January 12: Head of School Candidate #3--Meet Rhiannon McElwee

Dear Lesley Ellis Community,

Rhiannon McElwee is currently the Director of Curriculum and Innovation at Stevens Cooperative School in Hoboken and Jersey City, NJ.  She has worked at Stevens Coop for the past 14 years, and has held several other positions there including Director of Student Services and Equity, and Assistant Principal.  She has taught 3rd, 4th, and 8th grades at Stevens Coop, and Middle and High School English at Rothesay Academy and Largs Academy in Scotland.  Rhiannon earned her MA with honors at the University of Glasgow.  She has a certificate in program development and grant communication from the University of Southern California, and also a certificate from the Directory of Social Change in London, UK.  She also holds a PGDE with distinction from the University of Strathclyde in her native Scotland.  Ms. McElwee was awarded a grant from the Facing History and Ourselves Program, has served on the NJAIS Professional Development Committee, and graduated from the association’s Leadership Institute.  Rhiannon wrote, “I am an avid runner; I love to cook (not so good at baking); attend live music; spend time with my husband of 17 years and see the world through the eyes of my joyful 1st grader; we love to travel and have visited places as far flung as Australia as a result of winning a BBC game show back in 2003!”

Faculty and Staff – Please attend the Faculty and Staff Forum in the Grade 5 classroom from 3:30 until 4:15 pm on Wednesday, January 15th.

Parents – Please join one of our Parent Forums in the gymnasium on Thursday, January 16th, at 8:30-9:10 am or at 2:30-3:15 pm.  Ms. McElwee is excited to speak with you and share her enthusiasm about the Head of School opportunity.

Your Feedback Matters

Please share your feedback on Ms. McElwee here. Your input is important and valuable; thank you for taking time to share your thoughts. This short reflection will ask your impression of the candidate’s skills and ability to lead the school along with successes and challenges you might anticipate them having in the role. We will use data from that feedback survey to gauge the impression the community has of each candidate. If you have multiple affiliations (e.g., parent who is also on staff), you only need to fill out the survey once, and you should only provide feedback if you attended a candidate forum or meeting.

The feedback survey for Rhiannon McElwee will open at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, January 15th and remain available until 6:00 pm on Friday, January 17th, so please share your thoughts ASAP.

As I have said in my earlier messages, this is a very exciting time in our school’s history. We thank you for your participation in  this process and, most importantly, for being a valued member of our Lesley Ellis community.

Sincerely,

Paul Stein, Executive Director

Schools for Children

January 10: Head of School Candidate #2--Sandy Lizaire-Duff

To the Lesley Ellis Community,

We are excited to welcome our second finalist for the Head of School position to Lesley Ellis on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Meet Sandy Lizaire-Duff, Head of School Finalist #2

Sandy Lizaire-Duff is currently the Head of the Lower School at the King School in Stamford, CT.  Prior to her arrival at King, she served as the Lower School Director at the Pingry School, NJ (July 2019-June 2020), and as the Assistant Director of the Pingry Lower School (2016-2019).  She served the Teaneck, NJ public schools as both a classroom teacher and supervisor (2001-2016).  Sandy has also taught at the college level, teaching undergraduate and graduate students in how to teach language arts and reading.  She serves on the CAIS-CT Accreditation Commission, and is a Board member at several non-profits, including the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice.  Dr. Lizaire-Duff earned her BA in psychology from Montclair State University, her master’s in early childhood education and teaching from Columbia Teachers College, and a PhD in urban systems and educational policy from Rutgers University.  Sandy wrote, “In addition to spending time with my family and friends, I have a passion for travel, golf, reading, and exploring museums worldwide.”

Faculty and Staff – Please attend the Faculty and Staff Forum in the grade 5 classroom from 3:30 until 4:15 pm on Monday, January 13th.

Parents – Please join one of our Parent Forums in the gymnasium on Tuesday, January 14th, at 8:30-9:10 am or at 2:30-3:15 pm.  Dr.. Lizaire-Duff is excited to speak with you and share her enthusiasm about the Head of School opportunity.

Your Feedback Matters

Please share your feedback on Dr. Lizaire-Duff here. Your input is important and valuable; thank you for taking time to share your thoughts. This short reflection will ask your impression of the candidate’s skills and ability to lead the school along with successes and challenges you might anticipate them having in the role. We will use data from that feedback survey to gauge the impression the community has of each candidate. If you have multiple affiliations (e.g., parent who is also on staff), you only need to fill out the survey once, and you should only provide feedback if you attended a candidate forum or meeting.

