Head of School Search

Paul J. Stellato, Head of School of Princeton Day School since 2008, will step down in June, 2023, at the conclusion of his 15th year as Head of School, the Board of Trustees has announced. The Board has engaged the firm of Spencer Stuart to conduct the search for the new Head of School. The Princeton Day School Search Committee is chaired by Ashley Aitken-Davies, Princeton Day School parent and trustee. Please review the updates and other announcements below, as well as FAQs about the search process.

Updates from Chair of Head of School Search Committee

May 17, 2022

Dear Princeton Day School Community,

The Head of School Search Committee has been busy and productive over the past two months, and we are delighted to share an update on our progress. As we had hoped and expected, the PDS Head of School position has proven to be highly attractive, and we received robust interest from an extremely strong pool of candidates.

Over the course of March, we worked closely with our search consultant, Spencer Stuart, to review the candidate packages, including resumes and supporting materials. From this initial long list, we selected a group of highly qualified and diverse candidates to advance to first round interviews. The group of first round candidates had an impressive range of leadership roles and experiences across top national independent schools, higher education and public education institutions. The interviews were conducted virtually in mid-April and were overwhelmingly positive.

Following completion of these interviews, the Search Committee unanimously agreed to progress three candidates to second round interviews. All three of these candidates have excellent academic credentials, proven track records of success as both faculty members and administrators at well-regarded independent schools, and a clear passion for the pursuit of excellence.

During the first half of May, the Search Committee engaged in a series of in-person interviews, case study presentations and social activities with each of the three second round candidates. We used these sessions to evaluate the candidates in the context of the requirements identified through the PDS community outreach process conducted between December 2021 and February 2022, and summarized in the letter we sent in February.

As we look to complete our assessment of these exceptional individuals, we will continue to be guided by the clear direction we received from the PDS community and the charge from the Board of Trustees to “engage in a thoughtful, thorough process to identify, assess and ultimately recruit and recommend the best possible candidate for the Board to consider as the next Head of Princeton Day School.” We look forward to sharing more news with you very soon.

Head of School Search Committee
Email: PDSHOS@SpencerStuart.com

Ashley Aitken-Davies, Chair
Trustee, Middle School and Lower School Parent

Christopher Bobbitt
Trustee, Upper School and Middle School Parent

Beth Geter-Douglass ‘82
Trustee, Alumna, Alumna Parent

Caroline Lee
Upper School Faculty, Community Multicultural Development Team Chair

Cynthia Linville
Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Alumnae Parent

Amanda Maher
Trustee, Middle School and Lower School Parent

Angharad Rebholz
Middle School Faculty, Sixth Grade Dean

Aaron Schomburg
Lower School Faculty, Alumnae Parent

Jacob Silverman ‘89
Treasurer of the Board of Trustees, Alumnus

Previous Updates and Announcements

Update from Chair of Head of School Search Committee 02/22/2022

Head of School Position and Candidate Specifications

Update from Chair of Head of School Search Committee 01/18/2022

Update from Chair of Head of School Search Committee 01/05/2022

Message from Chair of Head of School Search Committee 12/17/2021

Letter from Head of School Paul J. Stellato and Board Chair Rebecca W. Bushnell '70 12/01/2021

Remarks from Behr House 12/01/21 (video)

Meet the Search Committee

Ashley Aitken-Davies

Christopher Bobbitt

Beth Geter-Douglass

Class of 1982

Caroline Lee

Cindy Linville

Amanda Maher

Angharad Rebholz

Aaron Schomburg

Jacob Silverman

Class of 1989

Head of School Search Process: FAQs

Who is leading the search process?

What is the role of the Search Committee?

Who is on the Search Committee?

Ashley Aitken-Davies (Chair), Trustee, Middle School and Lower School Parent

Christopher Bobbitt, Trustee, Upper School and Middle School Parent

Beth Geter-Douglass '82, Trustee, Alumna, Alumna Parent

Caroline Lee, Upper School Faculty, Community Multicultural Development Team Chair

Cynthia Linville, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Alumnae Parent

Amanda Maher, Trustee, Middle School and Lower School Parent

Angharad Rebholz, Middle School Faculty, Sixth Grade Dean

Aaron Schomburg, Lower School Faculty, Alumnae Parent

Jacob Silverman '89, Treasurer of the Board of Trustees, Alumnus

What was the criteria for selecting the members of the Search Committee?

The Committee members were selected based on their skills, knowledge, perspective, and experiences. The specific criteria included a commitment to Princeton Day School’s mission, vision, and values; the desire to have a diversity of perspectives and opinions; an ability to prioritize the interests of the school ahead of any other agenda; and a willingness and ability to commit a significant amount of time to the process.

What role did diversity play in the formation and selection of the Search Committee?

What is the role of Spencer Stuart, the search firm?

Spencer Stuart is a global search firm with a highly regarded independent school practice. Mary Gorman, who leads the independent school practice, Susan Clifford and Irma Encarnación will partner with the Search Committee to ensure a successful process and outcome. Working closely with the Search Committee, they will gather input from conversations at the school and an online survey; draft the position description; and conduct extensive outreach into the desired candidate pools, seeking to identify leaders whose experience, backgrounds, attributes, and characteristics align with Princeton Day School’s aspirations for the next Head of School. The Spencer Stuart team will support the Search Committee through the interview and recruitment process, ensuring that the candidates’ and committee’s need for information, diligence, and confidentiality are met.

What is the timeline of the search process?

The Search Committee will take the time it needs to identify and recruit the next head of Princeton Day School. Thanks to Head of School Paul Stellato’s good succession planning, the Search Committee has more than 19 months before the next head is seated. The Search Committee has a draft timeline that results in an appointment by next fall but if at any point, the Search Committee feels that the candidate pool is not up to our community’s expectations, then the search will be re-cast to identify further candidates.

How can members of the Princeton Day School community participate in the search process?

The Search Committee is eager to hear from all members of the Princeton Day School community throughout the search process, and will provide opportunities for engagement including an online survey and meetings at the school in January 2022. During the final stages of the selection process a finalist or finalists will meet with a small group of PDS leaders and the Board of Trustees. Updates will be posted regularly to the dedicated search website and the Search Committee welcomes your questions, advice, and nominations. Please send your comments to PDSHOS@spencerstuart.com.

What is the role of the current Princeton Day School Head?

Paul Stellato will continue to lead Princeton Day School and the faculty and staff until June 2023. Best practice in a head of school search is that the sitting head does not serve on the search committee, is not engaged in the selection of his successor, and is not privy to confidential information. The members of the search firm will meet with the Head of School to hear his input on the school, its distinctiveness, and ambitions. He will be welcome to submit nominations, and we expect that as part of the finalist process, candidates will be eager to meet with him to hear his perspective on Princeton Day School.

The Fall 2021 Journal

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