Dr. Rebecca A. Stone-Danahy

Rebecca Stone-Danahy is an academic and institutional leader with more than two decades of experience across independent schools and national education organizations. Her leadership focuses on strengthening academic systems, supporting faculty growth, and facilitating program development through thoughtful change grounded in trust, clarity, and shared responsibility.

Since 2020, Rebecca has served as Director of AP Art and Design at the College Board, where she partners with executive leadership, educators, and higher-education faculty to steward curriculum, assessment, and professional learning at national and global scale. In this role, she guides complex academic initiatives, collaborates with governing bodies, and supports thousands of educators and students across diverse contexts. Her work emphasizes disciplined execution, clear communication of expectations, and the careful balance of innovation and consistency—particularly during periods of transition.

Rebecca’s leadership is informed by systems thinking and improvement science. She holds a doctorate in Education Systems Improvement Science, which strengthened her ability to translate vision into action by using improvement levers that enhance instructional practice, strengthen organizational culture, and support sustainable institutional growth. She believes effective improvement depends on both support and accountability, and she approaches leadership with empathy, clarity, and sound judgment.

In addition to her national leadership role, Rebecca is the founder and Chief Learning Officer of Pylstone, LLC, where she has collaborated with professional organizations to design and support educator learning experiences. Her work emphasizes relationship-building, thoughtful program design, and sustainable structures that support educators and institutions over time.

Earlier in her career, Rebecca served in a range of K–12 independent school leadership roles, including Fine Arts Director, Visual Arts Coordinator, and Department Chair. In these positions, she led curriculum development, faculty mentoring and evaluation, program design, and cross-divisional collaboration. She remains deeply grounded in the realities of school leadership and the importance of visible, relational practices that support both adults and students.

While Rebecca’s current work is primarily global and systems-focused, it remains centered on strengthening learning environments in which students are known, supported, and challenged, and educators are equipped to do their best work. She is guided by a commitment to whole-child education, strong community relationships, and leadership grounded in service and institutional stewardship.

Across all roles, Rebecca brings a steady, thoughtful approach to leadership—centering students, supporting adults, and helping institutions navigate growth and change with integrity and purpose.