Garrison Forest School, an all-girls private institution in Baltimore County, has appointed a person of color to lead the institution for the first time.

Monica Pickett Rodriguez will be Garrison Forest’s 14th head of school when she starts in the summer of 2027. A news release from the school calls her a “strategic leader” with more than two decades of experience.

She joins a small number of private school leaders of color in Baltimore’s diverse region. Of the 125 member schools in the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools, about 10% have nonwhite heads of school, said Peter Bailey, the association’s executive director.

Bailey said Rodriguez’s level of experience makes her a standout.

“The really interesting thing about her is that she has teaching experience at every grade level that Garrison serves,” he said.

The Owings Mills school enrolls girls in kindergarten through 12th grade, and operates a coed preschool. Students in eighth grade and above can live at the campus’ boarding residences.

Rodriguez is currently the head of school at The Montessori School of Raleigh and Carolina Preparatory Academy in North Carolina. She held that position for five years, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“In this role, she has led successfully through the pandemic, strengthened enrollment, expanded academic and co-curricular offerings, and built structures to enhance faculty development, student safety, and community engagement,” George J. Sakellaris, president of Garrison’s board of trustees, wrote in a statement.

He credited her for the North Carolina schools’ long-term financial sustainability and the expansion of their arts and technology curriculum.

Before then, Rodriguez was the upper school director at Latin School of Chicago from 2016 to 2018. She taught Spanish for 12 years at various schools in Illinois after earning her master’s degree from Middlebury College and her bachelor’s from the University of Illinois Chicago. She studied Spanish language literature at both places.

“She really brings an extraordinary breadth of experience,” Bailey said. “That level of breadth is uncommon in many heads of school.”

Rodriguez will take the place of Ann Teaff, who has been serving as Garrison’s interim head of school.

Sakellaris said the search committee was looking for someone who’d push the 115-year-old school forward, embrace its traditions and values, advance opportunities for students and appreciate all the facets that make Garrison an inspiring place to be.

“We have found all of these qualities — and more — in Monica,” he wrote.

Shelly Placek, director of communications and marketing for Garrison Forest, said she and her colleagues hope Rodriguez will build on the school’s already robust education and extracurricular programs.

The new leader’s first priority, Placek said, is getting to know the community, which includes the students and staff, as well as the network of alums.

Bailey said something Rodriguez should keep an eye on is the school’s accessibility and affordability, an ongoing challenge for independent schools. He wants the association’s schools to have a wide range of students, which includes those from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

Tuition for lower-school students, or elementary grades, is between $31,650 to $37,100. Middle school is $39,015 and upper school is $41,150, according to Garrison Forest’s website.

In the school’s news release, Rodriguez said she chose Garrison Forest because she was impressed with the students’ confidence, kindness and authenticity.

“The older girls struck me as grounded with a strong sense of already knowing who they are and who they want to become, and they support one another fiercely,” she stated. “This is a community where character is cultivated as much as academic excellence, and that is a rare combination.”

She’s excited about shaping the learning environment that challenges the students intellectually, supports them emotionally and emboldens them as leaders, the release said. She sees an opportunity for academic advancement, philanthropic expansion and deeper engagement with the community.

“I see a future that both honors the school’s legacy and stretches us toward new possibilities that will benefit all students,” Rodriguez said.

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