Born into a family of educators, Head of Lower School Sharon Jones Phinney grew up steeped in a culture of education, yet never encountered a teacher of color in the classroom until she was in graduate school. And while she didn’t see herself modeled in her teachers as a young student, she grew up with a close educational role model: her mother was a research scientist turned public school teacher in Boston whose career culminated in her role as assistant head of school at Boston Latin Academy. Sharon knew there were teachers of color in the world—and knew how much they were needed—she just hadn’t yet encountered any herself at school.

As a young student, she also experienced a lack of diversity among students. A participant in METCO—a program funded by the state of Massachusetts to expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation by permitting students from Boston to attend public schools in other communities—Sharon found she was often one of a few or an only child of color in a classroom. That experience strongly influenced her perspective on the student experience, and the importance of representation.

Sharon’s introduction to independent schools came when she chose to go to high school at the Berkshire School. She played field hockey, ran track, wrote for the school newspaper, and was editor of the school magazine. She went on to study at Middlebury, where she spent a year playing field hockey and got involved in the black student union. She was eventually elected president of the BSU. She earned her master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Her teaching career began at Boston Latin, where for two years she taught a range of high school and middle school classes, before moving to Roxbury Latin for the next four in a similar role. She then spent 27 years at the Shady Hill School serving in a range of roles: teacher, diversity coordinator, middle school head, and eighth-grade central subject teacher. In 2018, she came to Winsor to be head of Lower School. Throughout her career, she has always taught English, and continues to do so at Winsor.

At Winsor, Sharon strives to be a supportive ear for all students she encounters, and notes the importance of students from all backgrounds experiencing teachers and leaders of color. She recalls how when she was looking at high schools, Winsor “wasn’t on [her] radar”—she assumed it lacked the diversity of students and faculty she sought. When she visited before taking on the role of head of Lower School, she found she was impressed by the caliber of the students, teachers, and administrators, and also surprised by the diversity of the school community. She loves “having the pleasure of leading a group of adults who care deeply about their students and colleagues, and who want to do their best every day by the students they encounter.”