Beacon Academy Hires New Head of School

From Beacon Academy:

Evanston, IL — Beacon Academy, an independent Montessori and IB high school based in Evanston, is pleased to announce the hiring of Marja Brandon as Head of School, effective July 1, 2020. Brandon will take over for Beacon’s founding Head of School, Jeff Bell, who has led Beacon since its inception.

Brandon comes to Beacon with a wide array of experience including roles as educational consultant, teacher, dean, curriculum director, admissions officer, and head of school. Beacon will be the fourth headship for Brandon who previously founded and led Seattle Girls’ School. “The common denominator in all those roles is my love of working with kids and school communities,” said Brandon.

Brandon was announced as Beacon Academy’s new Head of School following a nationwide search managed by Educators’ Collaborative, an educational search and consulting firm, and an internal Search Committee comprised of faculty, parents, board members, and a student representative. Community members were invited to share their input via survey, focus groups, and Zoom interviews with the finalists which took place this spring amidst the COVID pandemic.

“Throughout the interview process, Marja demonstrated adaptability and embraced creative problem solving when she quickly pivoted to accommodate the hurdles of completing the interview process under unprecedented circumstances,” said Patty Abrams, Chair of Beacon’s Board of Trustees. “Her experience with schools in various stages from start-up to sustainability prepared her well to take on this new and important role at Beacon Academy, and for the challenging times we are living in.”

A lifelong learner with a B.A. from Wellesley College, a M.Ed from Harvard University, and a Fellowship from Columbia University, Brandon has devoted her career to implementing innovative curricular and anti-bias education aimed at supporting the development of the whole person, based on the latest neuroscience research. Brandon, who talks openly about her struggles learning to read and focus, was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADD, and dysgraphia during her first year in college. “Understanding my own learning differences also led me to one of my passions, the study of the brain. I wanted to know why my brain was different. If mine was, then likely so was everyone else’s. The passion to truly understand our brains and help all students and their parents understand their brains has guided my educational journey,” said Brandon.

Brandon comes to Beacon following the successful tenure of its founding Head of School Jeff Bell, who helped propel the school from a vision into a reality. During Bell’s seven years at Beacon, the school grew from 37 to 217 students and quickly became a highly respected high school option for students from across the Chicagoland area who were drawn to its unique educational approach. “During [Jeff’s} tenure, he adeptly broadcasted the mission of this start-up and attracted the school’s founding families. He established a culture of compassion and commitment. Moreover, Jeff hired a phenomenal, entrepreneurially-minded faculty who embody the school’s mission,” said Abrams.

Bell leaves Beacon for Raleigh, North Carolina, where he will serve as Head of School at Cardinal Gibbons High School. “It has been a tremendous honor to serve Beacon these past seven years, and it was one of the great joys in my life to work with the founding Board of Trustees to enact their bold vision to reimagine high school education,” said Bell. “I look forward with nothing but excitement for this new chapter in Beacon Academy’s story.”

This release was produced by Beacon Academy. The views expressed here are the author's own.