Head of School Search

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