Princeton Friends School's Next Head of School
Introducing Peter Gaines
Princeton Friends School is thrilled to welcome its new Head of School, Peter Gaines, who will begin his tenure in July 2025. Please scroll down to read Peter's letter to the community and learn more about him in the accompanying biography.
Announcement Letter from the Board of Trustees
A Letter from Peter Gaines
Dear Princeton Friends School Community,
I often tell people that I wish every child could experience a Friends education. I’m convinced the world would be a better place: full of more humanity, empathy, curiosity, and collaboration. From all that I’ve learned and experienced over the last several months, it’s safe to say that I wish every child could spend their elementary and middle years getting a Princeton Friends School education. Everything that is apparent in the founding of the school, the campus, the culture, the values, and the approach to learning speak to me and to my vision for what is right and good for young people.
The mission of Princeton Friends holds so much: about curiosity, voice, learning, creativity, and stewardship. And it closes with the notion that PFS “both prepares students for the world that is and models possibilities for the society that these young people will one day help to create.” That dual purpose captures what excites me about arriving at Princeton Friends to be the next head of school: to serve those goals for such a human-centered and heart-centered school community. I want to help ensure that the days that students spend on Quaker Road are full of purpose and joy as they are learning to be themselves in the best possible ways and learning to be in the world in the best possible ways. I want to do all that I can so that the present and the future are bright, full of hope, and full of possibility for our students, our school, and our community.
Patience, joy, anticipation, and excitement have been my swirl of daily emotions while waiting to officially say to you all how very excited I am at the prospect of beginning my work as head of Princeton Friends School. I was caught immediately by the experience of zooming with your search committee–with the obvious pride, stewardship, and heart that each person conveyed about PFS. To hear and feel that across constituents–board, faculty, parents, administrators, meeting members–was resoundingly special for me and also set my expectations high for what it might feel like to visit PFS and immerse more deeply in the textures of this clearly special school community.
My visit lived up to every bit of my own hopes. When I got in my car the next day to drive south to Virginia, I tapped into a clear and true feeling in my heart: that I would be delighted to head back to Quaker Road to continue conversations and to deepen the relationships that I felt forming with future colleagues, with students I had the delight to interact with, and with parents, meeting members, and board members who clearly have so much care and love invested in the well-being of Princeton Friends School.
I will be planning visits to campus in the coming months and am eager for everything about the work ahead. I look forward to partnering with all of you in helping Princeton Friends thrive and evolve, ensuring the strongest possible future for all of the students and families fortunate enough to experience a daily school environment so rich with wonder, play, curiosity, kindness, creativity, learning, and responsibility in the world.
With enthusiasm for all that’s ahead,
Peter
Head Search FAQs
The School Committee is responsible for selecting and hiring PFS’s next Head of School (HoS). To facilitate the search process, a HoS Search Committee representing trustees, parents, parents of alums, faculty, staff, and members of Princeton Monthly Meeting was formed to direct the search and recommend a candidate to the board.
Recognizing that selecting the school’s next leader is a critical task, the School Committee engaged Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), a leading search firm that has conducted hundreds of global searches for independent schools, as consultants. Darryl and Burke bring a wealth of experience in executive searches and Friends school leadership and assisted the Search Committee in managing the search process.
CS&A provides advice to the Search Committee concerning format, procedures, and best practices in the search process. Gathering input on PFS’s culture and needs from community interviews and a survey, they, working with the Search Committee, created and disseminated a Position Description. CS&A recruited candidates from their extensive independent school network and referred them to the Search Committee for review. Together with the Search Committee, they interviewed and checked references of candidates under consideration. The consultants also facilitated feedback between the candidates and the Search Committee.
The work of the search committee is to oversee the search and selection process from start to finish and ensure a smooth transition in leadership, thereby securing a bright future for Princeton Friends School. It coordinates input from PFS’s varied constituencies, works with CS&A to craft the Position Description, assesses candidates vetted by CS&A, conducts interviews with semifinalists and finalists, and presents a proposed candidate to the School Committee.
