Middle School Principal
American International School, Vienna (Austria)

Lauren Mehrbach comes to us with an advanced leadership skill set in international schools spanning three continents. Ms. Mehrbach’s most recent principal experience includes a 7-year Middle School Principal post at Singapore American School, a highly regarded non-profit school offering an American style standards-based and international curriculum, and experience as Secondary Principal G6-12 at the American Cooperative School of Tunis. 

Additionally, Ms. Mehrbach’s diverse range of extended experience includes consulting work with an educational design organization in which she researches, develops and engages with schools to create a vision for new learning spaces. She has also served as a leadership coach supporting teams and leaders to build their efficacy and leadership skills and facilitates Assessment Leadership in the International School for the Principal’s Training Center (PTC). 

The focus group feedback pinpointing the skills and character traits of our ideal candidate, together with the collective finalist interview community feedback, and with the guidance of our mission, vision and strategic plan, Lauren Mehrbach emerged as the best fit to assume leadership and inspire the next phase of the AISV Middle School. 

Community comments from the feedback surveys included: 

• Lauren has a skill set that could push our school forward to meeting our goals, her answers to questions were thoughtful. 
• Lauren has a leadership presence. She demonstrated credible and confident behaviors. She addressed the strategic plan of AISV. She clearly, briefly and neatly communicated information and ideas to us. She was focused and also held the participants' attention.
• Very enthusiastic, which is not just a general enthusiasm towards middle schoolers, but one that is bolstered with specific knowledge for this age-group.
• Lauren’s entire philosophy of education and leadership; teaching and learning, which includes - among others - the power of vulnerability and discomfort, and admitting mistakes and learning from them, which shows to me that she is a humble, powerful professional with very high emotional intelligence.
• Experienced, competent, her requests for insight into the faculty seem to suggest Lauren already has a pretty good idea of who we are.
• Lauren’s professional understanding of differentiation is deepened by her personal experience as a mother, which she was willing to share. She also emphasized the importance of adding value to all kids across the spectrum of learning abilities. She understands the need to find some place for success for every student.

Thrilled to be joining AISV, Lauren shared: Every step of this process was thoughtful and compassionate, helping me understand what AISV’s values and priorities are. Even through Zoom, the camaraderie of faculty was evident and the trust that parents and leaders have in teachers was clear. While initially I was drawn to AISV because of your ambitious strategic plan, the last months have demonstrated that it is people that are at the center of all you do.  I am so excited and honored to be joining a community that cares so deeply about one another, about learning and about the future. I look forward to an in-person visit in the coming months where I can see the great things happening on the ground and begin to build relationships with students, colleagues and parents. I am thrilled to be joining your team and thank you for putting your trust in me. 

Lauren knows the value of overseas education having raised two sons in Singapore and Tunisia. Both young men are cheering her move to Vienna and look forward to visiting.

Next steps will include developing a transition plan to prepare for a seamless, organized and planned transition at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. 

Sincerely, 

Kathryn Miner

Director The American International School Vienna

Please click here for full details and application instructions.