The feedback survey for Sandy Lizaire-Duff will open at 2:00 pm on Monday, January 13th and remain available until 6:00 pm on Tuesday, January 14th, so please share your thoughts ASAP.

This is a very exciting time in our school’s history. We thank you for your participation in  this process and, most importantly, for being a valued member of our Lesley Ellis community.

Sincerely,

Paul Stein, Executive Director
Schools for Children

January 7: Head of School Candidate #1--Katie Charner-Laird

Good morning, Lesley Ellis Community –

We are excited to welcome our first finalist for the Head of School position to Lesley Ellis on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Meet Katie Charner-Laird, Head of School Finalist #1

Catheryn (Katie) Charner-Laird is currently the Associate Head for Teaching, Learning, and Equity at the Riverbend School in Natick, Massachusetts.  Since 2022, she is also serving as  Director of the Elementary and Middle Schools at Riverbend, and was the Director of Upper School Admissions (June 2020-July 2022).  Some other positions Katie has held include Head of the Lower School at Fessenden (July 2020-June 2022), and Principal at the Cambridgeport School (July 2010-June 2020), and also Principal at the Lincoln-Eliot School.   She has taught from 3-5th grades, including in multi-grade classrooms, and at the college level, at the McKeown School of Education at Salem State.  Katie earned her bachelor’s degree with distinction from Swarthmore College, majoring in sociology and anthropology.  She holds two master’s degrees in education, one from UC, Berkeley, and a second in school leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.  Katie wrote, “Most of my personal time is spent digging into topics related to teaching, learning, and leadership.  When I’m not doing that, I can be found attempting to grow my own vegetables, exploring the local forests, and hanging out with my two children, ages 14 and 21.”

Faculty and Staff – Please attend the Faculty and Staff Forum in the Grade 5 classroom from 3:30 until 4:15 pm on Wednesday, January 8th.

Parents – Please join one of our Parent Forums in the gymnasium on Thursday, January 9th, at 8:30-9:10 am or at 2:30-3:15 pm.  Ms. Charner-Laird is excited to speak with you and share her enthusiasm about the Head of School opportunity.

Your Feedback Matters

Please share your feedback on Ms. Charner-Laird here. Your input is important and valuable; thank you for taking time to share your thoughts. This short reflection will ask your impression of the candidate’s skills and ability to lead the school along with successes and challenges you might anticipate them having in the role. We will use data from that feedback survey to gauge the impression the community has of each candidate. If you have multiple affiliations (e.g., parent who is also on staff), you only need to fill out the survey once, and you should only provide feedback if you attended a candidate forum or meeting.

The feedback survey for Katie Charner-Laird will open at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, January 8th and remain available until 6:00 pm on Friday, January 10th, so please share your thoughts ASAP.

This is a very exciting time in our school’s history. We thank you for your participation in  this process and, most importantly, for being a valued member of our Lesley Ellis community.

Sincerely,

Paul Stein, Executive Director
Schools for Children

January 6: Head of School Search Update from CEO Paul Stein

December 20: Update from Schools for Children CEO on Head of School Search

Dear Lesley Ellis School Community,

As we head off into winter break and our Head of School search advances, we are excited to provide an update from the Search Committee. Following virtual interviews with eight highly qualified semi-finalist candidates this week, three finalists have been identified and invited to visit Lesley Ellis in January. With support from our Educators Collaborative consultants we selected these educational leaders after a robust recruitment of candidates, dossier review, reference calls, and interview process conducted by the full Search Committee.

Each finalist will spend 1 ½ days at Lesley Ellis touring the school and meeting with faculty and staff, parents, members of the Advisory Board and Schools for Children Board, students, and the Search Committee. We will share biographies and more information about each finalist the day before their visit. We hope that you will have the opportunity to welcome each finalist and help them to learn about our wonderful school and community.

Please mark your calendars for the three finalist visits and the following times for you to meet the candidates:

First Candidate’s Visiting Dates: January 8 and 9

• • • Faculty/Staff Forum on January 8 from 3:30 – 4:15 PM
    • Morning Parent Forum on January 9 from 8:30 – 9:10 AM
    • Afternoon Parent Forum on January 9 from 2:30 – 3:15 PM

Second Candidate’s Visiting Dates: January 13 and 14

• • • Faculty/Staff Forum on January 13 from 3:30 – 4:15 PM
    • Morning Parent Forum on January 14 from 8:30 – 9:10 AM
    • Afternoon Parent Forum on January 14 from 2:30 – 3:15 PM

Third Candidate’s Visiting Dates: January 15 and 16

• • • Faculty/Staff Forum on January 15 from 3:30 – 4:15 PM
    • Morning Parent Forum on January 16 from 8:30 – 9:10 AM
    • Afternoon Parent Forum on January 16 from 2:30 – 3:15 PM

These dates have been chosen in order to move the process along given the competitive market.  We don’t want to risk losing a good candidate!

