Business Beat: Rosanna Salcedo to lead Community Preparatory School, 2024

Community Preparatory School’s Board of Trustees announced that Rosanna Salcedo has been named Head of School, effective July 1, 2024. Salcedo, an experienced educator and administrator, is only the second person to lead the independent middle school since it was founded in 1984.

Currently the Dean of Equity and Inclusion at Cambridge School of Weston, Salcedo was selected from an outstanding, national pool of candidates. She was hired in a unanimous vote by Community Prep’s Board of Trustees. She succeeds co-founder Dan Corley, who will retire on June 30, 2024, after 40 years of distinguished service.

Salcedo impressed Community Prep’s faculty, staff, students, and trustees with her deep understanding of the school’s mission and passion for helping students – especially underrepresented and underserved students – reach their potential and highest aspirations.

“We believe Rosanna to be a talented leader and gifted communicator, as well as a person of exceptional integrity and deep creativity. We are confident in her ability to further Community Prep’s rigorous academic standards and continue to demonstrate what innovative, inclusive urban education can achieve,” said Corley.

Salcedo received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Amherst College and completed her master’s in education in human development and psychology at Harvard University. She began her career in New York City public schools – teaching eighth-grade English, writing, history, health education, and physical education. She then spent 16 years at Phillips Exeter Academy in a variety of capacities: Dean of Students and Dean of Admissions for the Summer School Program, Associate Dean of Faculty, and ultimately, Dean of Multicultural Affairs.

In 2017, Salcedo took on her current position as Dean of Equity and Inclusion at Cambridge School of Weston in Weston, Mass. There, she works closely with the Head of School and Board of Trustees on strategic planning, curriculum development, and overall educational program. She also sits on the senior leadership and crisis response teams.

“A 21^st century education must prepare children to become healthy, productive global citizens,” said Salcedo. “Focusing students on skill-building, critical thinking, goal-setting, and hard work – in a truly diverse and supportive environment – will benefit our communities, our country, and the world. I’m honored to be continuing this legacy at Community Preparatory School.”

Community Preparatory School – an independent middle school, serving grades four through eight – was founded in 1984 by educator and school reform advocate Dan Corley and economist Bob Hahn. The school currently serves 135 students, of whom 91 percent receive substantial financial aid. To date, 97 percent of its graduates have been accepted into college preparatory high school programs, and 83 percent are attending or have graduated from college. Community Preparatory School’s mission is to empower its diverse student body to reach full academic and leadership potential while building Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a Beloved Community. It is located on the southside of Providence.