Head of School Search

01/23/25: An Important Announcement from the Oaks Board Chair & Head of School

01/24/25: Update from The Oaks Head of School Search Committee

01/29/25: Head Search Update and Zoom Link

01/30/25: Head Search Webinar Materials

02/11/25: Head Search Consultant Visit

02/12/25: Head of School Survey - Complete by 6 pm on 2/18/25

What does Ted’s announcement mean for the future of The Oaks in both the near and long term?

• Though Ted will be greatly missed, we are fortunate to be starting our search with a strong foundation due to his leadership over the last 15 years. We have excellent teachers who make learning joyful and a more diverse community than ever before. Rest assured, it will be business as usual for the remainder of the school year. We know this will still be a big change, and with change comes uncertainty and questions. However, with input from the entire community, the board is dedicated to finding our next leader - someone who shares the community’s commitment to progressive education and understands our mission. The essence of The Oaks and all of the special things that make us unique will remain unchanged.

Will the new head of school start in fall of 2025?

• Head of School searches are typically lengthy processes as the goal is to find the best possible fit versus quickly filling the spot. The board is committed to a thorough search that takes into account all voices in our community and leaves room for strong candidates who are not able to join us until 2026-2027. We anticipate hiring an interim head of school for the 2025-2026 school year and hope to identify them by the spring.

How can I participate in the process?

• While hiring responsibility lies with the search committee and full board, the entire community will be encouraged to participate in the process. On February 12, 2025, our consultants visited campus to get to know our school through meetings with school administration, faculty, staff, and parents. In addition, a survey was distributed to all stakeholders in the community. The consultants used information gathered at the meetings and through the survey results to develop a profile for candidates. Thank you to everyone for your participation in this initial stage of the process.

• Once the committee identifies finalist candidates, the community will have the opportunity to meet them and provide feedback. This will likely be in September of 2025 but depends on how quickly we and our consultants are able to recruit and identify candidates.

How can I stay up to date on the status of the search?

• The search committee plans to send email updates to the community at all stages of the process. However, if at any point you have unanswered questions, you can email headsearch@oaksschool.org.

We have engaged the services of RG175, a nationally recognized leader in head of school searches. We will be working with Tom Hudnut, long-time head of school at Harvard Westlake, and Debbie Reed, long-time head of school at Polytechnic. We are lucky to have two consultants who are not only incredibly experienced but also knowledgeable about the local independent school landscape.

The Oaks School Board of Trustees has the ultimate responsibility for hiring the new head of school. However, since this is not the only work of the board, we will have a smaller search committee guiding this work and ultimately making a recommendation to the full board. The members of the search committee are as follows:

• Alecia Burkett, Search Chair

• Chris Hobbs, Board Chair

• Lexi Suppes, Board Treasurer

• Shelley Colón, Chair of Trustees and Governance

• Angela Brantley, Trustee

• Shannon Baker Davis, Trustee

• Dawn White, Trustee

We are also planning to field a faculty advisory committee who will assist with interviews of candidates and give feedback to the search committee.

January 2025

• Search firm hired

• Search committee formed

• Announcement made to the community

February 2025

• Consultants visit campus

• Position statement approved

February-July 2025

• Recruitment of candidates

• Interim hired

• Faculty advisory committee established

August 2025

• Paper round / dossier review

• Semi-finalists interviewed

September 2025

• Finalist candidates visit campus

• New head of school is selected

(Timeline is fluid and subject to change)