It is important that this process continues to be inclusive of all members of our community, which is why each visit will include opportunities for faculty and staff, students and Board members to meet the candidates. At the conclusion of each visit, you will have an opportunity to share your feedback through an online survey, which will help inform the Search Committee’s input to me. We encourage you to please meet all the candidates and provide your valuable feedback. We also want our candidates to fully experience the warm and welcoming spirit of our Lesley Ellis community!

Following these visits, and with your collective input, I will appoint the next Head of School at Lesley Ellis with the goal of announcing our next Head of School by early February.

Throughout this process, we continue to be reminded about what a truly unique and special community we nurture at Lesley Ellis. Educational leaders from across the country (and, indeed, from overseas) have been drawn to this opportunity, inspired by our distinct mission, values, and culture.

We look forward to introducing our finalists to you next month. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays!

Best regards,

Paul Stein
Executive Director
Schools for Children

October 21: Update from Schools for Children CEO on Head of School Search

Dear Lesley Ellis Community,

Many thanks again to all who were able to participate in the listening sessions hosted last month by our search consultants, Carole Everett and George Sanderson, during their campus visit. We greatly appreciate all who provided invaluable feedback through our online survey—we had 164 respondents. Your input, in addition to conversations with school leaders, has guided the development of the Information for Candidates (IFC) document, which has been published by Educators Collaborative and for which a link has been created on the school website. This comprehensive document provides potential candidates with an overview of the school, an outline of the opportunities and challenges before us, and a profile of the skills and attributes we will look for in our next Head of School. Carole and George are already engaged in developing a pool of candidates and report that they have received a robust response to their outreach.

We would like to report back on what we heard from our community in the survey. Specifically, the most referenced answers from respondents were as follows:

• Most valued aspects of Lesley Ellis School are our culture of warmth and kindness (52%); our talented and caring teachers (51%); and our small class sizes and low student-teacher ratio (45%).

• Priorities for the next Head of School include recruiting and retaining excellent faculty and staff (62%); supporting Lesley Ellis’ sense of community values and identity (49%); preparing students for success in high school and beyond (34%); and attending to the emotional and developmental needs of students (31%).

• Professional experiences believed most important for the next Head include leadership and management experience (66%); recruitment, retention, support, and management of faculty and staff (57%); and independent school experience (37%).

• Most important characteristics or qualities include approachable, accessible and collaborative (59%); honest, trustworthy and transparent (49%); and humble, kind, and empathetic (35%).

• When asked to choose their preference in the next Head of School’s leadership approach, 58% of respondents said that they preferred a leader who would maintain and build on the strength of the status quo and 42% of respondents said that they preferred a leader who would spark innovation and change in the school’s future direction.

We will be seeking a leader who enthusiastically embraces and champions the mission, vision, and core values of Lesley Ellis, and we encourage you to share information about this exciting leadership opportunity in your personal and professional circles and to direct any interested individuals to our consultants, who will follow up. This leadership opportunity will be highly attractive to many prospective candidates thanks to Deanne Benson’s inspiring and thoughtful stewardship of Lesley Ellis School over 23 years. The next Head of School can continue to enhance the strong foundation she has built across so many areas of the school.

Throughout the search process, feedback and involvement from faculty, staff, and our parent community will be highly valued, with opportunities provided for further input and participation when we welcome finalist candidates to campus this winter.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, and thank you in advance for your time and continued commitment to Lesley Ellis School.

Warmly,

Paul Stein
Executive Director
Schools For Children

October 18, 2024: Information for Head of School Candidates

September 30: Search Committee Named for Head of School Search

Dear Lesley Ellis Community,

I am writing to announce the appointment of the Lesley Ellis Head of School Search Committee. The input and collective insight of the committee’s members will help select candidates to interview, vet those candidates and choose finalists.

The exact timing of the Search Committee’s meetings and interviews has yet to be determined. The position will be posted in early October and interviews will likely occur in December. The goal is to have finalists visit the school in January so that the appointment of the new Head of School can be announced in February (for a July start date).

