Leadership at Scale

Rebecca Stone-Danahy is an educational leader with extensive experience guiding academic systems, programs, and organizations through complexity and change. Her leadership spans independent schools, public education, higher education partnerships, and national educational organizations, with a focus on strengthening curriculum, assessment, and organizational coherence.

Across roles, Rebecca works at the intersection of academic vision and operational reality. While her current work operates on a global scale, it remains grounded in the understanding that schools are living systems, where sound leadership depends on clarity, alignment, and trust.

Rebecca’s leadership emphasizes accountability and follow-through. She is often called to lead work that requires steady judgment: managing academic programs, guiding policy decisions, supporting educators through transitions, and ensuring systems stay reliable, equitable, and sustainable over time.

Academic and Program Leadership

Director, AP Art and Design: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

College Board

In her role at the College Board, Rebecca provides academic and systems leadership for a global program serving thousands of educators and students. She partners with executive leadership, higher education faculty, and K–12 educators to steward curriculum, assessment, and instructional systems, making strategic decisions that support program quality, equity, and long-term coherence.

Her work includes guiding academic policy, overseeing assessment development and evaluation processes, and leading change related to digital platforms and instructional resources. This role requires balancing innovation with consistency, sustaining institutional trust, and translating vision into practice across diverse educational contexts while maintaining reliability and confidence in program outcomes. Her work has included stewarding program growth and improving assessment reliability across a global network.

Organization and Executive Leadership

Chief Learning Officer & Co-Founder

Pylstone, LLC

Rebecca is the co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Pylstone, an education consulting practice dedicated to adult learning, instructional design, and professional growth. Through partnerships with national education organizations, she designs and facilitates professional learning experiences that strengthen instructional practice, build organizational capacity, and support educator communities.

This work reflects her ongoing commitment to supporting educators through well-designed learning systems, thoughtful facilitation, and continuous improvement informed by data and feedback.

School-Based Leadership Foundations

Earlier in her career, Rebecca held school-based leadership roles in independent and public school settings, including Fine Arts Director, Visual Arts Coordinator, Department Chair, and Administrative Intern. In these roles, she led curriculum development, mentored and supervised faculty, managed programs and budgets, coordinated cross-divisional initiatives, and partnered with students and families.

These experiences continue to inform her leadership today, grounding systems-level work in an understanding of school culture, instructional practice, operational realities, and the importance of strong relationships.

Leadership Approach

Whether working with teachers, administrators, governing bodies, or external partners, she leads with sound judgment, maintaining focus on long-term institutional health amid complexity and change.

Rebecca’s work has been recognized through leadership and advocacy awards, invited speaking engagements, and professional honors reflecting her contributions to education, faculty development, and program leadership.

Professional Service and Governance

Rebecca has contributed to the field of education through sustained professional service and leadership at both the state and national levels. Her work reflects a long-standing commitment to advancing educational practice, supporting educators, and strengthening professional communities through collaboration, governance, and advocacy.

She served as President of the North Carolina Art Education Association, guiding organizational stability, member support, and strategic continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of significant disruption.

Rebecca has also held leadership roles within national and state art education organizations, including service on state boards and as an editor for the National Art Education Association publication, The Advisory. She is a published researcher and contributing author to national frameworks on assessment, equity, and instructional leadership.

For a full professional portfolio or leadership dossier, contact Rebecca A. Stone-Danahy