Brooklyn Friends School marked a turning point in 2019 when Crissy Cáceres assumed the role of head of school, making history as both the first person of color to hold the position, and, the first woman to hold this position in more than three decades. Rather than describing her approach as a fixed leadership philosophy, Cáceres articulates what she calls her “leadership walk”—a concept that has redefined how the 158-year-old Quaker institution operates and connects with its community.
“I would describe my leadership walk, not my leadership philosophy,” Cáceres explained during a recent interview. “I think a philosophy is the thing that you keep in mind all the time that drives the way that you engage, and for me, that’s not what happens. I am somebody who is malleable to the human energy that’s in front of me.”
Her distinction between philosophy and walk represents more than a semantic preference. Cáceres has structured her leadership around responsiveness rather than rigid adherence to predetermined frameworks, an approach that has transformed how Brooklyn Friends School addresses both daily operations and long-term planning.
Redefining Educational Leadership Through Human Connection
The concept of responsive leadership that Cáceres champions centers on what she describes as knowing “the heartbeat of every human being that I engage with.” Her approach requires constant attention to the immediate needs and energies present within the school community, from students and faculty to parents and staff.
“So I would say that my leadership walk is a responsive walk, is one that aims to truly know the heart breath of every human being that I engage with, to make space for the light that they bring in their own life’s walk, to build points of alignment and connection between the ways in which they seek to engage with me and the ways in which I see possibility in them,” Cáceres stated.
Her methodology has practical implications for how Brooklyn Friends School operates. Rather than implementing top-down directives, Cáceres works to understand individual perspectives before making decisions that affect the community. Faculty members report feeling heard and valued under this approach, contributing to what colleagues describe as a more collaborative environment.
The responsive leadership model also extends to how Cáceres handles challenging situations. When seventh graders recently engaged in inappropriate behavior involving coded language, she immediately scheduled individual meetings with each student, beginning with truth-telling as the foundation for productive conversation.
Professional Recognition and Board Leadership
Cáceres brings substantial credentials to her leadership role at Brooklyn Friends School. She serves as a Trustee for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Board, appointed in 2022 as recognition of her significant contributions to independent education. NAIS states that “Election to the NAIS Board of Trustees carries with it a responsibility of stewardship.”
Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College and a Master’s Degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Brooklyn Friends School, Cáceres served as Assistant Head of School for Equity and Social Impact at Georgetown Day School and Head of Lower School at Abington Friends School.
Additionally, she sits on the Board of the New York State Association of Independent Schools and serves as a commissioner on the New York State Association Commission on Accreditation. Her involvement in these organizations reflects her commitment to advancing educational practices beyond Brooklyn Friends School.
Creating Conditions for Love and Joy
Cáceres has implemented what she describes as “intentional design for love and joy as a core construct and anchor to anything that I am a part of.” Her philosophy extends beyond creating pleasant learning environments to establishing love and joy as fundamental educational tools.
“I believe that you cannot do that unless you experience, knowing that you are fully seen and appreciated and loved in any given context, that there’s a limitation to that,” Cáceres stated, referring to the school’s commitment to social justice and belonging as agents of change.
Her leadership walk emphasizes meeting others’ needs while balancing personal growth. “In many ways, my life’s walk has always been largely focused on the needs of others, almost exclusively, rather than how am I, in the context of that, in the process of meeting every need in front of me, am I also mining those that are showing up within myself,” she acknowledged.
Cáceres views herself as a “way maker” who distills challenges and considers how her “agency and insight and experience, and frankly also power and positionality, allows for me to do in service to those needs that are present.”
