Linda Nathan

Linda Nathan has a long history in urban public education and the arts. She currently serves as the first executive director of the Center for Artistry and Scholarship. In this role, Linda is responsible for working with the CAS Board to develop the nonprofit’s strategy, goals, and areas of focus. She oversees key programs including the Creative Learning Schools Project as well as the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership (PSI) in partnership with the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Linda also works closely with the leadership of Conservatory Lab Charter School to support its development as a national model of project based learning and arts immersed education.

When she was recognized as a Barr Fellow in 2007, Linda was the founding headmaster of Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s first and only high school for the visual and performing arts. She was instrumental in starting Boston’s first performing-arts middle school and Fenway High School, which encourages academic excellence and develops intellectual habits of mind, self-esteem, and leadership skills among all students. She was also a co-founder of the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston, which promotes innovative models of schools and increases justice and opportunity for all learners.

Dr. Nathan also serves on numerous nonprofit boards both locally and nationally, and is a published author. Her widely praised book The Hardest Questions Aren’t on the Test, about teaching and leadership in urban schools, was published in 2009 in both English and Spanish. Her new book, When Grit Isn’t Enough, will be released by Beacon Press in October of 2017.

Dr. Nathan holds a Doctor of Education degree from Harvard University, Masters’ degrees from Emerson College and Antioch University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley.