Dear Redwood Day Community,

 

We’re excited to announce that Jess Dang will join Redwood Day in July as our new Middle School Director! Jess joins us after serving for four years as Head of Middle School at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Belmont, California. Prior to this role, Jess served as Associate Head of School for three years at Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland, building upon an already well-established career at the same school as an English teacher and Program Coordinator for eleven years prior. She began her career as an English Teacher at Dwight-Englewood School in New Jersey in the early 2000s. Jess earned a BA in English Literature and a teaching certificate from Brown University and an MA in Educational Leadership from the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute.  

 

Jess’ appointment as our next Middle School Director is the culmination of a search that included a large number of applicants from all over the nation. Throughout our inclusive and comprehensive search process, Jess interviewed with faculty, staff, and parent/guardian representatives from the PGA. Additionally, our Student Council leaders had the opportunity to interview Jess and provide their feedback. As part of this process, she also had the opportunity to immerse herself in Redwood Day during a full-day campus visit, witnessing our entire program in action and experiencing all that makes Redwood Day’s Middle School a thriving educational environment for our students. 

 

Jess’s references describe her as extraordinary - a creative, open-minded, and highly effective leader known for her exceptional organization and ability to move seamlessly between strategic vision and tactical execution. A strong and engaging communicator, she brings a wonderful sense of humor while leading with compassion, empathy, and heart. Trusted for her honesty and dependability, she is a thoughtful and kind collaborator who is responsive, supportive, and resilient. Her ability to connect with others and inspire confidence makes her an invaluable leader and partner. Among the many initiatives that Jess has led in her current and previous schools, she’s been responsible for creating and sustaining a student-centered culture that emphasizes belonging and well-being, developing an integrated faculty growth and evaluation system, initiating a Leadership and Strategy Summit for director-level leaders, and launching a comprehensive service learning program aligned with core values. Jess was also instrumental in leading the Julia Morgan School for Girls through the pandemic, while centering on community and connection during an extraordinarily difficult time.

 

Here at Redwood Day, in our search, Jess received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all constituencies who met her during her campus visit. A Middle School faculty member shared, 

 

“Jess was warm, confident, and passionate. She had a strong presence yet was also comfortable and uplifting. I would love to work under her leadership. She revealed tons of experience with her answers and also has philosophies consistent with Redwood Day's Community Values. I see her not only as fitting in here, but also helping to extend and deepen the work that we do.”

 

One of our Trustee/PGA Representatives shared: 

 

 

Finally, to sum up all of the feedback, in the words of one of our Student Council Representatives: 

 

 

I would like to personally thank the Middle School Director Hiring Committee for their time, dedication, and unwavering commitment to helping us find Jess. When you see the following faculty and staff members around campus, please join me in thanking them for their service on our Hiring Committee:

 

Denise Breland, Director of Student Life/Dean of Students

Jillian Fraker, 8th Grade Advanced Topics Teacher

John Gregory, 7th and 8th Grade English Teacher 

Marsille Reed, Director of Enrollment Management

Melody Chang, Middle School Mandarin Teacher

Sanjev deSilva, Director of Equity and Belonging

Sean Kanady, 8th Grade Math Teacher, Dean of Students

Tony Cifra, Lower School Director 

 

Throughout the second half of the school year, we will focus our efforts on Jess’ transition. Jim and I will work closely with her during this time to ensure a smooth transition to our community so she can hit the ground running. Come early July, we look forward to welcoming Jess to Redwood Day to begin her tenure leading our Middle School. Below, please find a brief statement from Jess; she’s so excited to get started and meet all our students, families, and teachers! 

 

In community,

John

 

Dear Redwood Day Community,

 

From my first moments on campus, I noticed the many small but meaningful ways Redwood Day students shape this community: from Clean Committee signs and blankets added by student suggestion to a student government that clearly has voice and impact. I saw active learning everywhere in hands-on projects, spirited debates about ancient Egyptian rulers, and notes of Bon Jovi ushering in the morning. At recess, students moved with confidence and joy, greeting a visitor without hesitation. In conversations with Student Council members, they shared appreciation for the school’s clear commitment to balancing academic challenge, community, and co-curricular opportunities. I met faculty who knew their students well, taught with purpose and humor, and created engaging experiences grounded in relationships. In fact, that relational model came up again and again as a hallmark of Redwood Day culture, beautifully reflected in the students’ ease in self-advocating and connecting. In my current role, when I talk to 8th graders visiting high schools, I urge them: notice how you feel when you’re there because the energy of a place tells you so much about how people live and learn together. I left my visit day feeling energized, welcomed, and genuinely enamored with Redwood Day.

 

I also heard a compelling vision for the future: one that continues to prioritize belonging, equity, and access through an academic program that serves diverse learners. I’m excited by the initiative to expand experiential learning so that Oakland itself becomes a classroom, deepening relationships and the power of place. I’ll be bringing 20 years of experience in independent schools with an abiding passion for the middle school years and for cultivating the conditions where both students and adults can grow in community. I’m eager to join a school in my chosen home of Oakland, where I can be of value and contribute to lasting, meaningful change over time. And, I have to say, the trailing vines in so many classrooms felt like the perfect metaphor: there is time and space to grow here. The mission is to Grow Into Great, and I’m honored to join you in a moment when Redwood Day is, truly, Growing Even Greater.

 

With warmth and excitement for this new chapter,
Jess Dang