The following message was shared with the community on February 21, 2025.

Dear Sidwell Friends Community:

I am delighted to announce that Allen W. Vandegrift will become the next principal of the Sidwell Friends Middle School, effective July 1, 2025. A graduate of Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he majored in education and played club lacrosse, Allen earned his Masters of Science degree in Independent School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016. His research, which provided resources for independent school leaders to create positive racial climates, was published by the Journal of Ethical Educational Leadership.

An experienced educator who is deeply respected by peers and students alike, Allen will join us from the Montgomery School in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, where he currently serves as head of the middle school. Prior to joining Montgomery, Allen worked as assistant director of the middle school at William Penn Charter, the oldest Quaker school in North America. In addition to sitting on the Quaker self-study, heads advisory, and admissions committees, Allen taught visual arts and coached both basketball and lacrosse.

“Quaker education has profoundly shaped my life personally and my philosophy as a leader,” Allen wrote in his application to Sidwell Friends. He was drawn to our School’s “commitment to high academic standards” and to our efforts to “create an inclusive and diverse environment.” A devoted middle school educator, Allen has dedicated much of his time at Montgomery to building student leadership programs, which, he writes, “are crucial for middle school-aged students” because they “encourage creative thinkers and nurture change cultivators inside and outside of the schoolhouse.”

Allen is an exceedingly kind and personable educator, one who will make an immediate impact on our students and community. His academic, artistic, and athletic expertise and interests, along with his experience in Quaker education, have prepared him to support our students. His enthusiasm for learning, leading, and community building is contagious. 

Please join me in welcoming Allen, his wife, Allison, and their three sons to the DMV. Later in the spring, we will schedule opportunities for Allen to visit campus so that he can begin to meet students, faculty, and parents. Stay tuned for details.

I also want to thank the parents, trustees, students, and faculty who supported the search. Associate Head of School Min Kim provided outstanding administrative leadership and Middle School counselor Julia Porter served as a thoughtful and dedicated co-clerk. I am also grateful for the dedication and wisdom of the search advisory committee: Savant Shrestha, Krista Moody, Liberty Swift, Andréa Javor, Mark Vialva, Mary Dufour, Lauren Lamb, and Yuan Angel. 

In friendship and with gratitude,

Bryan K. Garman
Head of School