Welcome to Commonwealth Academy.

It is a privilege to serve as Interim Head of School and to join a community so deeply committed to knowing students well, understanding how they learn, and helping them develop the skills and confidence to thrive.

I have spent more than three decades in education as a teacher, division leader, founding head, and Head of School. Throughout that journey, one belief has remained constant: students flourish when they are both appropriately challenged and intentionally supported. When young people understand themselves as learners—recognizing their strengths, developing strategies for their challenges, and learning to advocate for what they need—they gain far more than academic skills. They develop confidence, agency, and independence.

That is what excites me about Commonwealth Academy.

Our students benefit from the rigor and opportunity of a college-preparatory education within a learning environment intentionally designed for students with ADHD and executive functioning challenges. Small classes, Student Action Plans, executive functioning support, daily writing, individualized accommodations, and close relationships with teachers and advisors are not simply features of our program. Together, they create an educational experience in which students are known deeply and supported in becoming increasingly capable and independent learners.

My own professional journey has taken me to schools and communities across the United States and beyond. I have had the privilege of leading schools serving students with learning differences, founding a school committed to educational access, and leading independent schools from elementary through high school. I hold a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas, am National Board Certified in Early Adolescence/Young Adolescence, and have continued throughout my career to study the science of learning, literacy, adolescent development, and the ways research can strengthen what happens between teachers and students every day.

Yet after many years in education, I remain convinced that the heart of a great school is relationships.

Leadership begins with listening. Since arriving at Commonwealth, I have valued opportunities to spend time with students, families, faculty and staff, our Leadership Team, and our Board of Trustees. Each conversation helps me better understand this remarkable community—what families value, what our students need, what our teachers make possible, and where we have opportunities to become even stronger.

As Interim Head of School, I see my responsibility as both steward and leader: to honor what makes Commonwealth distinctive while working collaboratively to strengthen our academic program, deepen communication and community connections, advance our enrollment and advancement work, and position the school for a strong and sustainable future.

I also believe that education should be joyful. Learning should invite curiosity, productive struggle, discovery, creativity, and connection. Some of my own greatest learning has happened outside traditional classrooms—through travel, outdoor education, hiking, kayaking, and experiences with people and communities around the world. Those experiences continually remind me that learning is both deeply intellectual and deeply human.

Perhaps most importantly, I am also a parent. Being the mother of two grown children has been one of the great privileges of my life, and it has shaped the way I think about the trust families place in a school. Parents entrust us with people they love beyond measure. That responsibility deserves our very best thinking, our compassion, our expertise, and our unwavering belief in each young person’s potential.

I am grateful to be part of Commonwealth Academy at this important moment in its story. I look forward to getting to know you, learning from your experiences, and working together to ensure that our students leave Commonwealth knowing not only what they can accomplish, but also who they are as learners and how confidently they can move into the world.

Warmly,

Laurie Bottiger, PhD
Interim Head of School