Meet Our Next Head of School

Ms. Nancy Nassr has been appointed as Avery Coonley's next head of school, effective July 1, 2026.

The announcement was made by The Avery Coonley School’s board chair, Jennifer Reenan, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, following a comprehensive and thoughtful search process conducted over the last six months.

“Ms. Nassr brings a depth and breadth of experience in education that will be an outstanding asset to our beloved home on Maple Avenue. We appreciate her deep understanding of and sincere commitment to Avery Coonley’s mission to provide a dynamic learning experience for gifted learners. Under her leadership, we look forward to a future defined by continued excellence and innovation in which our gifted learners are challenged, supported, and inspired to reach their fullest potential,” states Reenan.

Ms. Nassr is the founder of a consultancy that focuses on strategic curriculum implementation and instructional coaching for educators and recently served for four years as Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean at Lake Forest Academy (LFA). Prior to her work at LFA, Nancy was Head of School (and Assistant Head of School) at the Ancona School. Before joining Ancona, Nancy was Associate Director of the Chicago International Charter Schools (CICS) Chicago Quest School where she forged partnerships with DePaul University, the Illinois Writing Project, and the Institute of Play.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Secondary Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Nancy went on to receive a Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University. At Columbia, she was the recipient of both the Minority Scholarship Award and the Gladys Young Uhlir and Gladys Ann Uhlir Scholarship for her exceptional academic and professional work.

Ms. Nassr shares, “I am so profoundly honored to become Avery Coonley's next head of school. The school's enduring mission and the community's abiding commitment to nurturing the whole child speak to the deeper purpose of education. It is evident to me that Avery Coonley is a school with a rich history rooted in progressive ideals and constructivist models, defining a unique space for gifted learners. I personally witnessed the magic of joy, wonder, and curiosity present throughout ACS. I am humbled and thrilled to become part of the ACS community.”

Ms. Nancy Nassr the next Avery Coonley Head of School — Ms. Nancy Nassr

Announcement from The Chair of the Board of Trustees

Letter to the ACS Community from Ms. Nancy Nassr

Ms. Nassr brings a depth and breadth of experience in education that will be an outstanding asset to our beloved home on Maple Avenue. We appreciate her deep understanding of and sincere commitment to Avery Coonley’s mission to provide a dynamic learning experience for gifted learners.
Jennifer Reenan, Chair, Board of Trustees

Search Committee Updates

High-Level Timeline

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 — Next Head of School Announced

October 31, 2025 — Update on Search

September 18, 2025 — Update on Search

September 8, 2025 — Position Description Released

June 27, 2025 — Focus Groups Announced

Emails were sent out to the ACS community inviting members to participate in focus groups with Anne Coyle of Russell Reynolds Associates. Focus groups will be held in July with Faculty, staff, alumni, and parents. The purpose of these sessions is to provide ACS community members with an opportunity to share their perspectives on the School’s current strengths, future opportunities, and the leadership qualities that will best serve our mission and community in the years ahead.

June 26, 2025 — Committee Members Announcement

Dear ACS Community,

As we shared earlier, Dr. Kirsty Montgomery will conclude her tenure as Head of School at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. As we begin this new school year, we are excited to honor her exceptional leadership and lasting contributions to ACS over the past four years. Selecting our next Head of School is one of the most important responsibilities of the Board of Trustees. We are committed to a thoughtful, inclusive, and strategic search process to ensure a smooth transition.

We are pleased to share that we have engaged Anne Coyle and Kimberly Sehn of Russell Reynolds Associates to lead this effort. They bring deep expertise in leadership searches for independent schools and will serve as trusted partners throughout this process.

The Head of School Search Committee, chaired by Lisa Vaughan, includes representatives from the Board, faculty, and alumni:

Search Committee Members:

Lisa Vaughan, Search Committee Chair, Vice Chair (ACS Board of Trustees)
Jen Reenan, Chair (ACS Board of Trustees)
Kenny Bae, ACS Director of STEAM Innovation
Alexis Bryant, ACS Middle School Literacy Teacher
Jeffrey Chen, ACS Trustee, Assistant Treasurer (Finance Committee)
Susan Corwith, ACS Trustee and Director, Northwestern Center for Talent Development
Nancy Doris ’91, ACS Trustee, Buildings & Grounds Committee Chair
Shilpa Gokhale ’94, ACS Trustee, Board of Trustees Secretary, and Committee on Trustees Chair

Your voice matters. Lisa, Anne, and Kim will soon begin reaching out to parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to understand the qualities and priorities we value most in our next Head of School. Community input forums will be scheduled shortly, and we encourage you to participate. There will also be an all-community survey in mid to late July, where additional input can be provided.

Thank you for your continued support as we begin this important process. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to either of us.