Throughout, the Search Committee keeps the PFS community informed and engaged, while ensuring strict confidentiality in the candidate recruitment process. Members of the Search Committee are prohibited from discussing details of the search outside the committee.
School Committee member David Kossoff, who led the interim head search, is also clerk of this committee. He is joined by:
- Jillian Best Adler, Family Association Co-Clerk and parent
- Gab Carbone, School Committee member and parent
- Jessica Hurwitz, First- and Second-Grade Teacher
- Nadir Jeevanjee, Ex-Officio Search Committee member, Co-Clerk of School Committee, Clerk of Executive Committee, parent, and member of Princeton Monthly Meeting (Quaker)
- Shelley Krause, Princeton Monthly Meeting, Clerk of Trustees and Clerk of CARE of Young Friends
- Andrea Lehman, School Committee member, Clerk of Board Governance Committee, and member of Newtown Monthly Meeting (Quaker)
- Kofi Obeng, Assistant Head of School for Community & Belonging
- Craig Sellers, Interim Head of School and member of Merion Monthly Meeting (Quaker)
- Alison Sommers-Sayre, Co-Clerk of School Committee, Clerk of Resources Committee, and alum parent
The PFS community has been involved from the beginning, by providing input on the characteristics and qualifications sought in the next Head through interviews with CS&A and via a community survey.
In the fall '24, community members met finalists when they visited campus, and provided feedback to the Search Committee from those visits.
Throughout the recruitment phase, members of the PFS community were encouraged to suggest candidates for consideration to CS&A, and they are always welcome to contact the Search Committee with any questions or thoughts at headsearch@princetonfriends.org.
A position description based on the community's input was circulated to prospective candidates and proved to excite and compel exceptional individuals to engage in our search.
Winter ‘24
- CS&A hired as consultants.
- Search Committee established.
- CS&A begins candidate outreach.
- CS&A visits campus to learn about PFS needs; meets with all constituencies.
- Community survey solicits feedback.
Spring '24
- Position Description created and shared.
- Recruitment continues.
Summer '24
- CS&A conducts anti-bias training with Search Committee.
- Search Committee determines semifinalists and conducts interviews.
- Search Committee selects finalists.
Fall-Winter '24
- Finalists come to campus for two-day visits that include meeting the community.
- Search Committee synthesizes all information and feedback and presents candidate for School Committee approval.
- New head announced.
- Leadership transition begins.
Summer ‘25
- New Head of School arrives at PFS.
If you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, or feedback, or if you have someone to recommend for the Head of School position, please email headsearch@princetonfriends.org.
Past Search Communications
Dear PFS community,
As the dates are fast approaching, we are sending you updated visitation details for our Head of School finalists. Since our last communication we have updated our schedule and have three dates for visits. The search committee is very excited to host these outstanding finalists who will spend a very full day and a half at school, meeting with faculty and staff, families, students, members of Princeton Monthly Meeting, trustees, and the search team.
For each candidate, we’ve included two open forums with Q&A’s for families and the PFS community in the hopes that one will work in people’s schedules. In these sessions (one virtual and one in person; see dates, below), the community can learn more about the finalists, while we enhance their understanding of and appreciation for our wonderful school.
One day in advance of each visit, we’ll send out information on that candidate, a Zoom link for the first day’s virtual session, and a survey link. Surveys will remain open for 48 hours. We want to hear your feedback, so please fill these out promptly! The search committee will consider it carefully as part of the wealth of information, such as reference checks, we are amassing.
On the dates of in-person forums, enrolled PFS students will be brought to the Great Room at 3:40 to meet their families. Children who are not enrolled PFS students must remain with their families during the forums. Please note there will be no after-school program on these forum days to enable ASP staff to attend in-person forums.
We ask that you keep candidate details and discussion inside the PFS community. While finalists know that their names will be shared with you, we want to avoid any public posting, particularly as candidates may be involved in more than one search.
