Q&A with Carrie Wilson

Associate Director for Accreditation and School Improvement
NEASC Commission on Independent Schools

Carrie Wilson joined NEASC in July following 25 years with All Saints Catholic Academy in Morristown, VT, where she began as an elementary teacher and later became Head of School. During her tenure Carrie oversaw All Saints Catholic Academy’s first accreditation with NEASC and its renewal, a major capital expansion, and significant growth in enrollment. 

Carrie earned her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Michael’s College in Burlington, VT, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont. [view bio]

Tell us a little bit about your professional background and how you became an educator.

I started my career as a teacher at an independent school in Vermont. I taught first and third grade. I loved teaching. It was a life changing experience for me.

Then I moved out of the classroom because my school needed me in a leadership position. I spent 16 years as a head of school. The landscape of school leadership is always changing and you have to keep up with what is relevant and also be reflective and ask yourself if what you’re doing is still meeting your goals.

What drew you to NEASC?

I was introduced to NEASC in 2005 when my school at the time, All Saints Catholic Academy, began exploring accreditation. I became the self-study coordinator and found myself mesmerized by the process and the structural organization that NEASC provided for my school. I brought my school through its initial accreditation and it was such a rewarding experience. It highlighted many of the incredible things that were happening at our school and provided us with feedback on some things we could improve. In 2020 I joined the NEASC Commission on Independent Schools and that gave me a chance to be a part of the process from the other side, to network with school leaders and see firsthand how accreditation was valuable for many other schools.

Tell us about your doctoral program. What is your focus and how do you see it helping you in your role at NEASC?

I am pursuing my EdD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont. The program encourages students to pursue research projects that are relevant to the work they do. For my dissertation I am exploring independent school accreditation in New England to understand why schools choose the accreditation agency they do and how it drives improvement, and to understand why a school would not seek accreditation and how that may impact them.

What are you most proud of from your previous role as the Head of School for All Saints Catholic Academy?

I am proud that I brought my school through accreditation twice. I’m also proud that with my incredible staff and through the generosity of people who really believed in the school I led three major construction projects that added to the school’s footprint. We created a commercial kitchen, an afterschool program space, an early childhood wing, a multipurpose room, and a playground renovation.

I’m also proud of how our school was able to navigate the pandemic. My staff did a masterful job of figuring out how to keep kids in school, engaged with their teachers and friends. I’m proud of our school’s reopening plan.

What top trends or challenges do you see affecting Catholic schools today?

I think that attracting and maintaining high quality teachers is a pervasive issue for all schools, not just Catholic schools. However, Catholic schools have a hard time competing with public school teacher salaries.

The science of reading and how to teach children to read is a continual issue. A lot of schools jumped on a whole language approach which has come under fire. Catholic schools are very phonics based which has worked to their students' benefit.

Technology in schools is another important issue. A lot of schools are prohibiting the use of cell phones during the school day. At my last school we did not allow cell phones or smart watches in the classroom.

How can NEASC help schools navigate these trends?

The NEASC network of 500 independent schools throughout New England is an incredibly powerful tool. Through NEASC, schools can engage in meaningful conversations with one another, share feedback, talk about things they’ve tried that have worked and those that haven’t. NEASC doesn’t come in and tell schools what to do. We give schools the time and tools they need to make the decision that is best for their school community. We connect school leaders with peers who are facing some of the same challenges. We help them consider different perspectives and we provide new ideas so that they can move forward.

Can you recommend a book, podcast, newsletter, or other resource you recommend educators read, listen to or follow?

I listen to podcasts when I’m in the car. Lately I’ve been listening to Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting Podcast Series, which talks about different parenting challenges and how we might approach them. I think it’s important to stay current on what parents are facing. I find that because I have a degree in education parents view me as a resource on parenting. I also enjoy the authors and podcasters Adam Grant, Brene Brown, and Mel Robbins.

What is one thing people may not know about you?

I run outdoors 365 days per year. The hardest months for me to run are July and August because of the heat, but no matter where I am, I get outside for a run every single day.