Knightly News

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge is pleased to announce that Dan Binder has been named the next Head of Upper School. A respected educator and student life leader, Dan brings more than 15 years of experience in Episcopal schools, with a career defined by community engagement, academic rigor and a deep commitment to student development.

Dan currently serves as Dean of Students at Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he also serves on the Upper School Executive Team. Throughout his time there, he led major efforts to strengthen the student experience—redesigning student retreats, overseeing advisory programs, launching new service initiatives, and fostering leadership through nationally recognized student government work.

His previous tenure at Episcopal High School in Houston spanned more than a decade, including leadership roles as Chair of the Religion Department and Lay Assistant Chaplain. During that time, Dan helped shape both academic and spiritual programming, launched the Senior Speakers Program, and guided faculty through curricular reflection and accreditation preparation.

Dan’s professional background includes advanced degrees from Yale Divinity School and Columbia University, as well as doctoral work in Educational Leadership at Virginia Theological Seminary. His leadership reflects a clear alignment with Episcopal’s mission to nurture the whole child—spiritually, intellectually, morally, physically, and artistically.

Dan is deeply familiar with the values and traditions that define Episcopal schools. His leadership style emphasizes clarity, compassion and collaboration—all essential for guiding our Upper School students through these formative years.

As he prepares to join the Episcopal community, we asked Dan a few questions to help us get to know him better:

What about our school attracted you and made you want to apply?

I’ve been in Episcopal schools for my entire career, and I’ve always appreciated the institutional commitment to the values of community, intellectual rigor, and inclusiveness that are the hallmark of Episcopal identity.   I started my work in schools as a full-time religion teacher, helping students learn about and read the Bible, explore major religious and ethical traditions, and work to develop their own approaches to thorny moral issues.  As I have grown professionally, I have been able to engage in chapel, service learning, advisory, and many more programs inside and outside the classroom, and it became clearer and clearer to me that the fundamental work of Episcopal schools is, in the words of the Baptismal Covenant, to “respect the dignity of every human being.”  For me, this means that every member of the community is a full person, with a mind, a body, and a spirit, and Episcopal schools at their best are able to nurture every student so they can grow and discover their own depths as full persons and so they can recognize one another as such.  Above all, this is joyful work.

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge has a national reputation for excellence, and, in every conversation I had with faculty, staff, and students throughout my search process, I felt tremendous alignment between my own values and those of the school – in short, I felt the joy, and I felt that I needed to be a part of it!  I am thrilled to be joining the team, and I look forward to supporting the Upper School faculty as they continue the great work that has helped put the school in such a strong position.  I am also thrilled that my own children will be Knights and have the opportunity to be a part of this community.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing that schools can do to support the growth and development of students?

I believe the most important thing a school can do to support the growth and development of students is to match a rigorous program of high expectations with a robust system of support.  As full people, students will inevitably fail sometimes to meet their highest goals, and schools should be ready to help them dust themselves off and try again, having learned from the experience. It’s also very important to me that the school helps each student find their particular areas of excellence, whether it’s academics, athletics, creative endeavors, or a blend of all three, and that the school supports each student in a holistic way throughout the process.

How do you plan to create a school culture that promotes academic excellence while also promoting social-emotional well-being among students?

I know that students perform best when they are healthy and happy, when they are supported and loved.  I know that this applies to teachers, too, and I plan to work directly with teachers to ensure that we stay true to the community values and school mission in all we do.

How do you plan to support the professional development and growth of teachers and staff?

In my years as a full-time classroom teacher, I strove to improve my own practice, and I know that the team of professionals in the Upper School are similarly driven.  I have immense faith in the desire of teachers to get better at teaching, and I will do all I can to support the faculty in their own growth by helping them to seek out appropriate professional development programs and resources.  I pride myself on my own ‘coachability,’ and I look forward to encouraging faculty in their own reflective practice so we can model true lifelong learning for our students.

Please join us in welcoming Dan Binder to the Episcopal community.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.