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August 26, 2022
Dear Members of the Taft Community,
As summer draws to a close, we want to update you on the Head of School search once again. We have had a busy three months and we are enthusiastic about the progress made. Taft has a strong and unique draw from its extended community, and from the market at large, and while we expected this, it has been more than confirmed by the process to date:
- We have received incredibly thoughtful input via emails and the survey from the Taft community – faculty, staff, alumni, parents, trustees, and others; and in each of those communications, it is evident how much the community members love and care for the school and its future; this is special. Thank you for your outreach and participation in the survey.
- While early in the process, we have already attracted an exceptionally deep, talented, interesting, and diverse pool of candidates and are excited about the coming months when we will interview and select the next Head of School at Taft.
On behalf of the Search Committee, we want to thank the extended Taft community for continuing to help guide our work toward identifying our next Head of School. Your comments have helped us tremendously as we prepared the Opportunity Statement, which is now finalized and published. We are also pleased to share some highlights from the survey results, and to provide some more details on next steps in the process.
Survey Results
The purpose of the survey was to provide essential information for the Search Committee to understand the strengths, aspirations, and challenges ahead for the Taft community. Knowing the level of commitment and care so many people have for Taft, we are not surprised by the robust participation in completing the survey. We received over 1,400 responses, including from members of the board of trustees, faculty and staff, students, alumni/parents/guardians, and other valued members of our community whose responses were insightful, authentic, and detailed.
Among the most important takeaways from the responses were how we see Taft today, what we hope will best describe our community in the future, priorities for the next Head, and those personal and leadership characteristics most important for the next Head. We were pleased to see the consistency across the Taft Stakeholder groups. Below please find a summary of the key responses:
What word captures the distinguishing characteristics of Taft?
TODAY: Community, Diversity, Rigorous, Excellence
IN THE FUTURE: Inclusive, Diverse, Community, Innovative
What should be the top priorities for the next Head of School?
- Overall student experience and school community
- Academic programs
- Maintaining the culture and personality of Taft
What are the most important Personal Qualities of the next Head of School?
- Love for students, Authentic, Inspirational
What are the most important Leadership Qualities of the next Head of School?
- Focus on students, Strong organizational leader, Community builder
Opportunity Statement
Attributable to the important input provided by our community, we are pleased to share the Opportunity Statement, which we feel accurately and authentically captures what we seek in our next Head of School. The document articulates the personal and professional qualities we are looking for, illustrates what is distinctive about Taft and our mission, and outlines our aspirations and the challenges. The Opportunity Statement is now published on the Taft website and will be used to attract, recruit, and evaluate the very best candidates for the position. We encourage you to read and share it, and to have interested candidates contact Spencer Stuart at [email protected]. Additionally, the Search Committee welcomes members of the Taft community to send nominations directly to Spencer Stuart at the aforementioned email. We will pay special attention to all nominations and input from the Taft community.
The Taft Head of School Opportunity Statement is available in PDF format here and as a web page here.
Next Steps
In the coming months, Spencer Stuart will continue to engage potential candidates from all over the world, and they will continue to get to know our school. In mid-September, members of their team will visit campus and speak with faculty, staff, and students. They are eager to experience Taft firsthand. This fall, members of the Search Committee will also meet and confer with the faculty Advisory Council. We look forward to their further input. The Search Committee will then begin meeting and interviewing compelling candidates later in the fall, and more updates will be provided as the process continues.
We all recognize the importance of identifying the right person to be the next Head of School at Taft, and the Search Committee is grateful for the confidence you have continued to place in us to manage this important process. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions. Again, on behalf of the Search Committee, we appreciate your participation as we define the future of our school community.
Sincerely,
Kate and Sarkis
Kate Genung Taylor ’94
Sarkis D. Izmirlian II '90, P'20,'22,'24
Co-Chairs, Head of School Search Committee
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