After 23 years of thoughtful leadership, dedication and service to Lesley Ellis School, Head of School Deanne Benson will retire at the conclusion of the 2024 – 2025 school year. Further details are provided below.
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September 18, 2024
Dear Lesley Ellis Community,
With a deep sense of gratitude, I write this letter to share with you that I will retire from my position as Head of School at Lesley Ellis at the end of this school year. Being part of the Lesley Ellis School community for the past 23 years has been an incredible journey, and I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together during my time here.
When I first joined Lesley Ellis on July 1, 2001, I could not imagine all that was ahead. At that time the goals of the school were to become accredited and “complete” the elementary program. Twenty-three years later we are now completing our third re-accreditation cycle and have not only a “complete” elementary program but also a vibrant middle school! Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with an exceptional faculty and staff (the real stars), supportive parents, and, most importantly, our students. Together, we have built a community that fosters a love of learning, encourages critical thinking, and nurtures the unique potential of each child.
I am incredibly grateful for all we have achieved together. We have expanded our programs, enhanced our facilities, and deepened our commitment to equity and inclusion, ensuring that every student feels seen, valued, and inspired. The memories we have created, from school plays and science fairs to graduations and community service projects, will always stay with me.
As I look toward the future, I am confident that Lesley Ellis is in a strong position to continue thriving. Our school’s foundation is solid, our mission clear, and our community vibrant. I am eager to see the next chapter unfold under new leadership and excited for the fresh perspectives and ideas that will come. To that end, I will collaborate with my successor to ensure a seamless transition and the continued success of the school we all love. That being said, there is much happening this year, not the least of which is the building project we see unfolding each day, as well as re-accreditation and addressing the recommendations which will come from that process. Be assured that I will remain fully engaged throughout this school year.
While I will no longer be a daily presence at the school after this year, Lesley Ellis will always hold a special place in my heart. I will remain a passionate advocate for this wonderful school community and will be cheering you on in all your future endeavors.
Thank you for the trust and support you have extended to me over these many years. It is a privilege to serve as your Head of School, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had at Lesley Ellis.
Warmly,
Deanne
News & Announcements About the Head of School Search
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,
As I wrote in yesterday’s correspondence, I am in the process of forming a search committee for our next Head of School. The committee will be composed of 3 Schools for Children Trustees (one of whom is a current Lesley Ellis parent), 2 Lesley Ellis Advisory Board members, 1 administrator, 2 additional staff members and myself. In forming this committee, I would like to have broad representation. Among other things, I want to assure representatives from the pre-school, elementary and middle school levels.
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