminster family to teach third grade and serve as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator in 2005. In 2014, Whit became the Head of Lower School. He reshaped both the curriculum and layout of Love Hall, introducing an innovative schedule and curriculum that ultimately led to the construction of the Innovation Village and Playscape, a playground inspired and partially designed by Love Hall’s very own students. Whit began his career with Teach for America and previously taught elementary school in Newark, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. In 2017, Whit was named one of Atlanta’s 40 Under 40 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Odyssey Atlanta and is also a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2018 and the 100 Black Men of America Atlanta Chapter Class of 2020. Most importantly, he is the parent of Whitcliff ’27.

She finds joy in the simple things, like placing the final piece in a challenging jigsaw puzzle!

Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood and Isabel Allende!

Head of Middle School

Danette Morton arrived in July 2012 and calls Westminster “a community with a beautiful soul–a community with foremost regard for children and learning, and a clear commitment to its own future.” Danette served previously as Head of the Upper School at Summit School in WinstonSalem, North Carolina. She holds a BA in Economics from Duke University and her Masters in Middle School Education from Lesley University. Danette and her husband, Kevin, are parents to Chelsea ’23, Bristol ’29, and Noah.

Head of Upper School

Dr. Chanley Small ’87 is serving as Interim Head of Upper School for the 2021-22 school year. An alum of Westminster, a long-serving teacher, and a leader in the Upper School, she holds degrees from Brown, Stanford, and Emory. Before becoming a member of the Westminster faculty in 2008, she worked as a professor and researcher in epidemiology at Emory. She chaired our science department for five years, launched and led the Upper School JanTerm program in its first three years, and took on her current academic leadership role as Upper School Academic Dean in 2017. Chanley and her husband, Michael, are the parents of three children.