Committee members were chosen in order to represent different elements of the school community. With just nine members, this is difficult. Each of them has a responsibility, regardless of whom they most closely represent, to balance the varying needs of all the children at Lesley Ellis. Here’s the list:

MaryPat Lohse — Parent of 5th Grader (Advisory Board Chair)
Jamie Wielgus — Parent of 1st Grader (Advisory Board Member
Doug Neu — Parent of 7th Grader (Schools for Children Trustee)
Megan Burns — Parent of 5th & 2nd Graders (Schools for Children Trustee)
Bobby Smithney — Middle School History and Theater Teacher
Debra Gabriel — Early Childhood Teacher
Jenn Young — Elementary Program Director
Carl Dawson — Schools for Children Trustee
Paul Stein (Chair) — Schools for Children Executive Director

I am so grateful to each committee member for volunteering to take on what will surely be hard, yet highly rewarding, work. Ultimately, their participation will help assure that Lesley Ellis’ new school leader will have a successful tenure.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me or our search consultants (George Sanderson and Carole Everett) should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Paul Stein
Executive Director, Schools for Children

September 27, 2024: Community Survey for Head of School Search

Dear Lesley Ellis School Community,

Many thanks to all who were able to participate in the listening sessions hosted by our Head of School search consultants, Carole Everett and George Sanderson, during their campus visit earlier this week. They expressed their appreciation for the very warm welcome they received and for the thoughtful, informative feedback you offered.

In addition, we want to provide an opportunity for everyone to share written input as we craft the desired leadership profile for prospective candidates for the Head of School position. We thus hope that you will take a moment to complete the Community Survey here as your feedback is very important and highly valued. Responses are anonymous and will go directly to our search consultants at Educators Collaborative. The information gathered will help shape the Information for Candidates (IFC) document, which will be circulated regionally and nationally to recruit a robust pool of qualified candidates. The survey will be open until Tuesday, October 1st at 5:00 pm.

Thank you for your support and continued engagement as we move forward in the coming months. We look forward to keeping you informed and welcome any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Paul Stein, Executive Director
Schools for Children

September 20, 2024: Search Committee Staff Representatives

To all Staff Members,

September 19, 2024: Head of School Search Frequently Asked Questions

How will the school select the right person to lead Lesley Ellis School?
Our search consultants will visit the school for two days of meetings with a wide range of constituents on September 23rd and 24th, and shortly thereafter will conduct a community survey. Using the information gathered from this process, the consultants, in partnership with the Search Committee, will develop a position statement that articulates the opportunities and challenges that await the new Head of School as well as the professional skills and personal characteristics most desirable and relevant to successfully lead Lesley Ellis School.

How are people chosen for the Search Committee?
To ensure there is broad engagement and input from the entire Lesley Ellis community, individuals will be selected with a breadth and depth of relationships with the school, including parents, representatives from the faculty and administration, members of the Schools for Children Board of Trustees, and members of the Lesley Ellis Advisory Board. Members are charged with holding the future of the school and its mission at the forefront, and it is our hope that collectively a wide range of perspectives and experiences will inform our discussions.

What role will the Search Committee play?
Members of the Search Committee vet, interview, and evaluate candidates that are referred to them by the search consultants and then, after receiving input from the community, provide input to the Executive Director on whom to hire as the next Head of School. 

Will people other than the Search Committee get to meet the candidates?
Absolutely. Community input in this process is very important. The finalists – usually two – three people – will be invited to campus this winter and have an opportunity to meet with members of the Lesley Ellis community. Community members will, in turn, be asked to provide their confidential feedback to the Search Committee in a survey distributed after meeting the candidates.

What role will the Executive Director of Schools for Children play in the search process?
It is the responsibility of the Executive Director of Schools for Children to hire, support, and evaluate the Head of School. The Executive Director will choose the next Head of School based on input from the community and feedback from the Search Committee. 

Lesley Ellis School has committed and dedicated professionals in the building – wouldn’t it be easier to choose someone here?
LES is fortunate to have such a talented group of educators working at the school. Individuals who have an interest in the Head’s role are encouraged to apply for the position. All candidates will be considered and reviewed in the same manner in order to both maintain the integrity of the process and ensure that the individual selected is best suited to be the next Lesley Ellis Head of School.

