Jenny Simpson

After graduating from a small independent day school, Jenny attended Rhodes College in Memphis, graduating with a degree in International Studies and Religious Studies. She stayed in Memphis to start her teaching career, working in both public schools and an Episcopal day school, teaching middle school English Language Arts and English as a Second language and coaching middle school track and cross country. In addition to bringing her to some of her dearest friends and the city of Memphis, Rhodes College also introduced Jenny to her husband and coworker, Will Whipple. A desire to be closer to family brought the two to Kansas in 2020, where they were lucky enough to land their dream jobs at Seabury after years of Jenny’s mother (an alumni parent) daydreaming about that very outcome.

Her M.A. is in Curriculum and Instruction from KU, and she is currently a PhD candidate in the same department. While finishing her PhD coursework, she was a TA and supervised KU undergraduate teacher candidates as they completed their student-teaching in Lawrence and Kansas City area schools. She loves writing curriculum and her research interests include diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in text selection and instructional decisions, student-led discussion, and student experience in the middle school classroom.

Jenny feels genuinely lucky to teach at Seabury and is happy to go to work each day; even though she is part-time, you will often find her at school after her contract hours because she enjoys working with her students and coworkers. The school provides a challenging but nurturing environment for students and teachers alike—an environment in which everyone is free and encouraged to be themselves while fostering a supportive community for others. It is also (far more than any other school she has worked at or observed in) the school that most prioritizes fun and joy.

Most of Jenny’s time is occupied by her one-year-old son, Henry, who has never known a world in which he wasn’t surrounded by loving adults and “big kids” in the Seabury community and is a social butterfly because of it. Jenny enjoys walking with an audiobook, porch-sitting with her dog, traveling to see friends, hanging out with her family, trying new foods, going to concerts, and practicing yoga.