Head of SchoolOur spring teams have become more competitive; the teamwork throughout the school day and during games is beautiful to see, and the leadership from our 8th graders has been phenomenal.
Spring Sports Recap from Jerad
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Jeff has served as head of school at Burgundy since 2006. Prior to coming to Burgundy, Jeff served as headmaster for 10 years at Baltimore’s St. Ignatius Loyola Academy, a highly successful tuition-free, year-round middle school for Baltimore City boys. Two of Jeff’s favorite aspects of Burgundy are our campuses and outdoor spaces (very much including the Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies) and our diversity.
Following graduation from Duke University, where he played varsity lacrosse and earned academic ACC Academic Honor Roll distinction, Jeff served as an administrator, teacher of English, coach, dorm parent and alumni director at his alma mater, McDonogh School (Baltimore). He later taught and coached for a year in the Baltimore City Public Schools before continuing his career as a teacher and coach at the Kinkaid School (Houston). Before his time in Houston, Jeff earned a master’s degree from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, and he later took coursework with Johns Hopkins University’s Program for Educational Leadership.
Jeff’s educational philosophy honors the individual identity and needs of each child and learner, with a focus on meeting students where they are socially, emotionally and academically and building on their previous learning and life experiences. Jeff is a strong advocate for project- and place-based learning and sees Burgundy as a prominent leader in progressive education and environmental science, as well as a model for emphasizing the essentiality of diversity, social justice, and collaboration.
Jeff was a founding board member of the Washington DC SEED Public Charter Boarding School, is a trustee and former Vice President for the Emerging Scholars program of Northern Virginia, a Prep for Prep-type academic and leadership program, and has consulted with several alternative, academically focused start-up schools that serve urban and under-served students. He is also a current trustee with AISGW (the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington) and a past trustee of VAIS (the Virginia Association of Independent Schools). Jeff also has served on the boards of the Lowell School (Washington, DC); Jobs, Housing, and Recovery (Baltimore); and Boys’ Hope (Baltimore). He is also an Outward Bound alum and his interests include reading, writing, biking, and the outdoors.
Jeff is married to his wife, Tee, and has two daughters—Burgundy alumna, Tonasia ’07 and current Burgundy student, Tatum ’24—and two adult sons, Ed and David.
