Richard Kassissieh's Biography

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• Richard Kassissieh

  Appointed in August 2022, Richard Kassissieh is the fifth Head of School in Stratford Hall’s 23-year history.
  
  Richard came to Stratford Hall after serving as Assistant Head of School for Academics and Strategic Initiatives at University Preparatory Academy in Seattle, Washington. He has 20 years of leadership experience in independent schools and, prior to that, eight years teaching chemistry and biology at schools in the United States and Botswana.
  
  Richard obtained his undergraduate degree in Biological Anthropology from Harvard University and a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Teacher Education from Stanford University. He is globally minded, with a strong commitment to social justice, having volunteered with Amnesty International in leadership roles, taught at a school that advanced multiracial education in southern Africa, and advocated for the rights of LGBTQ+ students and educators since the 1990s. Richard currently serves on the boards of Leadership+Design and the American Friends of Maru-a-Pula School.
  
  Richard’s parents immigrated to the United States from the Middle East. He has a great love of the outdoors, as experienced through running, backcountry hiking, and photography. He speaks English and French. Richard moved to Vancouver with his wife, Julia, who is also an educator. Their children David and Charlie are pursuing their undergraduate studies at the University of Washington and the University of Victoria, respectively.