Head of School
Dr. Michael Roemer
Dr. Michael Roemer joined The Kessler School in August of 2025, bringing with him more than 15 years of leadership experience in education and a deep commitment to student growth and well-being. From the moment he was introduced to TKS, Dr. Roemer was drawn to its strong sense of community, shared purpose, and mission to honor diversity, individuality, curiosity, and service.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Dr. Roemer’s path as an educator and global learner has been shaped by a wide range of experiences. As a child, he spent a year living in Japan, and later earned his undergraduate degree in Asian Studies and Japanese from Connecticut College. His passion for international education led him back to Japan as both a student and a teacher, and he later pursued advanced degrees from The University of Texas at Austin, earning an MA in Asian Studies and a PhD in Sociology. His doctoral work included field research on religiousness and well-being in Japan.
Dr. Roemer began his career teaching Japanese and history in independent schools and later served as a professor of Religious Studies at Ball State University. However, he soon felt called back to the PreK through 12th grade setting, where he could be more directly involved in shaping the learning environment and supporting whole-child development. Prior to joining TKS, he led global education initiatives and held leadership roles at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth.
In addition to his academic accomplishments, Dr. Roemer brings a deep personal understanding of children and families. He and his wife, Kathy, have four children and are proud to call Texas home. His leadership philosophy is rooted in care, connection, and continuous growth. He believes that every child deserves to be known, supported, and challenged in a school community that celebrates who they are and who they are becoming.
At TKS, Dr. Roemer is proud to lead a team of exceptional educators who are united by a shared goal: to provide each student with an unlimited experience that nurtures confidence, creativity, and a love of learning.
A Message from Dr. Michael Roemer
Thank you for visiting The Kessler School! I think you’ll find very quickly that the way we live our Mission is part of what makes “TKS” different.
The Mission of The Kessler School is to create a community of diverse learners that values individuality, cultivates a passion for learning, instills a respect for others, and promotes leadership and community service.
TKS includes diverse learners from different family structures; financial, racial, and ethnic backgrounds; zip codes and cities, and they are diverse in how they learn.
TKS values individuality through personalized instruction made possible by intentionally small class sizes, through advanced, student-centered training for all our teachers, and with programs that help students become their best, unique selves.
TKS students cultivate passions through deep-learning project-based learning, by reading and writing about a variety of literary works, through curricula-based field trips, and with specialized classes in S.T.E.A.M., P.E., music, art, and Spanish.
TKS instills respect for others through integrated social-emotional learning, classroom norms that encourage students to see past each other’s differences and find ways to collaborate, and an all-school House System that is based on the TKS Core Values (Community, Curiosity, Generosity, Individuality, Integrity, & Leadership) and that challenges our students to ensure a sense of belonging for everyone in our community.
TKS promotes leadership by giving all students authentic leadership experiences in our all-school assemblies, in how they are asked to be Upstanders every day, and–in the Middle School–by running our virtual Friday Meetings and by representing student voices in our active Student Council.
TKS students engage in community service individually, as grade levels, and as a school community because we believe that it’s essential to help our students recognize how the skills, knowledge, and resources they have can be shared for the greater good.
These TKS traits are only a few of the ways we carry out our Mission daily. We hope that by spending time on our campus, reading the information in this packet, and talking with TKS families, you will be able to Experience The Kessler School Difference!
I look forward to meeting you and answering your questions about our wonderful school.
Very best,
Michael Roemer, Ph.D.
Head of School