Education
INTERVIEW WITH JILL MUTI, HEAD OF SCHOOL ELECT, ST. STEPHEN’S SCHOOL THE FUTURE HEAD OF ST. STEPHEN’S SCHOOL TALKS TO WANTED IN ROME
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hat is your background and what are your goals in this new adventure as Head of St. Stephen’s School?
I am really looking forward to moving to Rome and becoming the next Head of St. Stephen’s School. Each school has its own unique culture and community. Initially, I think it’s going to be crucial to learn the school’s culture, be visible, ask questions and praise effective teaching and learning practices. It’s equally important to remember the number one reason we are here is for the students. So, I would say that my primary goal is to maintain and ensure our level of academic excellence by creating the best atmosphere Jill Muti, head of school elect, St. Stephen's School.
Marco Venturini for learning by focusing on what is best for our student body and helping them create a unique, unforgettable secondary experience. I look forward to getting to know the community, building authentic relationships with my colleagues, creating effective teams, and empowering faculty and staff to carry out their responsibilities successfully. Should there be underlying problems and issues to solve, I will want to take immediate action to remedy situations that might arise. Still, my priority will be to focus on what is essential rather than urgent every day. St. Stephen’s is getting ready to embrace a new strategic plan, and I am looking forward to stewarding the plan and process to guide the school successfully into the future. Everybody in our school, from the head of school and the board of trustees down to the support staff, must keep our school in the vanguard of change. My ultimate goal is to leave St. Stephen’s in a better place so that it can continue to attract intellectually-motivated students from around the world for years to come. For the last 18 years, I have been the Head of Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, a P-K - 12th-grade independent school for girls serving 685 students. I have managed the budget, staffing and all aspects of student life and have had hands-on leadership in virtually every dimension of the school’s programme, including strategic planning and development. Ashley Hall is a community I have loved serving. During my time there, I initiated and implemented numerous programmatic enhancements, including STEAM initiatives, the integration of math and science departments, the vision and creation of a global studies program, a successful professional development programme, a boarding programme for international students, a health and wellness programme, among many others. I have led three capital campaigns and three productive strategic and master planning processes and tripled the school’s endowment. I am also proud of a partnership I launched with Horizon’s
12 | January 2022 • Wanted in Rome
