Adrienne Barr, Executive Director
Adrienne Barr has been the director Of New York Interschool and the Faculty Diversity Search since 2014, after spending several years in leadership roles with the Parents' Association at Trinity School in Manhattan. She meets regularly with Interschool’s administrative leaders and helps plan and implement collaborative programming for educators, students, and families. She serves as a liaison between the Faculty Diversity Search and school administrators across the tri-state area and works closely with FDS consultants and their candidates to create opportunities for growth and advancement. A former television news producer, Ms. Barr became active in educational and parenting issues while sending her two children to Trinity. As President of the Trinity PA, Ms. Barr was deeply involved with organizing and developing Parent Affinity Groups and fostering more involvement and leadership roles for families of various racial, religious, ethnic, and other identities
Ms. Barr has a BA in Communications from Rutgers College, a Creative Writing Certificate from the NYU School of Continuing Education, and is an award-winning screenwriter and producer.
Brandie Clarke, Associate Director
Brandie Clarke has worked at New York Interschool and The Faculty Diversity Search (FDS) for 30 years; she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is responsible for the administrative operations for Interschool and FDS and the recruitment and placement of associate teachers and head teachers in FDS member schools.
Before joining the independent school community, she worked for the NYC Department of Education. She worked with a team of twelve, developing several citywide projects for the board, such as Principal for a Day, Take Your Daughter to Work Day, and The NYC Mentoring Program.
Jaleh Amouzegar, Consultant
Jaleh Amouzegar has been a consultant at NY Interschool since 2002. She co-taught a weekly seminar for new teachers in our Teaching Fellows program. In 2005, she began working with the Faculty Diversity Search program (FDS) and has counseled and placed many dozens of teachers of color in our schools, particularly with lower school heads and associate teaching candidates.
In addition to her work with Interschool and FDS, Jaleh has taught at The Dalton School, The Brearley School, Collegiate School, Georgetown Day School, and The University of Chicago Lab Schools. She works at Dalton's First Program Admissions, conducting assessments for Kindergarten applicants.
Jaleh has a Master's in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and has worked in education since 1990. Jaleh was a Brooklyn Prospect Charter School board member from 2013-2015. She serves on the Alumni Leadership Council for The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ.
Denise Valentine Philpotts, Consultant
Denise Valentine Philpotts joined FDS in the fall of 2018 after a long and impressive tenure with independent schools. She taught science in grades 7-12 and has served as a division head, department chair, and other administrative roles for over 30 years. Her New York School experiences include Trinity School, The Spence School, Dalton, and The Professional Children's School. Denise is delighted that FDS has given her a path to follow her passion for diversity work while helping educators find careers in the independent school community she so enjoyed.
In addition to her independent school roles, Denise's prior experiences include working for New York State as a Rehabilitation Counselor and a Mental Hygiene Therapist. She also did an Earthwatch on biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest. She served on the Mountain School of Milton Academy's advisory board and co-led the I-CM Institute at Dalton.
Denise holds an MA in Science Education from New York University, an MA from The New School in Developmental Psychology, and a BA from Stony Brook University in Psychology.
Jansen Po, Consultant
Jansen has been a teacher and school administrator for over 20 years. She joined FDS in February 2017 and focused on mentoring and placing candidates who are seeking administrative positions. Jansen is the former Head of the Preschool and Lower School at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn. She now serves as the Director of Preschool and Lower School Admissions and is the proud parent of two students at Packer. Before working at Packer, Jansen was the Director of External and After School Programming at The School at Columbia University. She taught at The School at Columbia and Ogden Elementary School in the Hewlett-Woodmere public school district on Long Island.
Jansen holds two master’s degrees from Columbia Teachers College — an M.Ed. in Education Leadership and an MA in Curriculum and Teaching. She earned her BA in English and Elementary & Moderate Special Needs from Boston College.