Waterside School

HEAD OF SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT

Paris McLean selected as Waterside’s Head of School

October 6, 2025

Dear Waterside Community,

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the Waterside Board of Trustees’ unanimous appointment of Paris L. McLean as Head of School for Waterside School, effective July 1, 2026.

After a comprehensive national search and fulsome finalist process that included faculty, parents, students, and trustees, Paris clearly emerged as the leader best suited to guide Waterside into its next chapter. He brings 22 years of independent school experience and a proven track record of educational leadership. Most recently serving as Assistant Head of School at Montclair Kimberley Academy (NJ), Paris has demonstrated expertise in supporting faculty excellence across all grade levels, developing innovative student programming, and fostering inclusive school cultures. Importantly for Waterside, Paris has a deep understanding of elementary education, honed through years of classroom teaching and leadership roles overseeing curriculum and faculty development. As a scholarship student himself at Princeton Day School, Paris also shares the lived experience of our students and brings an authentic commitment to Waterside’s mission. He understands that our students deserve a rigorous education steeped in both excellence and joy—one that prepares them not only to succeed at their receiving schools but also to thrive throughout their lives. His dedication to building strong relationships with faculty, families, and the broader community reflects his belief that great schools are built on trust, partnership, and shared purpose.

“The Waterside School’s mission not only affirms my belief in the transformative powers of independent schools, but it also profoundly speaks to my professional commitment,” McLean shared. “By carrying a responsibility to ensure that a superior academic and social foundation is accessible to our youngest learners, the Waterside School has, for 25 years, been a school community where promise and opportunity drive forward towards success. I am eager to both learn from and lead with our trustees, faculty and staff, alumni, parents and caregivers, and, of course, our dynamic students.”

Paris’s career trajectory reflects his passion for education and student development. He began teaching second grade at his alma mater, Princeton Day School, where he also coached varsity basketball and earned the David C. Bogle Award for the Pursuit of Teaching Excellence. From 2015 to 2022, he held progressively responsible leadership positions at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, culminating in his role as Assistant Head of School and Head of the Lower and Middle Schools. There, he developed innovative programs including Building Bridges, a year-long fourth-grade student leadership initiative, and led the redesign of the academic schedule to better support student learning and wellness.

Paris earned his B.A. in Elementary and Special Education from La Salle University and his Master’s in Independent School Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, where he was a Klingenstein Center Fellow. He has presented widely at NAIS national conferences and NJAIS regional workshops, has been a Trustee at Foundation Academy Charter School and Princeton Day School, and currently serves on the Board of the Center at 353 in Princeton.

Paris has the lived experience to cherish Waterside’s mission and the vision to lead our school forward with wisdom, compassion, and purpose. We are thrilled to welcome him to our community.

Paris will work closely with a Head of School transition committee to ensure a seamless leadership transition. We look forward to introducing Paris to the community in the coming months and invite you to join us in welcoming him to Waterside.

Sincerely,

Mike Schwabe
Board Chair

Lisa Stuart
Trustee and Search Committee Chair

Letter to the Waterside Community September 2025

Letter to the Waterside Community June 2025

Letter to the Waterside Community May 2025