Parker Welcomes New Head of Upper School Chris Arnold

Dear Parker Community:

 

I am excited to announce that Parker has successfully completed a nationwide leadership search to find our next Head of Upper School.

 

Our extensive efforts included reviewing more than 32 qualified resumes, conducting 5 in-depth phone interviews and hosting school visits by the finalists.

 

Parker is fortunate to have found an outstanding educator and administrator in Chris Arnold. Chris will begin his work at Parker on July 1, and is eager to join the Parker community and support our mission.

 

Chris has been an educator for the last 15 years, serving for the last three years as Assistant Head of School at The Chicago Academy for the Arts. Prior to that, Chris was a teacher and Creative Arts Department Chair at Deer Path Middle School in Lake Forest, IL, and for six years taught drama and led the theater department at The Chicago Academy for the Arts. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of a high school, his administrative experience and training include working on restorative justice methods, creating a social-emotional learning team, and forming and leading a DEI task force where he has applied his leadership training in strategic planning, curriculum and team building.

 

Chris received a BS in Acting from Illinois State University, an MFA in Directing from the University of Memphis (TN), an MA in Teaching with a focus on high school English and Education Administration Certification from National Louis University (IL).

 

I am thankful to the teachers, parents, students, trustees and administrators who generously gave their time to the interview process. And I look forward to arranging virtual opportunities for the broader Parker community to welcome Chris to Parker.

 

With Chris’s warm, inclusive and collaborative approach to school life, he brings a strong foundation in educational administration and leadership to Parker and we will benefit greatly from his experience and ideas.

 

With warm regards and great appreciation, 

 

Daniel B. Frank, Ph.D.
Principal