Head of School Jane Moulding Announces Retirement in 2019

CSW Head of School Jane Moulding announced today that she will retire in June 2019, at which time she will have spent 17 years at the school's helm. Jane shared the news with faculty, staff, and students at a special assembly on Wednesday morning. A letter from Jane to Board of Trustees Chair Sue Vogt P'14, and a response letter from Sue, were shared with the greater community. These letters are included below.


CSW Head of School Jane Moulding announced today that she will retire in June 2019, at which time she will have spent 17 years at the school's helm. Jane shared the news with faculty, staff, and students at a special assembly on Wednesday morning. A letter from Jane to Board of Trustees Chair Sue Vogt P'14, and a response letter from Sue, were shared with the greater community. These letters are included below.

Dear Sue,
 
When headmaster John R.P. French created The Cambridge School of Weston in the early 1930s, he spoke of a “boundless ambition” that drove supporters to develop the campus in Kendal Green. Decades later, that drive, that belief in a greater purpose and motivation that knows no limits, has ensured that CSW remains a dynamic progressive school community.
 
I have been privileged to serve The Cambridge School of Weston since my appointment as head of school in 2002. My time here has been one of enormous personal and professional growth inspired by the school’s mission and devotion to learning. Over these past 16 years I have been blessed to stand on the shoulders of, and partner with, countless individuals who continue the ground-breaking work of John R.P. French—students, faculty and staff, trustees, graduates, and the families who have entrusted their children to CSW. The collaborative and caring spirit of this place has inspired us all to create and nurture a better community and a better world.
 
I am proud of the work I have done to promote the reputation of our school and its progressive, learning-centered mission, a reputation that stretches far beyond our idyllic Weston campus. Our graduates can be found in all parts of the United States and in many areas of the world. Many of them have become my friends, and their deep connection to our school ensures that its mission will continue and prosper for many years to come. As head of school, I have met a myriad of characters—kind, intelligent, and thoughtful individuals who perpetuate our wonderful story, and who demonstrate the love and devotion that this glorious place inspires in all of us.
 
I have been privileged to partner with six remarkable board chairs and a succession of devoted and generous trustees. Working with the board has remained some of the most generative work I have engaged in: two transformational capital campaigns; a remarkable new focus on philanthropy; two strategic plans; a revised mission and values statement; and two re-accreditations from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
 
Knowing that CSW is a place that helps teachers grow as progressive educators has been inspiring and energizing. I have welcomed partnerships with other independent schools, created in part by the founding of the Progressive Education Lab in 2011. It was extraordinarily gratifying to spearhead that program, and to secure funding with an Edward Ford Foundation Leadership grant.
 
I remain passionate about CSW’s role as a leader in social justice, diversity, and inclusion. From watching one of our students accept the Princeton Prize for Race Relations; through helping CSW become the first school to adopt a social justice academic requirement; to witnessing the accomplishments of students and adults in all of these areas, I relish the ways in which we have become a progressive school for the 21st century, and I see the ways in which this work—and other work essential to the social-emotional growth of our students—will continue.
 
Now, as I look ahead to my own future, I have decided that the time has come to retire from CSW and to pursue new projects. I plan to leave CSW effective June 2019. This has not been an easy decision. The Cambridge School of Weston has changed my life. I am constantly reminded of the ways in which CSW students, trustees, faculty and staff live our mission every day, and I know that I will remain forever connected to this extraordinary community, which is so committed to the joy of inquiry and so willing to make brave and important statements through words and action.
 
Thank you, CSW, for welcoming and befriending Linton and me, as well as our Corgi friends. The world is truly a better place because of the unique education CSW guarantees, and I am honored to have played a part in the exciting history of our beloved school.
 
With all good wishes,

Jane Moulding
Head of School

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Dear Members of the CSW Community:
 
After much thought, Jane Moulding has decided to retire as head of school. Over the course of her 16-year tenure, Jane has shaped and advanced The Cambridge School of Weston in countless ways. With her collaborative leadership style, an ability to leverage the skills and passions of those around her, and a pragmatic approach to opportunities and challenges, Jane has been a motivating leader and a good and dedicated friend to us all.
 
Jane’s warmth and her belief in human potential have allowed her to cultivate a diverse and inclusive community which attracts students, trustees, faculty and staff whose talents and passions drive them to change the world in ways large and small. Her connections to alumni/ae, and her interest in the lives they lead, are deep and enduring.
 
Jane has played a pivotal role in the re-imagination of our campus, driving the creation of a campus master plan that led us to improve the athletic fields; add a facilities barn; and build the Garthwaite Center for Science and Art, the Warren House dormitory, and the Health and Fitness Center. With a steady eye on the future, those efforts have focused on environmental sustainability and the development of learning and living spaces designed for the 21st century. Fundraising for our physical campus has been at an unprecedented high during Jane’s tenure, and she continues to demonstrate her ability to create a vision and pave the way to its successful implementation.
 
Under Jane’s guidance, CSW has become a leader in progressive education. Her collaboration with fellow heads of school to develop and nurture the Progressive Education Lab (PEL) marked a key milestone in that journey of leadership. She has encouraged CSW faculty to reach beyond the campus as they present themselves and their work to the wider community, and has offered numerous opportunities for the professional growth and development that is central to the school and its goals.
 
Most importantly, Jane has firmly positioned CSW for future success. Thanks to her leadership on two strategic plans, and her efforts to establish working groups for our current plan, “Vision, Ambition, Action,” our next head of school will have a clear blueprint for the work that needs to be accomplished over the next few years. Jane’s creation of a strong administration ensures that an effective team exists to implement the strategic plan in partnership with our talented and committed board of trustees.
 
I know I speak for all trustees, current and past, when I say how grateful we are for Jane’s leadership. Her devotion to the school’s purpose, her drive to continue the work of those who have gone before her, and her wise and judicious stewardship of our community and our resources have all moved CSW forward, and has had a lasting impact on the thousands of students, families, faculty, staff, and others who have worked with her.
 
There will be many opportunities to celebrate and honor Jane’s legacy in the months to come. Her influence will be felt at CSW for many years, and we wish her all success in the next stages of her professional and personal life.
 
Sincerely,
 
Susan Vogt P’14
Chair of the Board

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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.