By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

When West Seattle’s Tilden School starts classes in just under six weeks, it’ll be the first full year for new head of school Dr. Jorge Olaf Nelson.

His arrival at the independent K-5 school (a WSB sponsor) on the north edge of the West Seattle Junction is an occasion for Tilden to “reintroduce our community to our school,” as Kristie Berg of Tilden’s board explains, noting that Tilden still has some openings for this fall. Nelson is the first permanent head of school for Tilden since founder Whitney Tjerandsen retired two years ago. “We have been searching for the right successor to Whitney – we think Jorge is a great fit and has her same energy and spirit.”

We sat down with both of them to talk about Tilden’s “reintroduction,” which also includes a new mascot named after the founder – an owl called Wise Whitney.

Berg is most excited about the school’s new leader. Dr. Nelson describes himself as a “third-generation educator” whose educational career began in 1985 (coincidentally, the year Tilden was founded). He has been a teacher and administrator at schools not only on both coasts of the U.S. but also in Asia, Europe, the South Pacific, and Latin America. He speaks Spanish, which Tilden is adding to the curriculum.

This is a return to western Washington for Nelson, who has studied (his first degree was from Evergreen State College) and worked (Shelton High School) in the region, in addition to his many other stops around the nation and world. “I found in Tilden what I was looking for,” he says. “I have seen different systems around the world and when I came to Tilden, I saw a system I believe is relevant, kind, progressive … focused on individual children more than testing or grades – that’s what parents want; Tilden is about the child, Tilden has the answer.”

What happened during the pandemic brought children’s social and emotional needs back into the spotlight, and Nelson says Tilden’s philosophy centers that. “They followed Whitney’s dream of what’s right for kids … Every child has a voice. I’ve seen this at very few schools. (Students) are excited to be here. They’re happy, they work hard, they’re respectful.” He adds, “Tilden has not followed a path of programmatic corporate education.”

And yet, “it’s academically rigorous,” adds Berg, who has two Tilden graduates in the family, one of which is college-age now and is heading to Vassar.

The graduates are actually sad to go, Nelson noticed at the end of the school year (he had arrived a few weeks earlier): “The fifth graders actually needed boxes of Kleenex, I’ve never seen that level of angst, that they’re leaving a school.” Small class sizes mean they get to know their schoolmates well. Berg recalls, “My kids had a class of 16 kids, and they knew everyone’s birthday.”

At that point, we recalled a Tilden tradition – the school is held open on “snow days” for anyone who can get there safely. Nelson arrived too late in the year to see an example of that, but he was impressed by another Tilden tradition – the writing program in which all students write a story a week, 40 over the course of the school year, on the same topic. The work is posted in the hallways. Nelson says the legend is that founder Whitney would tell the students they couldn’t throw the resulting compilations away until they were 44.

But they’re not just carrying on the hallmarks of the past. They’re shaping the future with plans for improvements. For example, Nelson says, “The board has asked me to bring oboard a learning-support consultant. Some students have neurodiversity issues; we will be looking at multiple levels of support – academic enhancements, positive behavior reinforcement, social/emotional, so every kid is getting what they need – even if they’re having a bad day.” Outside the school, they’re planning a mural for the alley wall behind the building they share with the First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (with whom they otherwise are unaffiliated – Tilden is a secular independent school).

And they’re reaching out further than before to tell Tilden’s story and listen to what community members are looking for in a school. One recent example – Tilden joined other local schools in taking turns managing the Kids’ Zone at West Seattle Summer Fest; Nelson stopped by our nearby festival table in the Info Booth and said he was having a great time talking with kids and their families.

(July 16 WSB photo)

As with some other schools, Tilden incorporates adult volunteers as part of its learning community. “It really is a relevant school,” beams Nelson.

If you’re interested in applying for next school year, you can go here to find out about arranging a tour as your first step toward finding out more.

“We’re here to serve!” Nelson concludes.