Westminster School’s new head of school is a former student, long-time administrator, and sister of the previous head

Nancy Schuler, the new head of Westminster School, with her brother Ellis Glover, the former head of school.

For only the third time in its 59-year history, Westminster School has a new leader. 

Nancy Schuler, the former director of admissions, started a new position as head of school on Aug. 1. She succeeds Ellis Glover who retired after a 45-year career at Westminster, including 29 years as head of school. 

Westminster, a private school on Gallows Road in Annandale, serves about 225 students in preschool through the eighth grade. 

Family ties

Schuler, a resident of Annandale, has a long history with Westminster. Glover is her brother – he’s 15 years older – and their father, also known as Ellis Glover, built the school. She attended Glen Forest Elementary School in Bailey’s Crossroads, then transferred to Westminster in the sixth grade. 

Jane Goll founded the school in 1962. It was originally housed in the basement of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Annandale.  

When Goll acquired the property on Gallows Road in 1970, she hired Ellis Glover senior’s construction company to build it, Schuler said. He then built every additional phase of the school until his death in 1985.

Westminster School

The younger Glover studied the classics at the University of Richmond, where he developed a lifelong love for the theater and, especially Shakespeare, a focus he brought to Westminster. He founded the drama department and directed 115 plays. At a retirement dinner in Glover’s honor in June, the school’s board of trustees dedicated the theater to him. 

Glover served in various administrative capacities at Westminster and succeeded Goll as head of school after she died in 1992.

From student to head of school

After Schuler completed her studies at Westminster, she graduated from JEB Stuart High School (now called Justice High School) and earned a degree in elementary education from George Mason University. 

“I wanted to make my own way,” she recalled but Goll convinced her to teach at Westminster at least for a couple of years. 

“I fell in love with the school all over again,” Schuler said. She ended up staying for 30 years – taking a few years off to care for her twin daughters – and serving in a variety of positions including history teacher, department head, team leader for grades 3-5, and admissions director. 

“I’m passionate about what we do here. I love the school,” Schuler said. Noting that the school hired an outside consultant to recruit the new head of school, she said, “I was quite honored that I was offered the position.” 

Jori Sapper, an 11-year Westminster veteran and team leader for the youngest students, will succeed her as director of admissions. 

In-person learning

Due to the pandemic, “the past school year was the most challenging year we ever had,” said Schuler, who was in charge of the response to COVID. 

Westminster stayed open for in-person learning all year, although easily pivoted to virtual learning when necessary. There were three COVID cases, but there was no community transmission at the school, she said. 

Related story: Local school celebrates Shakespeare

At the start of the year, 74 percent of students chose to attend school in person. By the end of the year, only three students took their classes virtually. The school invested in technology improvements, including new wiring, laptops, and cameras. 

Virtual learning will not be an option for the 2021-22 school year unless students are in quarantine. 

Last year, Westminster’s enrollment increased about 5 percent, with many of the new students transferring from public schools. Schuler expects most of them to stay this year. 

For the first time, Westminster is offering a class on drama. The school also has a new maker space, and a new full-time STEM coordinator will oversee it.

One of Schuler’s priorities for the coming year is planning the school’s 60th anniversary. Tentative plans call for inviting the Annandale community to a big celebration in early June to celebrate Westminster’s Diamond Jubilee.