Saint Michael Episcopal School Head of School Search 2020-2021, Your Input Requested
The following letter was sent out to Saint Michael Episcopal School families. Saint Michael Episcopal School Head of School Amy McMahan will be stepping down after the 2019-2020 school year, and a search process for the next Head of School is already underway. Saint Michael parishioners are invited to participate in this process.
April 29, 2019
Dear Members of the Saint Michael Episcopal School Community,
Welcome to the search process for Saint Michael Episcopal School’s next Head of School. We are honored to lead this important work and committed to a thoughtful process, inclusive of the entire Saint Michael Episcopal School community. I want to summarize our progress so far and make you aware of early opportunities for your input into the process.
After interviewing several professional search consultancy firms, the school has retained Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A) to assist us in the search for our next Head of School. CS&A has a very sound reputation among the independent school community for its executive search work and collectively the firm has significant experience placing heads at outstanding institutions around the country. Bob Windham, senior search associate with the firm, is our dedicated search consultant. Bob, has 15 years’ experience as Head of School in two Texas schools; Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth and Saint Mary’s Hall in San Antonio. Prior to his leadership of private schools, he was in school administration in Arlington ISD for over 20 years. Bob knows Dallas and Texas very well, growing up in Italy, Texas. Bob recently worked with a very similar school, Good Shepherd Episcopal School in Austin. He has completed over 20 successful school leadership searches for Carney Sandoe & Associates. Bob is highly qualified to help us find the best possible individual to be our school’s next leader, and is aware of the many unique qualities that make Saint Michael Episcopal School the special school it is today.
In the coming weeks there will be numerous ways for you to participate directly in the search for our new leader. First, CS&A has developed an electronic survey to elicit your confidential feedback regarding what makes Saint Michael Episcopal School who we are and what traits we want in our next head. Please click the button below to access it. The survey will close on Thursday, May 2 at 11:30 p.m. Bob has already visited our campus in April to listen first hand to the many voices of the school community; search committee, all faculty, staff, administration, representatives from the Church, and a group of parents in order fully understands what qualities and attributes we are collectively seeking in our next Head of School.
The position description for the Head of School for Saint Michael Episcopal School is ready for your review. This position description will be distributed to thousands of school leaders, on professional web sites, and shared through direct contacts with our consultant beginning next week Our consultant will work throughout May, June, July to assemble a highly qualified group of initial candidates for consideration by the search committee. In the fall, the search committee will personally interview the selected semi-finalist candidates. All candidates will remain confidential through this stage. After these initial interviews, the search committee will select a group of finalist candidates, usually three, to visit the campus with their spouse. During this visit, usually in October, all members of the school community will have opportunities to meet each candidate and share their impressions with the committee by completing a survey on each candidate. Although each search takes on its own characteristics, it is the goal of the search is to have a new Head of School selected and hired before Thanksgiving. The new Head of School will start their new position on July 1, 2020.
The entire Search Committee is excited and energized to fulfill this important initiative, and we hope you share our enthusiasm. Please take the time to participate by responding to the attached survey and later in the search attending one of the forums for finalist candidates. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions regarding the search.
Sincerely,
Mike Naggar, Search Committee Chair
Grady Schleier, Board of Directors President
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