From Becky Clapp - April 2023 

Fifty years of The Riley School, thirty-four years since Glenna Plaisted hired me, ten years as Head of School, and two years with a grandchild: the time is right. 

I write today with the news that I will be retiring from The Riley School at the end of the 2023-24 school year. The decision to leave Riley is not an easy one - it has been a core part of my life, my own growth and my family for many years. I have treasured the opportunity to steward the school into the next phase while honoring and maintaining the connection to its past. At this time of programmatic and institutional strength, Riley is ready to launch a search for my successor. 

I am very proud of the foundation that currently exists. With years of deep connection to Riley, which began with hours of conversations with the founder - in the farmhouse as its first Development officer, in the classrooms and as a parent - I am confident that I have helped secure the enduring value and the “life of Riley.” The holistic, progressive and philosophical underpinnings are now fully embedded into the culture, curriculum and programs. The present faculty is both rooted in that tradition and open to and bringing us fresh vision and innovation in facilitating the education of healthy young people in a rapidly changing world. 

The first and only building on campus when I first arrived was what now houses the extraordinary Wade Acres program. The existence of that program is reflective of a core Riley practice - hire really fabulous people and give them room to grow as they bring their fresh energy and commitment to our campus. My Assistant Directors, Wade Acres Director Lindsay Harlow and Riley alumnus and Art Facilitator Anna Goodale, and indispensable Tam Rolfe will continue to serve as integral parts of the Leadership team as we evaluate our administrative model. They will provide continuity and support to my successor at Riley and play a key role as we embark on our transition to the next chapter of leading Riley in sustainable growth.  

I look forward to steering Riley through the next 18 months. I am enthusiastic about exploring and defining the emerging challenges and opportunities. We will work together to serve Riley (and to be there with my grandchildren!) right up until my last day. I deeply love this School and am energized by what the future holds for it both in the short and long terms. ( And be sure to save May 20th for our celebration of where we have all been together these last 50 years! ) 

With gratitude,

Becky 

Rebecca Greenleaf Clapp

From the Board of Trustees – April 2023

Dear Families of the Riley School,

We write to you today with pride and sadness. We know that one of the greatest strengths of Riley is our ability to change and adapt, and with that in mind, as announce above, in June of 2024 our cherished Head of School, Rebecca Clapp, will be stepping down.

Riley has only known two directors, and we would not be in the strong position we are today without Becky’s leadership over the last decade. Becky took over upon the sudden passing of our Founder, and brought the school through those turbulent times and more recently has guided us through the disruption of the Covid era. Throughout those challenges she has demonstrated the necessary resilience to navigate change with purpose and intention. Becky has also stewarded the growth and implementation of new. programs and brought stability and an enhanced presence in the midcoast. 

In the coming months the Board will work with our Transition Committee and Search Committee to find not only the best candidate but the right candidate to shepherd Riley into its second fifty years. We will conduct a robust search and seek input from all members of the Riley community to identify our key needs and find our steward as we embark on the next fifty years. We will invite you to join in a Town Hall Meeting, in May, to engage your voice in the process and share other goals for the coming years. We are also very pleased to have Becky with us for the next 18 months as we transition to this next chapter in the leadership of our school. 

With her deep understanding of Riley’s holistic philosophy, Becky has carried Riley forward during her tenure as Head of School. Through her dedication, she has made Riley a welcoming and responsive community for all. Please join us in thanking Becky deeply for all she has done for - and will continue to do for - the exceptional place that is Riley.  

Chrisso Rheault 

for the Succession and Transition Committee

Riley School Board of Trustees