Paige Blumer Named Incoming Head of Middle School

English Department Chair Paige Blumer '01 has been appointed head of the Middle School at National Cathedral School, effective July 1, Head of School Kathleen O’Neill Jamieson announced on March 12.

 

Blumer's appointment follows a national search in which 48 candidates were considered and four finalists interviewed on-campus. She will assume the position previously held by Molly Chehak, who left NCS in August to become managing director of Georgetown University's Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship.

 

As chair of the English department, Blumer has guided curriculum development for Grades 4 through 12; coordinated NCS's offerings with those of St. Albans School in a way that best serves students of both schools; and hired, mentored, and supported teachers in all divisions. She also teaches several sections of Upper School English, mentors students as a homeroom advisor, and sits on the Admissions Committee, reviewing the file of every Upper School applicant and participating in admissions decisions.

 

Her "dedication to students' academic and emotional development was a hallmark of her candidacy for the Middle School head position," Mrs. Jamieson said. "We also recognize her great success as a collaborative leader of our English department."

 

Blumer joined the NCS Middle School in 2007 as a 7th-grade English teacher. Over the next four years, she redesigned that course's curriculum to diversify the literature students would read and to expand on the writing instruction. She also was a Middle School advisor and coached Middle School and Upper School softball teams. She moved to the Upper School in 2011, where she helped NCS develop a block schedule, which was implemented in 2014, and a revised faculty evaluation and professional development process.

 

Blumer has been a visiting team member for the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) accreditation process, and she is a highly regarded speaker for parent and alumnae groups. She holds a BA in English literature from Trinity College and an MA from George Washington University.

 

In making the announcement, Mrs. Jamieson expressed her thanks to the many faculty, staff, students, and parents who interviewed Blumer and other excellent candidates. She also thanked Lower School Head Rebecca Jones for her service this year as interim Middle School head.