Following a nation-wide search, Wildwood School has announced Matt Levinson as its next head of school. Levinson will officially begin his term on July 1, 2026, following the planned departure of current Head of School Landis Green, who has led Wildwood School since 2007.
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Following a nation-wide search, Wildwood School, a premier, progressive K-12 college preparatory school in Los Angeles, has announced Matt Levinson as its next head of school. Levinson will officially begin his term on July 1, 2026, following the planned departure of current Head of School Landis Green, who has led Wildwood School since 2007.
"Throughout our year-long search, we have sought a candidate with broad leadership experience; an appreciation for the current challenges facing independent schools generally and Wildwood most specifically; and a strong vision for moving our school forward while preserving its culture and fulfilling its mission," said Susan Olsen, chair of the Board of Trustees. "We are confident that we have found all these qualities – and more – in Matt."
Widely recognized as a respected school leader in the world of independent schools, Levinson brings deep expertise in progressive education, student-centered learning, and institutional advancement to the position. With over three decades of experience in K-12 education—including as Head of School at San Francisco University High School (CA), The Pingry School (NJ), and University Prep (WA)—Levinson is known for his strategic vision, collaborative leadership, and steadfast commitment to equity, innovation, and joyful learning communities.
"Evidenced by a unanimous and enthusiastic vote by the Board of Trustees, Matt is the right candidate for this moment in the life of Wildwood," Olsen said. "A strategist, a visionary – a thinker AND a doer – he has, for decades, helped schools evolve, seeing them through significant periods of change and growth."
Throughout his career, Levinson has led transformational change across academic programs, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives, faculty development, and facilities planning—all of which reflect Wildwood School's key priorities. At University High School (UHS), he secured entitlements and led fundraising for a $91M campus expansion, restructured business and technology operations, and developed a strategic framework for leadership growth. He also advanced student-centered programming by revising the school's mission and equity statements and strengthening Breakthrough Summerbridge, a nationally recognized access program in just two years. At Pingry, Levinson steered the school through three years of the pandemic, earning Pingry national recognition for its bold innovation and leadership, and spearheaded the acquisition of an 80-acre boarding school campus.
"I cannot tell you how excited and honored I am to be joining Wildwood as the next head of school," Levinson said. "From the moment I stepped on campus, I could sense the bustling energy that permeates this diverse and joyful community. In my conversations with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and current families, I heard deep appreciation for Wildwood's student-centered approach, and the school's unwavering commitment to help students learn how to learn and to be able to demonstrate how they learn through student-led conferences, Gateways, and Exhibitions."
Levinson will follow the dedicated service of Landis Green, whose leadership helped to grow Wildwood School into one of the most prominent progressive schools in the country. Among his many achievements in his nearly two-decade tenure, Green transformed Wildwood by helping it to achieve record setting goals in enrollment and fundraising; establishing its signature, award-winning Institute model; creating two new endowments for faculty professional development and equitable experiences for students; dramatically increasing salaries for teachers and other key employees; reimagining a college counseling office whose acceptances include the most competitive schools; expanding and formalizing its outreach and service commitments; and devising integrated DEIB programming that continues to be emulated in schools across the country.
"Wildwood would not be the thriving school it is today without the extraordinary leadership of Landis Green," Levinson said. "During my visit, Landis shared that Wildwood has a way of hooking you in — Wildwood certainly hooked me in with its dynamism, vision, joy, and collaborative spirit!"
The appointment of Levinson concludes an extensive national search by a 12-member Search Advisory Committee, the Wildwood School Board of Trustees, and executive search firm, RG175.
Levinson will be joined in Los Angeles by his wife Priyanthi (Pri). He holds a B.A. in History from Haverford College and an M.A. in Social Studies Education from Columbia University Teachers College. Matt is the author of From Fear to Facebook: One School's Journey, and his writing has appeared in NAIS Magazine, Edutopia, and Education Week.
About Wildwood School
Wildwood School is a K-12 independent college preparatory school serving a diverse student body across two campuses in West Los Angeles. Wildwood's progressive educational approach creates passionately inquisitive students who are reflective scholars, bold innovators, and compassionate leaders equipped with the skills, ethics, and inspiration to transform their world.
Media Contact
Hunter Hackett, Wildwood School, 1 2023742592, [email protected], www.wildwood.org
SOURCE Wildwood School
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