Greenwich HS Headmaster To Leave For New Education Job

GREENWICH, CT — Dr. Christopher S. Winters, Greenwich High School's Headmaster for the past decade, has accepted a position with Greenwich Country Day School as the Head of the new Upper School, effective September 30, Greenwich Public Schools announced.

"GHS is a wonderful educational institution--one I have been honored to lead for the past nine years and have been connected to for most of my life," said Winters in a statement. "I have cherished the opportunity to work with such a highly trained and dedicated staff, a committed and caring group of students, and a very supportive PTA and parent body. I leave with confidence that as a collaborative community of learners dedicated to academic excellence, personal integrity, and interpersonal responsibility, GHS equips our students with a core body of knowledge and the capacities listed in our Vision of the Graduate. I thank the Greenwich Board of Education and Town for the chance to serve as Headmaster of a school I love. Always a Cardinal and always cheering 'Go Big Red!'"

Winters beat out a half-dozen candidates who were interviewed by GCDS in-person, after the school whittled the number down from 54 resumes, according to the private school.

"As a former GCDS trustee, Chris has a deep understanding of Country Day's community and values," wrote GCDS Headmaster Adam C. Rohdie on the school's Facebook page (see the statement below). "He believes that while education is about academic preparation, it is also about enabling children to develop a finely tuned moral compass. He is excited to join the dynamic team that includes Andy Ramirez, Director of College Counseling, and Tim Helstein, Athletic Director. Chris is a thoughtful leader and an inspiring public speaker, and he will be a guiding and motivating voice as we work together to create a high school for the next century.

"I know you will join me in welcoming Chris and his wife Leigh to Country Day (please see his letter below). We will hold several receptions this fall so you can get to know Chris better."

From the Greenwich Public Schools' release:

Leading GHS since 2009, Dr. Winters created a collaborative community of learners with a focus on
student and family engagement and staff connectedness. As the Leader of the Secondary Schools
Review Committee, Dr. Winters led the District in developing the Vision of the Graduate (VOG) and has
been steadfast in his focus on aligning goals and initiatives toward realizing the VOG. His support of
innovative practices led to the high school’s Innovation Lab, a personalized learning environment where
students demonstrate their learning through projects and public exhibitions of work. The very successful
Advancement Through Individual Determination (AVID), a program for students who are the first in their
families to attend college, expanded under Dr. Winters’ leadership. Of the roughly 225 AVID students that
have graduated from GHS, 100% have been accepted to college and have earned millions of dollars in
scholarships. Dr. Winters has been instrumental in leading the high school to a performance ranking in
the top 2% of the country and as the second highest comprehensive public high school in Connecticut
according to U.S. News and World Report. During his tenure the high school experienced a 65% increase
in the number of AP tests administered, while maintaining a consistently high mean score. The high school’s State, National and International-level awards and accomplishments in academics, the arts, and athletics are too many to list. Dr. Winters is ever-present at athletic competitions, music and theater performances, in classrooms, and throughout the community. He shares ‘tweets’ of every experience and GHS news, providing a window into the high school for the entire community.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gildea shared, "Dr. Christopher Winters has effectively led Greenwich High
School to a top tier, top 2% ranked, educational community. Focused efforts on the Vision of the Graduate supporting academic, personal and interpersonal growth of more than 2,700 youth annually. Along with Dr. Winters, Greenwich High School celebrates our students’ accomplishments and motivates staff and students toward additional future success. We wish Dr. Winters well on this next step in his educational journey. He will be sorely missed by our entire educational community."

Greenwich Public Schools will immediately begin the process for appointing an Interim Headmaster/mistress, and a national search for the new Greenwich High School Headmaster/mistress will commence in fall 2018, according to district officials.

Bio brief of Christopher S. Winters:
Prior to his appointment as Interim Headmaster for Greenwich High School in 2009, and subsequently to
the permanent position in January 2010, Mr. Winters held the position of Director for Curriculum,
Instruction & Professional Learning (CIPL) for the District (2007-2009). In this role, Dr. Winters was
instrumental in leading the District through a number of priority initiatives for improvement. As Co-
chairman of the Secondary Schools Review Committee, he led a cross-role group of educators, students,
parents and members of the community in developing the Vision of the Graduate – a description of the
attributes that every student will need in order to be successful in college and/or the world of work. He
has also played a major role on the District Data Team in developing improvement plans for the
Greenwich Public Schools, setting District goals, and developing strategies for improved academic
achievement and for attaining the capacities of the Vision of the Graduate.

Dr. Winters’ previous positions with the district include: Coordinator of the English as a Second Language
(ESL) Program (1999-2006), Coordinator of the World Languages Program (2003-2006) and Folsom
Housemaster at Greenwich High School (2006-2007).

Dr. Winters began his career in education in 1990 as an ESL teacher in the Bronx, N.Y at Morris High
School, after serving for two years in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Mali, West Africa. In 1998 he
moved to Roxbury Elementary School in Stamford, CT, before coming to the Greenwich Public Schools in
1999.

Dr. Winters received a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science from Middlebury College, Middlebury,
VT in 1986; a master of arts degree in Education (TESOL) in 1992 and a masters of education in TESOL
in 1997 both from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.; and a sixth year degree in
Administration from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT in 1998. Dr. Winters received a
superintendent’s certification from the University of Connecticut’s (UCONN) Executive Leadership
Program in 2005, and a doctorate in education UCONN’s Neag School of Education in Storrs, CT in
2013.

Photo: Chris Winters. Photo credit: Greenwich Public Schools

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