Leadership Search

The Mead School Board of Trustees announces

Kama Bruce as the next Head of School, effective July 1, 2026

It is with great pleasure that we announce that the Board of Trustees of The Mead School has selected Kama A. Bruce as our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2026.

Kama was chosen from an outstanding international pool of candidates following a thoughtful, rigorous, and inclusive search that engaged voices from across our community. His appointment comes with the enthusiastic support of both the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Search Committee. We are deeply grateful to the Board and the Search Committee and everyone who contributed their time, insight, and care to this important process.

Kama is a joyful, people-centered leader and a deeply committed progressive educator. He brings creativity, warmth, and vision - along with a genuine love of children and learning - and will build upon the deeply thoughtful and inspiring leadership provided by Peter Herzberg.

Currently, Kama serves as Assistant Head of School and Chief Academic Officer at Catlin Gabel School, a coeducational PreK–12 progressive school in Portland, Oregon. Prior to that, he spent eighteen years at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, where he served in multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Head, Lower School Head, Middle School Dean, and fifth-grade teacher.

Kama’s professional journey has been shaped by a lifelong commitment to progressive education. A formative moment came in 2008, when he was asked to explore the creation of a progressive lab school—an experience that solidified his aspiration to one day lead a small, mission-driven progressive school like Mead. His leadership is grounded in the belief that learning should be joyful, relational, and rooted in each child’s sense of wonder; that education is not a transaction, but a relationship—one that flourishes when children feel seen, teachers feel empowered, and families feel connected by shared purpose.

We are delighted to share that Kama and his family will be moving to campus and residing in the Head of School's house. He is married to Elva Alicia Negrete-Bruce; their children, Isaiah and Nayeli, plan to enroll at Mead—a powerful reflection of their belief in our school and community.
We are confident that Kama is the right leader for Mead’s next chapter, and we share a deep sense of optimism for the school’s future. We look forward to welcoming Kama and his family to campus and to the journey ahead.

Kyuhey August, P’25 P’32

Co-Chair, Leadership Search Committee

The Mead School Board of Trustees

Jenny Lake, P’24

Co-Chair, Leadership Search Committee

Chair, The Mead School Board of Trustees

Dear Mead School Community,

From the moment I first stepped into a classroom as a volunteer, I understood that teaching and educational leadership are profound expressions of our shared humanity. It is with deep honor, gratitude, and joy that I write to you today as The Mead School’s next Head of School. I am deeply appreciative of the steadfast leadership shown by the search committee, the Board of Trustees, and the school administration throughout this process, and I am excited to partner with this team over the spring to ensure a thoughtful and smooth transition into the fall. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Peter for his years of dedicated and impactful leadership of the Mead learning community.

Throughout my career, I have held a core belief that learning must be relational, rooted in wonder, and visible in every interaction. What draws me so powerfully to The Mead School is its unwavering commitment to these very principles. To find a school that truly honors the beauty and process of becoming; one that is deeply grounded in meaningful relationships with caring adults, informed by experiential learning, committed to helping children realize their potential, and devoted to giving students the agency to tell their own stories in a complex world; has long been a deeply held aspiration for me.

Professionally, I am inspired by Mead’s progressive tradition of nurturing the “whole child.” In my conversations with many of you, I shared that I would not have considered serving as a Head of School anywhere else. There is something about Mead that provokes a relentless curiosity in me. It is a place that refuses to treat children as “products” and instead creates a school environment that feels more like life itself.

I am eager to help steward Mead’s next chapter by strengthening cohesion across the school, ensuring that the Early Learning Center and the K–8 program feel like one unified, connected journey for students and families. In an era shaped by artificial intelligence and constant information noise, I am deeply committed to protecting original thought and positioning Mead as a sanctuary for creativity, authentic self-expression, learning for democracy, and collaborative inquiry. Above all, I believe an institution is only as strong as its relationships, and I intend to lead through deep listening, collective innovation, and by centering the voices of students, teachers, and parents alike.

Perhaps most importantly, I approach this role through the lens of a parent. My wife, Elva; herself a career early childhood educator; and I have always sought environments for our children, Isaiah and Nayeli, that celebrate curiosity and belonging. As a father, I want what every Mead parent wants: an education that prepares children for the long term while holding them securely in the beauty of the present moment; a school that recognizes in them the gifts and talents that can foster beauty and change in a world that so deeply needs it.

Mead is “second to none” because it understands that a child’s social-emotional growth and academic journey are inextricably linked. It is a place that welcomes the “messiness” of collaboration, knowing that this is where wisdom, ethics, and shared responsibility are most fully cultivated.

As James Baldwin reminds us, we are responsible for the institutions we shape. I am ready to join you in this responsibility; to listen deeply, to honor the complexity of our work, and to lead with integrity and care. I look forward to meeting each of you on campus this July and to beginning our journey together.

With gratitude, warmth, and excitement, 

Kama A. Bruce