GPS tenth Head of School Megan Cover standing before portraits of the school's three original founders
For the past month, Megan D. Cover has spent her first days as the tenth GPS Head of School familiarizing herself with the community—its people and its processes. Her office has hosted a constant flow of visitors as she meets individually with faculty, staff, alumnae, and other GPS constituents.
“As I begin my role as Head of School, my goal is to get to know the people behind GPS and its long history of teaching girls to be women of integrity and purpose,” Ms. Cover says. “Hearing firsthand from the people who love this school, who love the girls, and who want only the best for the future of GPS has been an absolute joy.”
With the school’s opening just weeks away, Ms. Cover has also been tasked with navigating the ever-changing landscape surrounding the pandemic. On Thursday this week she, along with local medical professionals and other GPS leaders, will host a live COVID vaccination information session and Q&A via Zoom.
Two additional vaccination clinics will also be held on campus on Aug. 13, 9-11 a.m., and Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., for GPS students and their families as well as any faculty or staff members.
“Our hope is for an exciting school year ahead that is as close to normal as possible, but we are first and foremost concerned with the health and wellbeing of everyone on our campus,” Ms. Cover says. “We are closely monitoring local and national health recommendations and will continue to do so throughout the year. We are so excited to welcome our students and teachers back to campus.”
A career educator, Ms. Cover spent the last 21 years at Tower Hill School (Wilmington, De.) as a teacher, coach, department chair, dean, and head of upper school. Throughout her tenure, she was instrumental in launching signature programs in experiential learning, summer experiences for new students and new faculty support. Additionally, she facilitated improvements to service learning, environmental initiatives, social justice, and student wellness programs.
Ms. Cover oversaw upper school initiatives in student life, advisory, and student retention and brought to her school student leadership board and honor models to better equip students for the life skills needed for future success.
An alumna of the girls’ school Agnes Irwin, she experienced for herself the transformative power of sisterhood and the feeling of belonging associated with the all-girls experience. She holds a B.A. from Denison University (Granville, Ohio) and an M.A. from Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont) and West Chester University (Chester County, Pennsylvania).
Ms. Cover views her headship at GPS as an honor and a privilege to not only lead the next chapter of empowering young women of intellect and integrity, but also to join its community as a proud GPS parent. She and her husband, Ted, have twin daughters who are juniors at GPS, and their eldest daughter is a college sophomore. The Covers are excited to call Chattanooga home.