Community Forums
Finalist #1
Sunday, September 22, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Monday, September 23, 3:00-3:40 PM, in the Great Room
Finalist #2
Tuesday, September 24, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Wednesday, September 25, 3:00-3:40 PM, in the Great Room
Finalist #3
Sunday, September 29, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Monday, September 30, 3:00-3:40 PM, in the Great Room
Thank you in advance for making time in your busy September schedules to join us. Should you have questions about the process, committee, or timeline, or if you wish to contact us, please see the search’s web page.
Be well,
David Kossoff
Clerk, HOS Search Committee
Princeton Friends School
Search Committee Members:
Jillian Best Adler
Gab Carbone
Jessica Hurwitz
Nadir Jeevanjee
Shelley Krause
Andrea Lehman
Kofi Obeng
Craig N. Sellers
Alison Sommers-Sayre
Dear PFS community,
As mentioned in our last communication, we are excited to invite you to meet and welcome our four outstanding Head of School finalists. On the dates shown below, we’ll hold open forums with Q&A’s to learn more about them and enhance their understanding of and appreciation for PFS. We’ve included two sessions hoping one of these time slots will work in your schedule.
One day in advance of each visit, we’ll send out information on that candidate, a survey link for you to provide feedback, and a Zoom meeting link for the first day’s virtual session.
We ask that you keep candidate details and discussion inside the PFS community. While finalists know that their names will be shared with you, we want to avoid any public posting, particularly as candidates may be involved in more than one search. The search committee will thoroughly vet all finalists including reference checks.
Community Forums
Candidate #1
Sunday, September 22, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Monday, September 23, 3:05-3:45 PM, Schoolhouse patio
Candidate #2
Tuesday, September 24, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Wednesday, September 25, 3:05-3:45 PM, Schoolhouse patio
Candidate #3
Sunday, September 29, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Monday, September 30, 3:05-3:45 PM, Schoolhouse patio
Candidate #4
Sunday, October 6, 5-6 PM, Zoom meeting
Monday, October 7, 3:05-3:45 PM, Schoolhouse patio
As student dismissal happens during the 3:05-3:45 PM community forums, students may join the After-School Program until 3:45 with no additional fee to allow parents to feel comfortable attending until the end of these sessions.
Thank you in advance for making time in your busy September schedules to join us. Should you have questions about the process, committee, or timeline, or if you wish to contact us, please see the search’s web page.
Be well,
David Kossoff
Clerk, HOS Search Committee
Princeton Friends School
Search Committee Members:
Jillian Best Adler
Gab Carbone
Jessica Hurwitz
Nadir Jeevanjee
Shelley Krause
Andrea Lehman
Kofi Obeng
Craig N. Sellers
Alison Sommers-Sayre
Dear PFS Community,
Despite the heat, I hope you and your family have managed to enjoy the fruits of summer, both literally and figuratively. I am thrilled to bring you this update as search committee members have been very active, starting with anti-bias training in June and continuing with a series of meetings to evaluate applicants.
Thanks to the hard work, experience, and independent school connections of Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), we were presented with a terrific pool of well-qualified candidates. In July, we closely reviewed many resumes, compiled from an extensive network of targeted individuals, and selected six to interview via Zoom, which we did in early August. With CS&A’s facilitation and thoughtful committee discussion, we have selected four outstanding finalists who will come to campus for two days each in September and early October. You will hear more about the times, locations, and other details via email in the coming weeks, but please mark your calendars for these dates: September 22 & 23, 24 & 25, 29 & 30, and October 6 & 7.
During the finalists’ visits, they will have the opportunity to meet the PFS community and vice versa, including through open forums with Q&A opportunities. We encourage you to participate by welcoming our candidates, learning more about them, and helping to enhance their understanding of and appreciation for Princeton Friends School. After each visit, community members will have an opportunity to share feedback with the search committee via a survey. Through assessing this and other information, we will make a recommendation to the School Committee for a new Head of School to begin in July 2025.
Reaching this final stage of the search is the result of a thorough and intentional process, and we are excited for our broader community to meet this group of highly talented individuals. It has been a great privilege to work with the dedicated members of the search committee as well as Darryl and Burke. I feel very confident that our school is well positioned for a very bright future. As always, should you have questions about the process, committee, or timeline, information and a way to contact us are available on the search’s web page.
