Dear Parents, Alumni and Friends of O'Connell,
After a comprehensive national search for the new Head of School at Bishop O'Connell High School, I am pleased to announce that, at the recommendation of the search committee, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge has appointed Mr. William Crittenberger as O'Connell's new Head of School, effective July 1, 2020.
Mr. Crittenberger comes to Bishop O'Connell after more than 35 years of service in education locally. Most recently, he provided eight successful years of leadership as Headmaster at St. Anselm's Abbey in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he was Assistant Head of School as well as Academic Dean at several educational institutions in the Washington area, including Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Landon School and Bullis School. He began his career as a math and history teacher at the Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, Md. During his extensive service, he also coached girls basketball and volleyball, and boys football and baseball.
In Mr. Crittenberger's roles, he has demonstrated an expertise in curriculum development and integration. He led his schools in effective enrollment management, system and process evaluation, and strategic planning.
He holds an M.S. in Education from Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. in History from Yale University. He completed his undergraduate degree in journalism from George Washington University, after attending the U.S. Military Academy for two years. He and his wife, Tracy, have four grown children and are parishioners at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C.
Bishop Burbidge offered his comment saying, "Mr. Crittenberger brings an extensive amount of experience and a demonstrated passion for assuring excellence in education rooted in our Catholic faith. I am confident he will continue to build upon the good work and legacy at Bishop O'Connell High School. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the members of the search committee for their great work and Sister Lorraine McGrew, IHM, for her dedicated leadership during this interim period."
"Bishop O'Connell High School captures all that is good and right in a high-functioning, joyful, and Christ-centered school community," Crittenberger said. "I am delighted, honored, and blessed to be joining this remarkable team, where together we will write the newest chapters in this school's storied history."
Thank you to the search committee for their tremendous work identifying and interviewing outstanding candidates. The Office of the Catholic Schools, the administration at Bishop O'Connell and the larger O'Connell community look forward to working with Mr. Crittenberger.
Dr. Joseph Vorbach III
Superintendent for Catholic Schools
Catholic Diocese of Arlington