About me
In case you don’t already know me, I will briefly introduce myself…
Having grown up in a family deeply committed to education, I entered Princeton University with the second class of women in 1970 and earned a degree in English. I followed this with a master’s degree in education from Bank Street College and taught elementary school students in New Jersey for the first ten years of my career. In 1984, having become intrigued and inspired by the national network of Friends schools and the natural connections between Quaker education and progressive practice, I spearheaded an inquiry into whether a Friends school might have a place in the broad landscape of independent schools in the greater Princeton area. This led, after three years of determined effort on the part of many, to the founding of Princeton Friends School in September of 1987.
From 1987 until 2018 I served as Head of School at Princeton Friends, leading this growing community in its commitment to a particular vision of education best articulated as one of the stated aims of the Progressive Education Network – that “education should amplify student voice, agency, conscience, and intellect, to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.”
During my thirty-plus years of leadership, Princeton Friends carried out this mission in countless ways, including an absence of grades and standardized testing, a rich thematic and interdisciplinary curriculum, a strong emphasis on community life, and a vibrant service program – all resting on a solid foundation of Quaker principles and practices.
Beyond my role at PFS, I have served on the boards of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and the Friends Council on Education, participated in accreditation visits to many schools, including Sidwell Friends, San Francisco Friends, and Friends School of Minnesota, led two cohorts through the NJAIS Leadership Institute, and published and presented widely on the philosophy and pedagogy of Quaker and progressive education.
With the launching of Fremon & Friends Consulting in early 2019, I am now available to provide targeted and customized support to schools, bringing forward whatever my long experience and varied expertise might provide to both individuals and school communities in the process of exploring purpose and deepening practice.