OUR PEOPLE

Ty Tingley is among the most recognized and accomplished heads of school in America, having led Phillips Exeter Academy as principal for 12 years and before that, The Blake School in Minneapolis, a day school of 1,200 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 on three campuses. Both Exeter and Blake are noted for their academic excellence, quality of faculty, and college and university placement.

During his time as principal, Exeter completed a master plan, with the participation of faculty, staff, students and graduates, that included a comprehensive curricular review, a wide expansion of the availability of technology and its instructional use, a dramatic expansion of financial aid resources and a number of significant building projects, with a focus on sustainable energy use. The increase in financial aid was a direct result of the success of Ty’s leadership of a $352 million capital campaign, the largest capital fund ever raised by an American independent secondary school.

Ty received his undergraduate training at Harvard College and his M.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He began his career as an English teacher.

Deeply committed to elementary and secondary education, Ty has served as president of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, the Minnesota Association of Independent Schools and School Year Abroad, as well as being a director of the National Association of Independent Schools and president of the Headmasters Association. He has served as trustee of numerous educational and cultural organizations and is a current trustee of United World College—USA, Shady Hill School and the Edward E. Ford Foundation.

Before the opening of the Avenues New York campus, Ty will focus primarily on curriculum design.