Paideia High School Principal Takes on Role Leading Innovative Education Model
Today, Acton Academy at Serenbe is thrilled to announce that Dr. Brett Hardin is joining the team as Head of School. Brett joins Acton from one of Atlanta’s top independent schools, The Paideia School, where he led the High School as Principal for the past seven years. Brett has over 25 years of experience in educational non-profits, public education and independent schools. Brett will formally start on July 1st.
“I have been deeply impressed by the commitment of the staff and faculty guides to each learner, and to Acton’s innovative model of schooling, which is driven entirely by learner engagement,” said Brett Hardin.
During Brett’s tenure at Paideia, he worked across all areas of an independent school: administration, faculty, admissions, finance, development, and buildings and grounds. As an alum of Leadership Atlanta, he serves on the board of Intown Collaborative Ministries, a non-profit working to prevent and reverse homelessness and hunger for intown Atlanta.
Prior to Paideia, Brett worked for the Georgia Council on Economic Education, where he led professional development for K-12 economics teachers statewide. He has also taught high school economics and U.S. history in Atlanta Public Schools and Cobb County. Brett received his undergrad at Wesleyan, master’s degree at University of Pennsylvania and his doctorate at Georgia State.
“We are thrilled to have Brett Hardin as our Head of School, as he shares our values and vision for the future,“ said the Acton Academy at Serenbe Board. “With over 25 years of experience in education and a passion for our core mission, Brett has the background and growth mindset to lead our school.”
Acton is also celebrating the promotion of Nicole Bettis to Director of Education for learners ranging from six weeks to six years old. In this role, Nicole will focus on coaching and developing guides to further implement the Montessori framework as well as overseeing the curriculum design and development aligned to Acton’s pedagogical philosophy. Nicole has over 18 years of experience, and is an American Montessori Society (AMS) certified Early Childhood guide, a North American Montessori Center (NAMC) certified instructor, and holds multiple degrees including a M.A. in Clinical Psychology and a M.A. in Humanistic Psychology. This summer, Nicole will also finalize her capstone research for a Certificate of Early Education Leadership (CEEL) with the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Additionally, the school recently hired Larisa Wilson as the Director of Education for learners ranging from seven to eighteen years old, and she will oversee curriculum design and development aligned to Acton’s pedagogical philosophy for this age group. Larisa has proven experience in transforming the middle and high school sciences at The Mount Vernon School. There, Larisa oversaw the Innovation Diploma program, a 4-year “school within a school” model where learners solve real world problems with a focus on design thinking practices. With over 13 years experience, Larisa brings a wealth of knowledge to this position.
Acton at Serenbe is on track to be one of the largest Acton Academies in the world with a new state of the art campus under construction in the Mado Hamlet of Serenbe. The second of four campus buildings will open Fall 2023, which will be a world class example with environmental sustainability at its core. This will be accomplished as the campus pursues energy independence, closed loop water systems, and biophilic design that maximizes access to nature.
“With the opening of the new campus, I am grateful to be part of this exciting stage of the school’s development,” said Brett Hardin. “The Serenbe community’s ethos of welcome and wellness is infused into every aspect of our school, making cutting edge resources and design accessible to children. The walls of each of our new learning studios open fully, blurring the line between indoor and outdoor experiences,” is how Brett describes one of his favorite design elements in the new Acton campus.
“Our learning model, environmentally sustainable campus, and location in the iconic Serenbe community makes us truly unique. With the addition of all three of these leadership positions, we will further equip our learners with a team who is passionate about the Acton model and who inspire our learners to change the world,” says the Acton Academy at Serenbe Board.
To learn more and enroll at Acton Academy at Serenbe, visit https://actonacademyatserenbe.com/
About Acton Academy at Serenbe
The mission at the Acton Academy at Serenbe is to inspire each child who enters our doors to find a calling that will change the world. We foster a true learner driven community – guiding children to have a love of learning. Alongside a focus on character development, accountability, and goal setting, we have invested in a learning playground with our new campus opening this Fall 2023. Located in Serenbe, our goal is to become a flagship Acton and lay the foundation for how a school design, environment and pedagogy can support our overall mission. https://actonacademyatserenbe.com/
About Acton Academy
The Acton Academy model was founded by Laura and Jeff Sandefer, out of Austin Texas in 2009 and includes over 250 member network locations around the world. https://www.actonacademy.org/
