Sewickley Academy Hires New Director of Teaching and Learning

Sewickley Academy has hired a new director of teaching and learning.

Patty Butz officially started on July 1 and comes most recently from the American School in Japan, where she served for 10 years as director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. 

Throughout the year,  Sewickley Academy has celebrated 175 years, and Butz said in a statement that she looks forward to joining the academy as it launches its next 175 years. 

"The Academy’s mission and core values provide a solid foundation, and I'm eager to collaborate with teachers and school leaders to ensure these ideas live on in a rigorous academic program," she said. 

During her tenure at ASIJ, Butz facilitated the growth of the school's "Professional Learning Community," led the faculty in the creation of valid and reliable assessments, and led and supported the faculty in curriculum mapping. 

Prior to her work in Japan, she served as the curriculum coordinator at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India, and as a middle school English teacher and curriculum coordinator at the Saudi Arabian International School in Riyadh.

“With experience in the classroom and a strong track-record of leading change in schools, Patty possesses a perfect blend of educational and administrative experiences and expertise to support the Academy as we further our commitment to improving our practices, to becoming a model school for the 21st century, and to serving the children entrusted to our care with the most dynamic and robust educational experience we can provide,” Head of School Kolia O’Connor said in a statement. 

Butz earned a bachelor’s in English from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in English from Salisbury University.

She and her husband Dennis, a retired teacher of Mathematics, reside in the Pittsburgh area.

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