Head of School Search
Dear Westerly School Community,
This is a follow-up message to the update shared last week by Alex Jackson ‘03, our Westerly Head of School Search Committee Chair, Board Vice Chair and Board Chair-Elect for 2023-2026).
Your participation is requested this week as we begin the search for our new Westerly Head of School.
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SURVEY To ensure every voice in the Westerly community is heard, a brief community survey is open now for your completion until January 23 -- please take the survey. Survey responses are anonymous and confidential.
PARENT MEETINGS THIS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY – Current and former parents will have an opportunity to meet with Doreen from RG175 (the firm Westerly is partnering with for the Head of School search) on Wednesday, January 18 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. and/or Thursday, January 19 from 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. for coffee at Westerly School. Your input and participation will be highly valued and much appreciated. If you cannot come in person, please join us online via Zoom Meeting.
If you have questions or thoughts about the search process, please do not hesitate to contact committee chair, Alex Jackson ajacksoc@gmail.com or you can email the search consultant, Doreen Oleson (doreenoleson@gmail.com) directly.
We look forward to your engagement as we search for our next leader who will bring an ever-lengthening era of success for Westerly.
In partnership,
Westerly School
Dear Westerly School Community:
We are pleased to share important information with you regarding the search for Westerly’s next Head of School to succeed Dr. Lauren Plant, who will be ending her tenure in July 2023.
Earlier this year, Westerly’s Board of Trustees formed a Search Committee to guide and oversee the search process. We are honored to introduce the committee members (all current Trustees) to you:
SEARCH COMMITTEE
- Alex Jackson ‘03, Committee Chair, Board Vice Chair and Board Chair-Elect for 2023-2026
- Dr. Shalu Gupta, current Board Chair and 8th grade parent
- Dr. Cindy Chun, Head of School at Peninsula Heritage School
- Michael Hagen, current 6th grade parent
- Bryonna Fisco, current 3rd and 7th grade parent
- Angana Pathak, current 2nd and 4th grade parent
SEARCH FIRM SELECTION
The committee identified four executive search firms and interviewed and evaluated each of them. Last month, the committee announced that it had selected Resource Group 175 (RG175), led by Doreen Oleson, an esteemed former head of school and member of the WASC Accreditation committee. The committee attributed their decision to RG175’s nimble and responsive process, strong teamwork model, pronounced interpersonal skills, and commitment to understanding Westerly’s culture, needs, and aspirations. Doreen brings experience in Independent School searches, has a deep background in school headship, vibrant professional networks, and broad access to competitive, compelling, and diverse candidates.
SEARCH FIRM VISIT 1/18/23-1/19/23 – PARTICIPATION REQUESTED
Doreen from RG175 will be on the Westerly campus on Wednesday, January 18th and Thursday January 19th in an intense effort to meet and interview administrators, faculty, staff, students, and parents through conversations, formal and informal interactions, and a community wide-survey. There are designated times for each group to interact with her and we hope you will take advantage of this! Your input and participation will be highly valued and much appreciated. Information gleaned will give our search consultant a first-hand understanding of the culture, school operations, opportunities and challenges to inform their national search and develop a School Position Statement for our new Head of School.
PARENT MEETINGS 1/18/23 and 1/19/23
Current and former parents will have an opportunity to meet with Doreen on January 18th from 4:00-5:00pm and/or January 19th from 8:00am-9:00am for coffee in the Nguyen Community Room. If you cannot come in person, please join us online via Zoom Meeting (link to be sent the day of).
IMPORTANT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SURVEY
To ensure every voice in the Westerly community is heard, a brief community survey will be sent out and open from January 17th through January 23rd. The survey will focus on what school needs and opportunities will greet the new Head of School, as well as gathering opinions on the skills and attributes most needed in Westerly’s next leader. Survey responses are anonymous and confidential, and input is sent directly to Doreen.
Through the survey, the team’s campus visits, and discussions with the Board of Trustees, Doreen will develop a deep base of knowledge that will inform her efforts to promote and communicate this leadership opportunity to candidates worldwide. A survey link will be sent to the community on Tuesday, January 17th.
