Head of School Search

1/23/25 - Important Announcement

1/24/25 - Update From Search Committee

1/29/25 - Head Search Update 

1/30/25 - Head Search Webinar

2/11/25 - Head Search Consultant Visit

2/12/25 - Head of School Survey

02/26/25: Head Search - Survey Results and Interim Update

03/21/25: Announcement of Interim Head of School Kathryn Kaiser

04/10/25: You’re Invited to Coffee with Kathryn

06/04/25: Head of School Search Update: Position Statement and Next Steps

09/16/25 - The Oaks Search Committee Update

10/08/25: Save the Dates: Head of School Candidate Visits

10/23/25: Thank You from The Oaks Head Search Committee

11/04/25: The Oaks Head of School Appointment

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 are pleased to announce that Kathryn Kaiser will serve as our Interim Head of School for the 2025-2026 school year.

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. We are excited to share the Candidate Position Statement for our next head of school. 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 October 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, Board Chair & Search Chair

• Chris Hobbs, Trustee

• Lexi Suppes, Board Treasurer

• Shelley Colón, Chair of Trustees and Governance

• Angela Brantley, Trustee

• Shannon Baker Davis, Trustee

• Neil Lewis, 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

September 2025

• Semi-finalist candidates interviewed

October 2025

• Finalist candidates visit campus

• New Head of School selected.