Waldorf School Names Robert Schiappacasse as New Director

The following information is from the Waldorf School of Lexington: 

The announced Feb. 16 that the school has hired Robert Schiappacasse as its School Director, starting this May.

Schiappacasse is a well-known and highly respected national leader in Waldorf education and Independent School Administration, and is excited about joining the successful legacy of the Lexington school community. His hiring culminates a thorough, year-long search process undertaken by the school.

With leadership roles in the independent school movement nationally, and strong experience in preschool, elementary and middle schools, as well as in adult education and teacher training over the years, Schiappacasse brings an extensive skill set to his new position.

Schiappacasse most recently served as School Director at Greenwood School, a pre-k through eighth grade school in Mill Valley, Calif. For two years, he was the President of Sunbridge College, a center for Waldorf teacher education and professional development.

Before that, he worked for 13 years as Administrative Director of the Shining Mountain Waldorf School, a pre-k to 12th grade school with 320 students in Boulder, Colo.

“Robert has shown passion for ensuring that schools focus on providing the optimal environment for delivering an education with lifelong benefits to children,” says Mooly Dinnar, President of the Board of Trustees for the Lexington School. “We are confident he will help us continue to grow our school and prepare our students ever better for this changing world.”

The Waldorf School of Lexington, celebrating its 40th birthday this year, is one of the 10 oldest Waldorf schools in North America. The school has been located since 1980 in the Adams Building, formerly a Lexington public school, and in the “Historic General Store” building at 703 Massachusetts Ave.

Today, the school is the center of a thriving community of 250 students and 55 faculty members, offering programs for children from the age of six weeks through eighth grade. 

Waldorf School of Lexington is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a full member of AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America) and is a member of the Association of Independent Schools of New England.

“The Waldorf School of Lexington has created such a rich, warm, and vibrant school culture over the years. My experiences at WSL left me very impressed by the quality of the school’s teaching and educational programs, the dedication of the board, faculty, and staff, and the liveliness of the students,” says Schiappacasse. “The school community not only has much to be proud of, but has a vision of the future to strive toward. I am excited to be joining the school at this dynamic time of its 40th anniversary.” 

 “Robert is the best person any school could hope to add to the faculty,” adds Dinnar, a member of the search committee. The committee met dozens of times over the past year as part of a rigorous process. Applications were considered from around the country, with several strong candidates making it to the final round of interviews.

Schiappacasse is a leader in the Waldorf educational movement. He was Shining Mountain’s delegate to the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (A.W.S.N.A.) for 1o years, while serving as the Rocky Mountain Regional Coordinator in the Development and Administrative Network of AWSNA (D.A.N.A.). He represented Shining Mountain in the Association of Colorado Independent Schools’ circle of headmasters from 2001-06.

For 10 years, he was a core adjunct faculty member in the Sunbridge College Waldorf Administration and Community Development Program, and taught for four years in Rudolf Steiner College’s Waldorf Administration Program. He has keynoted at several Healthy Waldorf Schools Conferences and presented at many Waldorf Association conferences and workshops throughout his career.

Robert currently serves as the AWSNA Leadership Council Representative for the Texas, Mexico, & Rocky Mountain Region, and on the association’s Accreditation Committee. He also advises North American Waldorf schools on school administration, organization, and governance.

Says Interim School Director Joe O’Regan, who will return to his role as Finance and Administration Director next school year, “With Robert on board, we will be able to take up additional outreach activities and strengthen our relationships with parents, surrounding schools, and towns in our local community and the greater metropolitan Boston area.”

Founding Faculty Member Stephen Bloomquist shares his excitement over Schiappacasse’s selection: “Flagship schools such as ours need to act as role models in our nation’s life. We are educating children who will need to cope with the complexities of a new and changing world. The teachers are thrilled about Robert’s leadership, helping us to continue to grow as a school and to play this important role in our society.”

For more information about the Waldorf School of Lexington, visit our website.