Thank you in advance for your engagement and support during this important time in PFS history.
Sincerely,
David Kossoff
Clerk, Head Search Committee
Princeton Friends School
Search Committee Members:
Jillian Best Adler
Gab Carbone
Jessica Hurwitz
Nadir Jeevanjee
Shelley Krause
Andrea Lehman
Kofi Obeng
Craig N. Sellers
Alison Sommers-Sayre
Dear Princeton Friends community,
As school winds down, we wanted to update everyone on what’s happening in the search this summer. We will continue to work closely with our consultants from Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh, who have been reaching out to qualified candidates nationwide. They’ve had preliminary conversations with many and will suggest a number of individuals for the search committee to review in coming weeks.
The search committee will engage in anti-bias training conducted by CS&A then will work with Darryl and Burke to identify candidates (semifinalists) to interview, from whom we will narrow the pool to three or four. These finalists will visit PFS in the fall, during which faculty and staff, parents, students, alumni, and other community members will be able to meet them and offer feedback through a broadly disseminated survey.
Our goal is for the School Committee (board of trustees) to name a new Permanent Head of School in the fall, allowing for a productive transition before the new head starts in summer 2025.
We are committed to a clear and comprehensive process to attract an exceptional new head. For more details, see the Head of School Search FAQs on the PFS website.
When we have more information on the fall finalist visits, we will update you. Until then, on behalf of the search committee and the School Committee, we wish you and your family a wonderful summer.
Sincerely,
David Kossoff
Clerk, PFS Head Search Committee
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your participation in our community survey as well as the outreach sessions that took place early in March. Both the Search and School committees continue to be inspired by and appreciative of your commitment to the enduring values of our treasured school. It was very helpful to understand your thoughts about the most important qualities desired in our next Head of School.
Community Feedback
Many consistent themes emerged, affirming what we all value most about Princeton Friends School. The most prevalent include our dedication to progressive and Quaker education, our committed faculty and staff, a strong sense of community, respect for childhood, and a learning environment where students feel free to explore and share their voices. Qualities and skills most desired in the next Head of School include an inspirational and joyful leadership style, skill in communication, and a desire to promote the school’s Quaker and progressive identity. Indeed, our community shares a united sense of who we are and what makes Princeton Friends School so special, as well as our priorities for moving the school forward.
Position Description
Coming out of the first community input phase of our search, our consultants at Carney Sandoe, Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh, in concert with the Search Committee, have crafted a position description that will be circulated to prospective candidates. We believe that it will excite and compel the best candidates to engage in our search. The position description is available here and is also accessible on our Head of School Search webpage.
The Path Forward
The next phase, active outreach and recruitment, is underway. Our consultants will be working diligently to attract a broad range of qualified candidates and, along with the Search Committee, review application materials in order to invite the most promising candidates for summer interviews. By fall, the Search Committee will select finalists to come to campus for more interviews and for forums that will enable the community to meet them and provide feedback. Our goal is for the School Committee to appoint our new Head of School by the 2024 winter break.
Thank you again for your involvement in and support of our process. We are heartened by the devotion to Princeton Friends School expressed by all those who have participated, and the shared sense of duty to carry this wonderful school forward.
We remain committed to open communication. If you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, or feedback, or if you have someone to recommend for the Head of School position, please email us at headsearch@princetonfriends.org or contact our consultants directly: Darryl Ford, darryl.ford@carneysandoe.com and Burke Zalosh at burke.zalosh@carneysandoe.com.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
David Kossoff
Chair, HOS Search Committee
To our community,
As part of our search for the next PFS Head of School and with help from our consultants, Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney Sandoe & Associates, we are conducting a brief online survey to capture valuable feedback from as many members of the Princeton Friends School community as possible.
In conjunction with Darryl and Burke’s Wednesday, March 6 campus visit (see details, below), we are asking faculty, families, and School Committee members for their candid feedback. All responses will go directly to Darryl and Burke, who will ensure that key constituents’ points of view are considered, and all will remain confidential.
