Head of School Welcome
Imagine a dynamic learning environment that fosters a child’s natural curiosity and offers the freedom to explore, create, and discover. At Corbett Prep, we believe students deserve more than just knowledge – they need the confidence and resilience to embrace new challenges; they need to be known and valued, supported and stretched in equal measure.
We believe these are the building blocks of personal growth and academic achievement.
Our focus on PreK3 through 8th grade, an engaging curriculum, and our International Baccalaureate Program allows us to develop well-rounded, considerate, and responsible future leaders.
We are particularly proud that our students come from a diverse range of backgrounds, bringing with them unique perspectives that in turn make Corbett Prep such a truly special place to learn and grow.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our school. We’re excited to meet you and your family and look forward to sharing the magic behind what has been the best learning environment for students from all over Tampa Bay for more than half a century.
Corbett Prep Leadership
Corbett Prep's leadership team includes the Head of School and two academic principals who balance the daily demands of school administration with longterm strategic planning to guide the school to 50 more years of growth and innovation.
Associate Head of School Mike Johnson serves as elementary principal and Jennifer Jagdmann is the Middle School principal. Working closely with Head of School Nicholas Rodriguez and division leaders, they balance teacher, student, and family needs and seek opportunities to continually raise the bar and find new ways to challenge, support, and inspire students.
Both Johnson and Jagdmann see themselves as “mission-driven leaders” who live the Corbett Prep philosophy to foster children’s capacities for learning and help them grow morally and emotionally as well as physically and intellectually.
Coming Home to Corbett Prep
One of my first experiences with Corbett Prep (then Independent Day School) came while I was working at another local private high school. Every year, our administration would visit Tampa and Pasco County private schools, recruiting 8th grade students to fill the high school freshman class, and – year after year – the Corbett Prep students simply outshined others. Whether it was their ability to communicate knowledge, hold a conversation, trust in their abilities, or strive for excellence, we could tell a difference when we met Corbett Prep Middle School students.
After having my first child, I made the jump to join Corbett Prep on a fellowship under longtime Head of School and gifted educator Dr. Joyce Burick Swarzman. This administrator fellowship program, offered through our Corbett Foundation, is part of the magic that goes into training teachers to become the best of the best. It gave me the experience of working with and learning from the very best while completing my masters degree.
As a fellow and a PreK3 parent, I witnessed how teachers went above and beyond what you would expect at a typical well-resourced private school. I watched teachers take the extra time to look at the whole child and how they could cultivate the unique gifts and talents of multiple learners. These teachers take a great curriculum and bring it to life, and the vibrant campus offers learning opportunities only found at Corbett Prep. The administration values training and supporting teachers at the highest level to keep the focus where it should be – what is best for kids.
My leadership journey took me elsewhere for a few years, giving me valuable experience, but I had always hoped to one day be back at Corbett Prep. That opportunity presented itself in 2020, when I received the honor of becoming Head of School after being recommended and recruited by my mentor, Dr. Swarzman. This honor comes with the responsibility of continuing, maintaining, and building onto the very best school in Tampa Bay.
I invite you to see for yourself the difference a Corbett Prep education can make.