John Miller
John is an accomplished and deeply committed international educator whose life and career reflect a rare blend of intellectual curiosity, moral purpose, and steady, humane leadership. Raised in Central New Jersey, he developed an early interest in the wider world—an interest that would grow into a lifelong vocation dedicated to education across cultures and borders.
He earned his B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University, including a formative year of study at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. During his time at Tufts University, Heather and I were fortunate to have him as an outstanding student and an active participant in the Institute for Global Leadership's Militarization of the Third World colloquium year and ensuing symposium. He has told us that the rigor of that work, the seriousness of the questions it posed, and the community it created profoundly shaped his worldview, which left a lasting imprint on his thinking and values.
Upon graduating from Tufts in 1990, John joined the very first cohort of Teach For America, committing himself early to teaching in under-resourced public schools in the United States. This formative experience grounded his idealism in practice and affirmed his conviction that schools are among the most important institutions in any society. In 1997, he entered international education as an elementary teacher at the American School of Durango in northern Mexico. His leadership abilities quickly became evident, and after two years, he was selected as Headmaster, a role he held for six years, guiding the school with vision, warmth, and an abiding commitment to student-centered learning.
In 2005, John returned to his alma mater, Rutgers Preparatory School, as Middle School Principal, bringing with him the perspective of an educator shaped by both domestic and international experience. In 2014, he moved to Brazil to become Head of the Barra da Tijuca campus of the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro, where he further honed a leadership style marked by cultural fluency, high expectations, and deep respect for students and educators.
John joined Eton School in Mexico City as Headmaster in 2021, following its acquisition by Nord Anglia Education, a global organization operating more than 90 private schools worldwide. Under his leadership over the past five years, Eton has grown to nearly 2,000 students while remaining steadfastly committed to its founding mission: offering a joyful, rigorous, and globally minded education. As the school has expanded in size and scope under his leadership, he has remained vigilant in preserving Eton’s culture of care, joy, and meaningful engagement, ensuring that growth never comes at the expense of student experience.
At Eton, John has been a strong advocate for immersive, experiential learning, a hallmark of the IGL, expanding opportunities for students to learn beyond the classroom through travel, cultural exchange, and place-based education. These programs encourage students to engage deeply with local communities, languages, histories, and global challenges—helping them develop empathy, independence, and a lived understanding of the world they are preparing to lead. John has championed educational trips and international experiences not as add-ons, but as integral components of learning—moments where academic knowledge, personal growth, and global awareness converge. John believes deeply that the most important work in the world is done in schools and has a firm belief in education as a bridge between societies, rather than a barrier among them. Whether through regional immersion, international travel, or interdisciplinary project-based learning, his vision emphasizes curiosity, connection, and reflection. He considers himself fortunate to have served in such a wide range of educational contexts and to have learned from diverse communities across countries and continents. As of this entry, the latest trip that he will lead will be to. TANZANIA?
I am honored that John continues to look forward to engaging with the Trebuchet community and to exploring meaningful ways to connect his work in international education with our shared broader efforts to build bridges, not walls. I think of him as an extraordinary teacher and leader.
In his personal life, he is most often found traveling with his family on long road trips or reading quietly, with a strong cup of coffee always within reach—small rituals that mirror the curiosity and reflection he seeks to instill in the students and schools he leads. Our personal connection has endured as he wonderfully hosted Iris and me recently in Mexico City.