After 22 years at GDS, including a year as interim high school principal, Chris Levy assumed the role of permanent high school principal at the beginning of the school year.
Rather than running an open search for a high school principal, Head of School Tori Jueds internally appointed Levy because of his experience in the school and the positive feedback she had received about his interim year. In the role, Levy said he plans to begin a listening tour to hear as much feedback as possible from students, faculty and parents.
Levy has served as high school science teacher, grade dean and assistant principal for academics. Along with the role of high school principal, he will continue to serve as director of enrollment management and financial aid until the school finds his successor.
Levy was originally slated to serve as interim principal just for the 2025-26 school year; however, former Head of School Russell Shaw announced last fall that Levy’s interim tenure would extend until the end of the 2026-27 school year. In the fall of 2025, Shaw said the school would launch a nationwide search for a permanent high school principal after the head of school search concluded.
“An open search is ordinarily our practice for a permanent leadership position of this kind, as it provides valuable opportunities for community reflection and input,” Jueds wrote in an Aug. 20 announcement email to students and parents. “In this case, I encountered such deep appreciation for Chris’s leadership, and such widespread hope that it would continue, that I concluded an appointment was in the best interests of the High School and GDS.”
In the announcement email, Levy said he hoped to be present throughout the high school. “I want to spend time in classrooms and hallways, at performances, games, meetings, and the many other places where the life of our High School happens,” Levy wrote.
“In each space that I find myself in, it’s really important that I’m creating the atmosphere for folks to be able to share what’s on their minds and what they’re hopeful about,” Levy said in an interview with the Bit.
Jueds told the Bit she initially expected to run a search for the next high school principal. “I found myself looking at a highly unusual situation in which a search did not seem to be the right course of action,” Jueds said. “It was increasingly apparent to me that folks might be a little fatigued with searches after the head of school search.”
“There’s a lot of change,” Assistant Principal for School Life Quinn Killy said. “Having a person who’s consistent, who’s been here, who knows, makes sense, especially because we have a new head of school.”
Levy’s two predecessors both were external hires—Katie Gibson in 2017 and Yom Fox in 2022. They served for five and three years, respectively.
For the past year, Levy has held the roles of both interim high school principal and director of enrollment management and financial aid. “We have not officially launched the searches yet [for the next director of enrollment management and financial aid],” Levy said. “Tori [Jueds] is in the process of putting those pieces together, but the hope is to begin that process very soon.”
English teacher and parent Catherine Humphries said she breathed “a sigh of relief” when she found out Levy would remain high school principal. “We’re in good hands with someone who knows the school, someone who knows us and brings so much warmth and care to students and faculty and staff,” Humphries said.
“I’m working on things for CLC [Community Leadership Corps] and the all-school assembly, and when I run into him in the hallway and talk to him about it, he seems excited to be a part of it,” senior Yasmine Weinberger said.
In the Aug. 20 announcement, Levy said he planned to begin a high school listening tour. In the tour, Levy said he hopes to speak with community members in informal conversations that include parent coffees. Levy also said he would continue to hold senior breakfasts with small groups of twelfth-graders.
Jueds initially suggested the listening tour to Levy. In a typical search for principal, Jueds said each candidate for the role would meet with the community in a series of interviews prior to their appointment. Because she appointed Levy without a search, Jueds said she suggested the listening tour as an alternative way for the community to hear from Levy and to give him input.
During the welcome assembly on the first day of school, Levy spoke about possible changes to the cell phone policy, including phone-storage lockers. Levy said administrators refrained from making any changes to the policy without first hearing feedback from students.
Junior Della Blum said she appreciated Levy’s explanation of the phone policy. “Although the phone policy is just as strict as it was when he wasn’t principal, I think he explained more to the students why we have the phone policy,” Blum said. Blum said Levy explained the policy as a way to help students connect with one another without the distraction of technology.
Levy said he’s excited to work with SSC president Willa Wible to figure out which issues matter most to students. Levy said “creating spaces for those conversations” is “something we’re looking forward to.”