Julie Faultstich

Julie Faulstich is a seasoned leader in independent school education. Working her way up from a dorm staff position to Head of School in a 25+ year career, Julie brings a blend of strong interpersonal skills, creativity, and analytical rigor to change management in schools. Julie’s most recent role was as Head at the Westover School, a girls boarding/day school in MIddlebury, CT where she revitalized a strong but aging institution, growing enrollment and fundraising, establishing cutting-edge advancement communication practices and refreshed branding, renovating and updating large portions of the beautiful 1909 campus, and adding significant enhancements to the School’s signature Women in Science and Engineering program and its Rasin Center for Global Justice. During her tenure, the Board of Trustees endorsed a comprehensive Vision for Belonging and Justice, establishing a commitment to inclusion and equity across the institution. Previously at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, a boarding/day school in Natick, MA, Julie served as head of the English department, Academic Dean, and Assistant Head. During her time at Walnut Hill, the school reimagined its academic program and established an innovative daily schedule. As Assistant Head, Julie also managed the world-class pre-college arts departments, establishing a nimble and effective curricular review approach employed by the school beyond her tenure. Julie is student-centered in her approach and values individual connection and humor in her work, informed by components of organizational psychology. Attention to the facts and to the data is vital and she strongly believes the magic of schools is to be found in the people. She has presented at the NAIS, NBOA and TABS conferences on topics related to school change and has published several feature articles in Independent School magazine. Her popular Substack newsletter, Talking Out of School, discusses specific topics each week on the challenges schools face post-pandemic. talkingoutofschool.substack.com

Julie Faulstich is a seasoned leader in independent school education. Working her way up from a dorm staff position to Head of School in a 25+ year career, Julie brings a blend of strong interpersonal skills, creativity, and analytical rigor to change management in schools.

Julie’s most recent role was as Head at the Westover School, a girls boarding/day school in MIddlebury, CT where she revitalized a strong but aging institution, growing enrollment and fundraising, establishing cutting-edge advancement communication practices and refreshed branding, renovating and updating large portions of the beautiful 1909 campus, and adding significant enhancements to the School’s signature Women in Science and Engineering program and its Rasin Center for Global Justice. During her tenure, the Board of Trustees endorsed a comprehensive Vision for Belonging and Justice, establishing a commitment to inclusion and equity across the institution.

Previously at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, a boarding/day school in Natick, MA, Julie served as head of the English department, Academic Dean, and Assistant Head. During her time at Walnut Hill, the school reimagined its academic program and established an innovative daily schedule. As Assistant Head, Julie also managed the world-class pre-college arts departments, establishing a nimble and effective curricular review approach employed by the school beyond her tenure.

Julie is student-centered in her approach and values individual connection and humor in her work, informed by components of organizational psychology. Attention to the facts and to the data is vital and she strongly believes the magic of schools is to be found in the people.

She has presented at the NAIS, NBOA and TABS conferences on topics related to school change and has published several feature articles in Independent School magazine.

Her popular Substack newsletter, Talking Out of School, discusses specific topics each week on the challenges schools face post-pandemic. talkingoutofschool.substack.com

Articles Library

Reimagining the Boarding School TRIPLE THREAT Model for a New World
Explore a paradigm shift in boarding school recruitment and faculty expectations. Greg Martin from Vermont Academy advocates for a modern pitch, highlighting community living and cultural richness. The discussion delves into evolving faculty expectations, challenging the traditional "triple threat" model. The article proposes practical strategies to adapt, fostering a more inviting professional environment.
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