Upper School Leadership Team
The 2024-25 Upper School Interim Leadership Team brings vast experience in teaching, curriculum development, and leadership, and a collective vision forged from years of working together in support of Catlin Gabel students and faculty.
Derek KanArek
Head of Upper School, Interim
Derek Kanarek has been selected as the permanent Head of Upper School effective July 1, 2025.
Prior to serving as Interim Head of Upper School this year, Derek spent six years as Upper School Academic Dean, leading Catlin Gabel’s competency-based learning initiative, overseeing the Department Chairs, teaching math, observing and evaluating half of the faculty each year, and serving as the PFA liaison and the site director for the Global Online Academy and the Mastery Transcript Consortium. Before coming to Catlin Gabel, Derek spent eleven years as the Chair of the Math Department for grades 6-12 at Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. While there, he developed the STEM program and the computer science program. He was the founding coordinator of that school’s Global Speaker Series, co-chair of the Faculty Technology Team, and the advisor to the Model UN Team. Prior to Newark Academy, Derek served as a Teaching Fellow at Columbia University. Derek earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and communication from Rutgers University, a master of teaching degree in math and technology from James Cook University (Australia), and a masters and doctorate in education leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College. He also has extensive training in executive coaching from Columbia University and holds a certification in facilitator training from the Equity Literacy Institute.
John Harnetiaux
Upper School Dean of Students
John has been in his current position at Catlin Gabel since 2020, overseeing all aspects of the school experience for our Upper School students, including advisory programs, clubs and activities, student government, community gatherings, and academic and mental health support programs. He also served as Catlin Gabel’s Director of Outdoor and Global Education Programs (2016-20). Prior to joining the Catlin Gabel community John was Associate Director of Campus Recreation/Outdoor Programs at Eastern Washington University in Cheney and Operations Manager for NOLS Pacific Northwest in Conway, Washington. John holds a B.A. in Sociology from Willamette University and an M.A. in Organizational Systems, Leadership and Organization Development from Saybrook University.
Shannon Rush
Interim Upper School Academic Dean
Shannon returns to Catlin Gabel after two years in which she focused on instructional design, continued her work with adult learning, earned several certifications, and transferring her skills to the corporate setting. In her decade at Catlin Gabel (2012-22) she was the lead instructional coach designing and facilitating competency-based learning and assessments and equitable teaching practices; an Upper School mathematics teacher and department chair; a C&C and 9th grade class advisor, and an advocate for students with learning differences. Prior to her time at Catlin Gabel, she taught at Tsinghua International School in Beijing, China; Bellingham High School in Bellingham, Washington; and Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington. Shannon has a B.A. in mathematics from Seattle Pacific University and is a National-board certified teacher.