SEARCH PROCESS
We are striving to keep our search calendar flexible. We will adhere to the timeline that best produces superior candidates. Our preliminary intent is to identify semi-finalists by late February and to be in a position to present our recommendation for the next Head of School to the Board by April 2023. We welcome your nominations between now and early February.
We will send periodic updates to you as the search process unfolds, and will soon add a special Head of School Search section to the Westerly School website. If you have questions or thoughts about the search process, please do not hesitate to contact committee chair, Alex Jackson ajacksoc@gmail.com or any member of the committee, or you can email the search consultant, Doreen Oleson (doreenoleson@gmail.com) directly. In true Westerly fashion, this endeavor will be enhanced by your involvement and collaboration, and we thank you in advance for your input.
We look forward to your engagement as we search for our next leader who will bring an ever-lengthening era of success for Westerly.
In Partnership,
Alex Jackson, Class of 2003
Search Committee Chair
Board of Trustees Vice Chair
Board of Trustees Chair-Elect
ajacksoc@gmail.com
Dear Westerly Community,
I am writing to update you on an important transition at Westerly. One of the fundamental roles of the Westerly Board of Trustees is to hire, support, and manage the Head of School to ensure they are executing on the Board designated mission, vision, and strategic priorities of the school. We would like to share with you that Dr. Lauren Plant has informed us that the 2022-23 school year will be the final year of her five-year tenure at Westerly. We hope that you will join us in wishing Dr. Plant success as she takes on the role of Head of School at Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles at the end of this academic year.
Dr. Plant’s tenure is notable for having us get through the COVID-19 pandemic and her dedication to Westerly’s vision of being a diverse community, one in which every member truly feels a sense of belonging. Westerly is fortunate to be supported by a highly engaged Board of Trustees, a steadfast administrative team, talented faculty and staff, and a dynamic group of students and parents to ensure continuation of the robust Westerly experience as we coordinate with Dr. Plant on a successful and stable transition over the coming months.
Change is uneasy, but is also vital and exciting. As a community, we have every reason to look ahead with optimism, confident in Westerly’s bright future under new leadership. As we approach the 30th year of our School’s history, we imagine a leader who will, with trust and integrity, connect with our community and Westerly’s mission, vision, and values. Our next leader will continue to execute on Board-designated strategic initiatives, including advancing our School through growth and development, supporting our extraordinary faculty and staff to deliver our “whole child” educational philosophy at the highest level, and carrying forward our DEIJB vision with humility, authenticity, and strength.
The Board of Trustees has appointed a Search Committee, chaired by Vice Chair Alex Jackson. Members of the Committee include Dr. Shalu Gupta, Dr. Cindy Chun, Bryonna Fisco, Angana Pathak, and Michael Hagen. We are committed to a process shaped by and inclusive of the many voices in our community, and we are proud to be partnering with leading Independent School executive search firm RG175. We look forward to sharing information and updates about the search with you soon and to engaging our entire community as we work to select a new Head of School for Westerly to lead us into our next decade.
In Partnership,
Shalu Gupta MD
Board Chair
Dear Members of the Westerly Community,
I am writing today with a mix of emotions to inform you all of my recent decision to accept the position as Head of School at the Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles beginning on July 1 of 2023. My decision was not made lightly as Westerly has been my professional “home” for the past nearly 5 years. Stewarding Westerly has been and continues to be one of the great joys of my life and this decision is made only more difficult for all that this community has brought to me and to my children.
In reflecting on these past 41/2 years, I remain so proud and fortunate to have borne witness to the growth and innovation present in every classroom and learning space, and educational interaction I encounter. Westerly’s success in “surviving” COVID, growing our enrollment, sustaining focus and commitment to DEIJB, and developing our pedagogies and programs and community-wide connections are beyond impressive.
None of these achievements would have been possible without the steadfast leadership of the Westerly Community including the parents, faculty, staff and dedicated Board of Trustees. I am so indebted to all in receipt of this note and stand ready to take Westerly into 2023 and support our wonderful school in all ways as we engage in the upcoming transition of leadership.
Respectfully,
Dr. Lauren Plant
Head of School