Megan D. Cover
Megan D. Cover will be installed as Girls Preparatory School’s 10th Head of School Friday at 10:30 a.m., at a ceremony in the school’s gymnasium. A reception will follow on the school's DeFoor Patio.
At the opening assembly on the first day of classes last week, Ms. Cover stood before the student body for the first time and was enthusiastically greeted by the girls, faculty, and staff. In her opening remarks, Ms. Cover shared that her focus for the year would be on community and connection. “Faculty and staff join me in celebrating the unique gifts you students bring to school, on campus and off,” she said. “We will prioritize healthy connections and relationships, fostering a culture where you are known, you are heard, and you are empowered to use your voices. This culture of belonging and acceptance will nurture and lift you up, so you can find your place and discover your potential with confidence and joy.”
Chair of the GPS Board of Trustees and co-chair of the head of school search committee, Clay Watson says, “We are excited about this new era for GPS. With fresh ideas, new approaches to educating girls, and a willingness to build a positive, inclusive culture, Megan will lead this institution to the levels of success that we have yet to see.”
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, Ms. Cover 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 masters’ degrees 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; their eldest daughter is a college sophomore. The Covers are excited to call Founders House, adjacent to the GPS campus, their home and to become active members of the vibrant Chattanooga community.