Colleen Shanley Kyle Appointed as Head of Upper School at Rivers

In an announcement to the community before winter break, Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem noted Kyle’s depth of pedagogical knowledge and her history of leadership and care. “The enthusiastic response from professional community members and students who met Colleen during the search process speaks volumes about the strength of her candidacy and her readiness to lead the next chapter of our thriving Upper School.”

 

Kyle comes to Rivers with an extensive professional background. She currently serves as academic dean at The School for Ethics & Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., a rigorous semester program that draws motivated students from around the country to study leadership and ethics with a focus on intense discussion and real-world immersion. She oversees the academic program, mentors faculty, manages curriculum integration with dozens of selective sending schools, and is leading the school’s accreditation process. Kyle also teaches Honors English in the program, and Dahlem reported that she will continue her teaching practice at Rivers.

“I am deeply honored to join The Rivers School, a community that so clearly lives out its commitment to Excellence with Humanity every day,” said Kyle. “From my first conversations with the search committee to my time on campus with students, faculty, and staff, I was struck by the school’s unique ability to pair high academic excellence with a joyful culture of care and integrity. I am thrilled to partner with Ryan Dahlem and this talented team to lead the Upper School into its next chapter.”

Kyle’s prior leadership experience includes serving as upper school head at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore. During her time there, she launched a three-year professional development planning and reflection process for all K-12 faculty and created an interdisciplinary studies program with honors research electives, expanding the school’s rigorous academic offerings beyond the existing AP curriculum. Kyle also skillfully guided her division through the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis while preserving relational teaching and curricular choice, as well as prioritizing the integration of new technology and support of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Recognizing her compassionate leadership during those challenging moments of crisis, the senior class honored her with a yearbook dedication in her first year. 

Previously, Kyle held leadership roles at the Lakeside School in Seattle, where she began as a history and interdisciplinary teacher and later served as head of the history department. While at Lakeside, she helped launch Global Online Academy as one of its first online teachers. She also earned the World History Association Teaching Prize and was selected as Most Influential Teacher by a U.S. Presidential Scholar recipient. Most recently, she served as director of the faculty mentoring program. 

Kyle holds a Master of Arts degree from Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Connecticut College. She began her teaching career at Deerfield Academy, where she taught history and served as director of parent programs. Her early experience as an editor in the college publishing world contributed to her deep understanding of curriculum development. Kyle’s background also includes over a decade of experience as an instructor for Rainier Scholars, an organization dedicated to advancing opportunity for underrepresented students. In her personal life, Kyle is an avid reader who enjoys running half-marathons, cycling, and kayaking. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, Booth; her two children, Aidan (25) and Devin (21); and their two dogs, Mulligan and Eddie.

In her own words, Kyle believes that “adults at mission-driven schools understand and delight in the fact that our students teach us as much as we teach them,” and “transformational schools maintain effective, intentional systems that nurture their educators so that they, in turn, can inspire and challenge their learners.”

In his announcement, Dahlem expressed gratitude to the search advisory committee—Andrea Diaz (chair), Juliet Bailey, Katie Henderson, Sequoyah Reynoso, David Runkle, and Yassine Talhaoui—and to Will Mills, interim head of Upper School, who will continue in that role until Kyle’s arrival. “We thank Will for his exceptional leadership grounded in a deep connection with faculty and students, furthering the excellence of the Upper School during this transition period,” Dahlem wrote. 

“Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Colleen Shanley Kyle and her family,” Dahlem concluded. “She is an inspirational leader who embodies our philosophy of Excellence with Humanity and will enrich our program for years to come.”