Welcome to Brooklyn Friends School!
For more than 155 years, Brooklyn Friends School has existed in the Brooklyn landscape, constantly evolving within the cultural, socio-political, economic, and geographic dynamics of this vibrant borough. Throughout it all, our center has been our Quaker identity, and we have strived to embody and realize Quaker principles within all aspects of our existence. Many BFS generations have been influenced by the principles of Peace, Integrity, Community, Simplicity, Equality, and Stewardship, and scores of individuals have dedicated themselves to ensuring that they are fully lived through actions that positively influence peoples’ lives.
Now, in the coming years, our school seeks to boldly push itself towards being an educational cornerstone of social justice and impact within local, national, and global spheres in an effective manner that embodies and punctuates our Quaker identity. It is through core queries and proposed actions, steeped in the Quaker practice of being open to continuous revelation and seeking to connect to our Light within, that we lift the work of the many community members whose voices informed this strategic envisioning and planning process. Through this year-long process, we sought to grow in our connection as a community, develop our ability to become strategically informed visionary action agents, and punctuate our public-private purpose as school residents of our illustrious local, national, and global landscapes.
The trials facing our youth are different today in both content and magnitude. The skills required to solve them challenge the norms that have influenced educational practice for generations. Our school’s expansive academic program, its strength and its ethos of wellness and care for all students compel us to think harder about what is needed now that will equip our students with all that they need to not simply make a difference, but to influence the trajectory of our world for the better.
Within this strategic vision, we amplified the mission of our beautiful school and ensured that the process and decisions aligned with our school’s guiding principles. We also actively involved and engaged our community in our strategic planning process, ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives were heard and valued in shaping the future of our beloved and needed Quaker School.
Thank you to the members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, the Strategic Planning Team, Individual Interviewees and Community Design Day participants, and a special note of gratitude to the BFS Board of Trustees and all Colleagues for the immense efforts showcased throughout this journey. Your commitment to the realization of the optimal best version that Brooklyn Friends School can be in this contemporary context of education is absolute and will serve as motivation for collective framing and action in the years ahead.
In partnership and with gratitude and tremendous excitement,
Crissy Cáceres, Head of School
Meet Our Head of School
Crissy Cáceres, a 27-year veteran in independent education, is in her fifth year as the proud head of Brooklyn Friends School. Currently, she serves as a Trustee for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Board. She also sits on the Board of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and the Caedmon School and is a commissioner on the New York State Association Commission on Accreditation. She was a long-time member of Call to Action, an NAIS think-tank devoted to social justice efforts nationwide, and she is currently on her 17th year as a faculty member at the NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute.
Prior to joining the BFS community, Crissy served in several leadership positions within the independent school landscape. She was the Assistant Head of School for Equity and Social Impact at Georgetown Day School (D.C.), and before that she served as Head of Lower School at Abington Friends School (PA). She also held the Assistant Head of Lower School position at Episcopal Academy (PA) where she began her independent school teaching career. Crissy is committed to utilizing her voice within collaborative settings centered on creating socially just and healthy experiences for our schools.
Crissy has served as a Middle States Accreditation Commissioner, co-chaired the People of Color Conference in Philadelphia, served on various leadership associations, and has partnered with schools and organizations nation-wide as a consultant, presenter, and facilitator on various topics. Some topics include Conflict and Change Management, Governance, and Strategic Frameworks. A graduate of Wellesley College, Crissy Cáceres then earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. At her core, she embraces the values of a love-based, joyful, and inclusive education for all.
Above all, Crissy cherishes her time with her family.
Crissy Named to NAIS and NYSAIS Boards
Brooklyn Friends School is thrilled to announce that our Head of School, Crissy Cáceres, has been named to the Board of Trustees for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a meaningful honor in her 25-year professional journey.
NAIS states, “Election to the NAIS Board of Trustees carries with it a responsibility of stewardship. By definition, trustees are the custodians of the integrity of the organization; they hold in trust the organization’s reputation as created by its founders, and as developed by those who have shaped the organization in the past. Current trustees accept the obligation to not only preserve, but also add to this organization. In this way trustees help form not only the present, but also the future composition and direction of the organization.”
We are extremely proud of Crissy and know that, along with her peers, she will use her voice and inner light in ways that positively influence the direction of independent schools. Congratulations, Crissy!
In November of 2021, Crissy was appointed as a trustee for the New York State Association of Independent Schools. The announcement came at NYSAIS’ Annual Conference for Heads of Schools in New Paltz, NY. Crissy—who is in her third year as the Head of Brooklyn Friends School—served on the Planning Committee for the Annual Heads’ Conference. As a trustee of NYSAIS, Crissy will be a member of NYSAIS’ Commission on Accreditation. Congratulations, Crissy!