The survey will take 10-15 minutes and remains open through Friday, March 8. At the end of the survey, you’ll have the opportunity to nominate any educator you feel has the leadership qualities and vision to be the next PFS Head of School.
Meet with Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney Sandoe & Associates
On March 6, join us for one of these sessions:
Families
2:30 - 3:30 pm in the Meeting House
See alternative session below
Faculty and Staff
3:55 - 4:45 pm in the South Room, West House
March 12th alternative family virtual meeting session
On behalf of the search committee, thank you for participating in this process. We will keep you informed of new developments both through announcements and on the Head of School Search web page.
Best wishes,
David Kossoff, Clerk-Head of School Search Committee
Search Committee Members
Jillian Best Adler
Gab Carbone
Jessica Hurwitz
Nadir Jeevanjee
Andrea Lehman
Kofi Obeng
Craig Sellers
Alison Sommers-Sayre
Welcome to our newest committee member!
Shelley Krause, Princeton Monthly Meeting, Clerk of Trustees and Clerk of CARE of Young Friends
Dear Friends,
We hope the start of 2024 has been joyful for you and your families.
Since announcing Craig Sellers as our Interim Head of School, we, along with fellow School Committee members, have been busy preparing for a successful search for a permanent head, who will start in July 2025. We are excited to share some updates:
First, we have retained Carney, Sandoe & Associates, a leading national education recruitment firm, to guide us through the search process. We are particularly excited to work with our principal consultants, Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh, who bring a wealth of experience - both in executive searches and in leading a Friends school - as well as networks throughout the Quaker and independent school world. We've been impressed by their desire to learn about our school culture and their enthusiasm to partner with us.
Second, we have formed a Head of School Search Committee.
School Committee member David Kossoff, who so ably clerked our interim head search will also lead this search.
He is joined by:
- Jillian Best Adler, Family Association Co-Clerk, Princeton Friends School, parent
- Gab Carbone, School Committee member and parent
- Jessica Hurwitz, First and Second Grade Teacher, Princeton Friends School
- Nadir Jeevanjee, Ex-Officio Search Committee member, Co-Clerk of School Committee, Clerk of Executive Committee, parent and member of Princeton Monthly Meeting (Quaker)
- Andrea Lehman, School Committee member, Clerk of Board Governance Committee, and member of Newtown Monthly Meeting (Quaker)
- Kofi Obeng, Director of Student Life, Princeton Friends School
- Craig Sellers, Interim Head of School and member of Merion Monthly Meeting (Quaker)
- Alison Sommers-Sayre, Co-Clerk of School Committee, Clerk of Resources Committee, and alum parent
This will be a national search and we expect a robust pool of candidates. We intend the search to be inclusive and transparent and have built-in opportunities for the PFS community to get involved, including when finalists visit campus in the fall. We appreciate your understanding of the need for candidate confidentiality and ask that you share your thoughts and questions with the committee via email (address below) rather than with individual committee members.
Third, we want to alert you of some exciting next steps that will involve the community:
- On March 6, Darryl and Burke will visit campus to meet with members of our community and gain a broader understanding of our needs and wishes for our next Head of School. Details about how you can be part of this visit will be forthcoming.
- In conjunction with this visit, an anonymous survey will solicit input from the community.
We hope you will take part in these opportunities. Please keep an eye on your inbox for details.
Last, as the search evolves and to keep the community informed and included, we have created a web page with the latest news: https://www.princetonfriendsschool.org/about-us/head-of-school-search.cfm. You can also contact us at headsearch@princetonfriends.org. We welcome your thoughts, questions, and suggestions throughout the year.
We extend our tremendous thanks to Craig Sellers as he leads us for the next year and a half and helps create a smooth transition for our permanent head.
On behalf of our Head of School Search Committee, we look forward to collaborating with the entire PFS community to secure an extraordinary head for this extraordinary school.
Warmly,
Nadir and Alison
Co-Clerks, School Committee