Patricia Carbery

Assistant Head of School

pcarbery@kehillah.org

 

For over three decades, Patti Carbery has served schools in multiple teaching and administrative roles, achieving a distinguished record of classroom and leadership excellence throughout her tenure in independent and public settings. Currently in her 5th year as principal of Kehillah, Patti directs the academic program and oversees daily operations in student life activities, co-curricular offerings, and community programs. During this time, Patti has led collaborative initiatives to launch a staff evaluation system, revise the daily schedule, create departmental scope and sequence documents, and strengthen the structures that support optimal student, faculty, and classroom experiences on a daily basis.

Prior to Kehillah, Patti devoted over two decades of service to the Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts, working as a history teacher, college counselor, class dean, varsity coach, and Head of Upper School. Her leadership accomplishments included building a faculty culture of high standards and strong morale, and leading major initiatives around the faculty evaluation system, daily schedule, 1:1 iPad program, staff meeting structures, 21st century education programs, interdisciplinary courses, and academic counseling. Her teaching strengths and curriculum design expertise were the underpinings of many history course offerings, such as African Studies, Women’s Studies, Genocide and US and World History, along with her particular interests in social history, politics, and the Civil War. Simultaneously, Patti coached many women’s varsity basketball and softball teams to successful seasons through her career, including a New England basketball championship at a previous school in 1990. Throughout her Rivers career, Patti launched a service learning trip to Romania in conjunction with Romanian Children’s Relief, resulting in 17 highly successful student trips to the country.

A midwesterner, a member of the Joliet Catholic Academy Hall of Champions, and a Fulbright-Hays scholar, Patti received her B.A. in American Studies degree with a concentration in history, along with her teaching certificate from Yale University. After Yale, Patti went on to complete a Masters of Science in School Administration from Northwestern University.