How long will the search process take?
Like most independent schools, LES will engage in a thoughtful and deliberate search over the next several months. We anticipate the following timeline:

Position posted                                                       Early October 2024

Semifinalist interviews                                           December 2024

Finalist visits                                                             January 2025

Appointment                                                             February 2025

Start date                                                                   July 1, 2025

What if I know someone who may be interested?
Interested candidates should contact George Sanderson or Carole Everett of Educators Collaborative directly. We also invite members of the community to make referrals of appropriate candidates. Please contact George or Carole to share names and contact information of potential candidates, and the firm will reach out directly to candidates confidentially.

What is the scope of the Head of School search?
We are conducting a national search. While we know there are many talented educational leaders locally, we also know that Lesley Ellis is an outstanding school with a reputation for excellence. We are thus confident that well-qualified individuals from outside the Boston area will likely be interested.

What if I have additional questions?
Feel free to contact the Search Committee Chair, Paul Stein, directly or our search consultants for more information.

George Sanderson, Partner
gsanderson@educatorscollaborative.com

Carole Everett, Partner
ceverett@educatorscollaborative.com

September 18, 2024: Head of School Search Update

Dear Lesley Ellis School Community,

To follow up on Deanne’s earlier announcement, I am writing to begin the process through which we, as a community, will search for and select a new Head of School for Lesley Ellis. Importantly, I want to begin by conveying my deep gratitude for Deanne Benson’s stewardship over the past 23 years. I say this on behalf of the hundreds of students, parents, and faculty members who have worked with her. Deanne’s leadership has been transformative. When she arrived, the school went up to third grade and it was thought of only as an early childhood program. Deanne steadily added Grades 4 through 8, as well as a transitional kindergarten (TK) classroom. In the process, she guided the school so that it gained AISNE accreditation. Deanne oversaw the renovation of its current building and now that the new performance center and library construction project has broken ground, we can see the latest fruits of her labor. Whether it was the expansion of the arts programming, the creation of a makerspace, the addition of learning support, or the fostering of an award-winning anti-bias curriculum, Deanne always looked for opportunities for enhancement. Put together, this has resulted in what may be her greatest legacy: the highly regarded reputation that Lesley Ellis currently enjoys.  

We look forward to a thoughtful, inclusive process and successful outcome. Over the coming months, the search will engage members of the Lesley Ellis community – including Advisory Board members, teachers, staff, and parents – to help guide this critically important work. It will be marked by careful deliberation and thoughtfulness at every step, with the aim of selecting the next Head of School in the first quarter of 2025, for a targeted start date of July 1, 2025.

We have retained Educators Collaborative– an internationally-known consulting group that specializes in finding senior leaders for independent schools – to shepherd the process and ensure we identify candidates with the skills and experience necessary to lead Lesley Ellis’s diverse community, uphold its values, and continue to deliver on its promise of educational excellence. EC partners Carole Everett and George Sanderson, who come to us with deep roots and leadership experience working in independent schools, have already begun their work. We will soon be forming a small Search Committee which will include faculty members and parents from both the Advisory Board and the Schools for Children Board of Trustees. Holding the mission of Lesley Ellis at the forefront, the Search Committee will be charged with helping to develop a Leadership Profile articulating the desired skills and attributes we seek in the next Head of School. The Committee will review all candidate applications, vet the pool of qualified applicants to identify semi-finalists and then finalists, manage the on-campus visits for finalists, and solicit feedback from the entire Lesley Ellis community. I will choose the new Head of School based on this input from the community and feedback from the Search Committee. 

The first phase of the search process begins next week. On Monday, September 23rd we will welcome Carole and George for an on-campus visit. They will spend two days with us to learn more about Lesley Ellis, its aspirations for the future, and hopes for the next Head of School. During their visit they will host listening sessions for parents, faculty, the Advisory Board, and the SFC Board of Trustees, as well as provide an online survey to solicit additional feedback. There is no need to RSVP, and we hope you will make every effort to engage in this important effort. 

Listening Sessions on Monday, September 23

8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
Parent / Caregiver Listening Session
In person at Lesley Ellis

7:00 – 7:45 p.m.
Parent / Caregiver Listening Session (virtual)
Zoom link for this session

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Faculty Listening Session
In person at Lesley Ellis

Carole and George will supplement what they learn about Lesley Ellis during their visit with a community survey, which they will send out to all constituents shortly after their visit.  

We look forward to keeping you apprised of this work in the coming weeks. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback, and thank you in advance for your time and commitment to Lesley Ellis. 

Warm regards,

Paul Stein
Executive Director
Schools for Children