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Commonwealth is a co-ed independent day school welcoming curious, highly motivated students in grades 9–12. Our close-knit community thrives on making meaningful intellectual and personal connections, while tapping into the opportunities surrounding our home in Boston’s Back Bay.
Meet Faculty and Students
I've never seen a school like it before, from the building to the close-knit community. I look forward to going to school everyday, as I never know what will happen next.
Hanna '25
It is humbling and exhilarating to come to work every day to a place where people are working for a common goal with such a mix of competence and humanity.
César Pérez, History and Languages Teacher
I was first interested in Commonwealth by the small class sizes and the very rigorous environment. Visiting and having a virtual class was what drew me in. I'm very happy about making the choice to come here. The classes are intriguing, to say the least. There is difficulty but nothing I can’t handle. And the opportunities, such as Project Week, are unique, and they allow us to develop our own interests.
Aritra ’25
Really exciting classrooms are where the student is part of the circuit and the electricity is jumping between them and the sources and the teacher. At the beginning of the Enlightenment unit, instead of saying, 'This is what the Enlightenment is.' We say, 'Here's Newton's laws of natural philosophy. Here's a poem about sinful bees. Here’s a little Montesquieu with a little Benjamin Franklin and a little Smith.' And then we try to figure out what they have in common.
Melissa Glenn Haber ’87, History Teacher
I was kind of shocked at how everyone talks with each other at Commonwealth. In my old school, people just stuck with their own friend groups. I thought it would be like that here—but it turned out to be exactly the opposite. I didn't expect to be able to communicate with seniors and juniors and sophomores at all. I feel really good in small communities. You feel seen.
Chloe ’27
I get a real burst of energy when I’m able to help students navigate the complexities of the research process. I feel so lucky to have such an incredible patron base of high-level readers and thinkers in our students.
Jake MacDonnell, Librarian and Registrar
You know, I was hearing about all these other schools, and they definitely had a lot to offer, but Commonwealth spoke more to me because I know they take academics seriously here, but they also care about you as a person and finding yourself.
Sumaya ’26
By the Numbers
157
students in grades 9–12
62%
self-identified students of color
$1.5 million
financial aid granted for 2023–2024
86%
teachers holding advanced degree
5:1
student-to-faculty ratio
2
all-school getaways each year
1450
average SAT composite score (Class of 2025)
Happening Now
“Keep things simple,” says Aadi ’26. Of course, it took him a little time to learn this lesson. He came to Commonwealth a “cocky” freshman; now, as a junior, he embraces the humbling challenges of advanced math classes and honing his own long-form writing. Did Aadi’s penchant for philosophy help him achieve this growth? Or maybe it was just the heartbreak that comes with loving a major football team? Keep reading to draw your own conclusions.
When you teach history, all travel is professional development. That’s certainly what Ms. Haber has found on her many cross-country sojourns, including the six thousand miles she drove this summer. Many treasures from that month-long road trip have since made their way into her history courses, from pieces of Native American art to bits of trivia from the Civil War’s most storied battlegrounds to meaty debates about the role of private funds used for public benefit. Keep reading to join her for the ride.
For her most recent Hughes/Wharton project, math and science teacher Anna Moss '06 dug back into her urban planning curriculum, revamping a popular course from 2016 to make it even more tech savvy and future proof—much like the most well-designed modern cities...
As an autumnal crispness creeps into the air and students begin to readjust to school routines, that September sense of change is in the air—including in Commonwealth’s own halls. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome a new crop of faculty and staff members who come to Commonwealth from an expansive variety of backgrounds, having lived and worked in regions from the Netherlands to the Arctic Circle to right here in Boston. Their expertise is equally as diverse, covering French language, chemistry, a host of visual art forms, and DEI work. Read on to get to know these newest members of our faculty and staff and learn more about what makes them tick.
What really led to the 1953 coup in Iran—and how was the U.S. involved? Take a closer look at the complex relationship and political intrigue that unfolded between these two countries throughout the twentieth century via this recent history research paper from Peyson '25.