At the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the Sidwell community welcomed history teacher Wenjiao Cai as well as the new grade-level dean system.
Cai, the newest addition to the Upper School History Department, earned her PhD in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University in 2022. Before joining Sidwell, Cai was a lecturer and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University. Cai will be teaching ninth-grade World History and tenth-grade History of East Asia.
Cai said that she sees many similarities between teaching at Sidwell and lecturing at universities. She said that she thrives in classes with low student-teacher ratios and ample opportunities for student-teacher interactions, both of which enable her to support her students in the ways that best meet their needs. Apart from the classroom environment, Cai was drawn to Sidwell because of her positive experience during a campus visit.
“I found Sidwell students to be incredibly curious and engaged and the faculty to be welcoming and supportive,” she said.
Cai explained that she was fortunate to have several teachers who “recognized [her] potential and encouraged [her] to pursue [her] passion and lead by example.” She hopes to emulate these positive qualities in her teaching as “someone who empowers, supports and guides students to discover their strengths and become the best version of themselves.”
According to Cai, “intellectual curiosity can be sparked through deep engagement with questions of history, environment and society.” She recognizes how crucial high-quality education can be at a formative stage in students’ lives, and wants to help her students think critically about the world they live in.
In addition to the new addition to the faculty, the Upper School has also revamped its dean system. There are now specific grade-level deans for all grades, rather than exclusively for ninth grade.
According to newly appointed 11th Grade Dean Isaac Miller, the main goal of grade-specific deans is to have more points of contact for students in every grade level for any questions or concerns. Miller finds this especially important as students prepare for the transition to the new Upper School Upton Campus.
10th Grade Dean Megan Mulhern added there was a significant gap between teachers and academic deans when students sought to bring an issue to a faculty member’s attention.
“One thing that I found advising a lot is that sometimes there are questions that are maybe beyond me as an advisor, but don’t quite warrant going to the principal or going to Dr. Speece, so then there’s kind of a gap there,” she said.
These new roles are designed to be more student-centric, combining elements of the roles of Academic Dean and the Dean of Students. Miller said that these new roles are intended not only to support educational issues but also to promote social and emotional learning.
Since the roles were introduced this year, they are intended to be adjusted to best meet student needs. Miller says that part of the job description, especially in its early stages, is to question, “What do 11th graders need? Where could I be helpful? How can I be useful?” Moreover, specific grades warrant different needs; juniors may require support with standardized testing, while seniors may need support in the college process.
