John Watson has worked with independent schools in governance, leadership development, and executive searches through Educational Directions since 2017. John began his independent school career at Breck School (MN), an independent Episcopal PK-12 school as co-chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department from 1984-1992. From 1992-2002 John served as Assistant Head and Academic Dean in three boarding schools; Darrow School (NY), Peddie School (NJ), and Cheshire Academy (CT). John was Head of School for fifteen years starting at West Nottingham Academy (MD), a boarding and day school founded in 1744, from 2002-2012 and at Seacrest Country Day School (FL) from 2012-2017. John served for six years on the Association of Maryland and DC Independent Schools Board of Directors. He is currently on the founding Advisory Board for the Naples Players Academy in Naples, Florida.

John employs a collaborative leadership style that empowers the community to strive for clarity and innovation by engaging faculty, students, parents, and trustees in deep, mission-centered exploration of programs and preparation for searches. John believes that as a head of school, the most important role one fulfills is to help a school to embody its mission, and that while change is inevitable, change driven by mission is the most likely to flourish and endure.

John holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Northern Michigan University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory from the University of Minnesota. John and his wife, Bonnie, live in Brentwood, TN, and have children and grandchildren in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and Seattle.