Contributed photo
Aléwa Cooper.
The head of a Westport private elementary school will serve as the next head of school for The Foote School.
The Foote School Board of Directors announced on Feb. 28 that Aléwa Cooper has been tapped to lead the Prospect Hill independent elementary and middle school starting July 1. She will succeed Carol Maoz, who has served in that role for the past 11 years.
Cooper is currently the head of lower school at Greens Farms Academy. She is multilingual proficient in Portuguese and Spanish.
“I am honored to be the next Head of The Foote School,” Cooper is quoted as saying in the release. “Spending time on campus with students, parents and faculty convinced me that Foote is a place where everyone teaches and everyone learns; I am eager to do both. I look forward to joining this special community and writing Foote’s next chapter together.”
See below for the full press release.
The Foote School Board of Directors announces the appointment of Aléwa Cooper as The Foote School’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2020. Aléwa will succeed Carol Maoz, who has served with distinction as Head of School for 11 years.
Aléwa is an experienced independent school leader and teacher who is currently Head of Lower School at Greens Farms Academy, an independent school in Westport, Connecticut that serves 715 students in grades Pre‑K to 12. At Greens Farms, Aléwa has overseen curricular initiatives in literacy, math and social-emotional learning; led diversity, equity and social justice work; and served on a schoolwide marketing committee to better understand the changing school landscape and develop enrollment management strategies. She is also multilingual proficient in Portuguese and Spanish.
“Ms. Cooper brings first-hand experience with many of Foote’s curricular initiatives and has a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice,” says Foote Board member Rebecca Good, who co-chaired the Head of School Search Committee. “We are thrilled to have found such a dynamic independent school leader whose values and vision align so closely with those of the Foote community.”
Aléwa earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education. Prior to Greens Farms, she was a teacher and leader at two New York City independent schools: 12 years as a Grade 2 teacher and Diversity Practitioner at The Nightingale-Bamford School, followed by three years as Lower School Assistant Director at Trevor Day School. For the past six years, Aléwa has served as a core faculty member of the Interschool Leadership Institute, mentoring and coaching aspiring leaders of color.
Aléwa is excited to join with Foote faculty and parents who share her commitment to promoting the development of character and academic success in the next generation. “I am honored to be the next Head of The Foote School,” she says. “Spending time on campus with students, parents and faculty convinced me that Foote is a place where everyone teaches and everyone learns; I am eager to do both. I look forward to joining this special community and writing Foote’s next together.”
About Foote School
Founded in 1916, the Foote School is a coeducational independent day school in New Haven for Grades K‑9. The school has 455 students and its motto is “Gladly will I learn and gladly teach.” For more information, visit www.footeschool.org.