Doug Key

HEAD OF SCHOOL  |  DOUG@YORK.ORG

Doug Key became York School’s eleventh Head of School in July 2019. For the past twenty years, Doug helped build Bosque School, a co-educational day school of 500 students serving grades 6 through 12 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1999, he began as Bosque’s first 11th grade United States History and 12th grade Modern History teacher. In 2002, he was appointed the school’s second Head of Upper School.

During Doug’s fourteen years as division leader, the school’s longest-serving Head of Upper School, the high school doubled to 300 students and added 23 new courses, including 13 STEM offerings, including Wildlife & Conservation Biology and Scientific Methods for Physical Sciences. Committed to supporting the academic, social, and individual development of students, Doug led numerous initiatives, such as designing the Junior and Senior Thesis program, launching five groups committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusivity, and creating an award-winning service learning program directed by students. Believing that students should learn by doing, he supported the creation of Bosque School’s Medical Reserve Corps, one of only a few in the country that trains high school students as certified first responders. As an educator, he is passionate about students asking challenging questions so they can grapple with complex problems.

He has given numerous presentations to other educators on topics such as faculty evaluation, building teams in independent schools, and, at the 2017 NAIS Conference, a research project titled, Strategic Thinking in Uncertain Financial Times. Appointed Bosque's Assistant Head of School for Admission and Financial Aid in 2016, he designed a long-term strategy for maximizing enrollment, increasing admission by thirty-two percent.

Doug was raised in Albuquerque, the youngest of three, by a Sandia Laboratories scientist and public school administrative assistant. He graduated with a B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of New Mexico. As an undergraduate, he also ran track, once competing against Olympians Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis. He completed his coursework for his Ph.D. and began extensive research on federalism in the American West during the Progressive Era before entering independent school education full time.

Doug and his wife, Michelle, have four children. The family spends much of their time at the pool, since all the kids are competitive swimmers, following Michelle’s lead as a College All-American and U.S. national team water polo player. Lastly, Doug is an ardent Premier League fan, avid comic book collector, and Abraham Lincoln enthusiast, usually trying to read at least one book a month on the 16th President.