Onward and Upward,

Jen Reenan
Chair, ACS Board of Trustees
jreenan1@averycoonley.org

Lisa Vaughan
Search Committee Chair
Vice Chair, ACS Board of Trustees
lvaughan@averycoonley.org

June 6, 2025 — Search Announcement & Letter from Dr. Montgomery

Dear Avery Coonley Community,

As we finish another successful school year at Avery Coonley, the board has important information about our School’s leadership that we want to share with you.

Our Head of School, Dr. Kirsty Montgomery, will be leaving Avery Coonley at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. Kirsty has accepted the position as the Head of School at Speyer School in New York City beginning in July 2026. The timing is right for Kirsty for this transition since all of her children have now graduated from local high schools, presenting her with the opportunity to be the Head of School at another excellent gifted school while also being closer to relatives on the east coast.

Please see Kirsty’s announcement that follows this communication. We appreciate her heartfelt regard for Avery Coonley and look forward to continued collaboration with her as head of Speyer, which, like Avery Coonley, is part of the Association of Independent Schools for Gifted Students (AISGS).

We want to take this opportunity to recognize Kirsty’s many accomplishments in her tenure beginning in 2022. Thanks to her leadership, ACS remains very strong. In particular, there has been significant progress in the social and emotional support structures available to our students, in our STEAM and mathematics programming, fine arts electives, and our robotics and debate programs. She has successfully led us through the development of our new five-year strategic plan and our long-term campus master plan.

Kirsty will continue in her role as Head of School over this summer and during the next school year, which will include assisting the board in launching and implementing the initial phases of the strategic plan and sharing details of the campus master plan with the community. We thank Kirsty, as well as her husband Chris, for their great contributions and look forward to celebrating her leadership over the next school year. We will all be wishing Kirsty and her family well as they begin this next chapter in New York City in July 2026.

We will soon commence the search process to find our next Head of School, who will assume responsibility by the start of the 2026-2027 academic year. This will involve hiring a professional search firm with expertise in independent schools and the creation of a search committee to lead the process. We will keep you informed of the progress as the search unfolds. The timing of this leadership transition also works for our School, as the new Head of School in the coming years will be able to continuously work with the board on the implementation of the strategic plan.

The Board has never been more optimistic or excited about what our School is and what it is to become.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank you for your continued support of The Avery Coonley School.

S. Prasad Veluchamy
Chair, Board of Trustees
The Avery Coonley School
pveluchamy@averycoonley.org

Jennifer A. Reenan, M.D.
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
The Avery Coonley School
jenareenan@averycoonley.org

Dear ACS community,

Two things can be true at the same time – you can love your place of work and pursue a unique opportunity. After three incredible years as Head of School at ACS, I am writing to share the bittersweet news that the 2025-2026 year will be my last one at The Avery Coonley School. I have accepted a position as Head of School at Speyer School in New York City, a preeminent K-8 gifted school in Manhattan. This rare opportunity presented itself at a time when my husband Chris and I were becoming empty nesters.

It has been a huge honor to serve the Avery Coonley community. Over the past three years we have made huge strides in advancing the School to become the best gifted institution in the Chicagoland area. We increased the quality and quantity of our STEAM programming, and through the generosity of the ACS community, we have been able to enhance facilities and eliminate some of the financial barriers to attending the School. Internal policies and business practices have been overhauled to streamline operations, and funds have supported security and technology enhancements. Bolstered by the mindset that anything is possible, a new strategic plan has been written that will chart the vision for the next five years. Its implementation will begin well before I leave. In addition, the Campus Master Plan, produced with community support, will provide a 30-year guide for future improvements to the campus.

I say “we” very deliberately. I have been incredibly fortunate to be supported by dedicated Avery Coonley staff, faculty, students, parents, alumni, and trustees, who’ve collectively made these achievements possible. I truly believe that Avery Coonley’s future is bright.

I will continue to bring current initiatives to fruition and will work right up to my last hour on June 30^th, 2026, to pave the way for the next Head of School. They will continue a legacy of excellence that has been the hallmark of The Avery Coonley School for the last 100 years. I am beyond grateful for the last three years – the friendships, camaraderie, Teas, mentoring, opportunities, and experiences, and shall miss Avery Coonley terribly. Onward and upward.

Sincerely,

Kirsty Montgomery, PhD
Head of School
The Avery Coonley School

Members

Lisa Vaughan
Committee Chair,
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Parent of Britta (‘16) and Tate (‘19)

Jen Reenan
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Parent of Fiona (‘19), Trevor (‘21), and Declan (‘23)

Kenny Bae
Director of Innovation & Sustainability

Alexis Bryant
Faculty Member
(MS Literacy)

Jeffrey Chen
Trustee
Parent of Henry ('22) and Miles (‘28)

Susan Corwith
Trustee

Nancy Doris ('91)
Trustee
Parent of John ('23), Teddy ('26), and Peter ('28)

Shilpa Gokhale, JD (‘94)
Trustee
Aunt of Riya (‘28) and Ayan (‘30)