Head of School search

The selection of and support of the Head of School is a primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The detailed task of conducting the search is being undertaken by the Board-designated Search Committee led by Kern Schireson and John Wang, both current Calhoun parents and Trustees. 

The Search Committee was intentionally composed of parents from both Calhoun and MMS, administrators, faculty and staff from each division of the school, who offer a diverse range of experiences and points of view, and who share a commitment to Calhoun’s mission and values. 

The Search Committee is charged with engaging and learning from all constituents to define the qualities required of the next Head of School. The Search Committee will review candidate applications, interview candidates, speak with references, and make a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees. Calhoun’s Board of Trustees ultimately bears responsibility for appointing the Head of School. 

To help conduct the search for Calhoun’s next Head of School, the Search Committee has chosen RG175, a search firm that has led over 300 searches for U.S. and international schools. RG175 will help organize the search process and recruit and engage top candidates. The consultants we are working with at RG175 are Tony Featherston and Bodie Brizendine, former long-serving heads of Town and Spence School, respectively.

RG175 will gather feedback from multiple stakeholders across the Calhoun community through interviews, surveys and focus groups. This feedback will be used to guide the search and develop the Search Profile, the job posting that will be shared with prospective candidates. The community will also have the opportunity to offer feedback on finalists when they visit in the fall.

The Search Profile, written by RG175 based on community interviews and survey data, will serve as the criteria for candidate evaluation.  After a thorough review of resumes by the team, semi-finalists will be selected for a round of interviews to further evaluate qualifications and fit.  From that pool we will choose a short list of finalists that will spend time onsite meeting with various constituents from across the Calhoun community in their final round of interviews.

Questions about the search process can be directed to the Search Committee Co-Chairs, Kern Schireson and John Wang.