Head of School Search

With the June 2018 announcement that Alona Scott will leave Keys School at the end of the 2018-19 academic year, Keys began the search for her successor. We deeply value Alona’s devoted service and commitment to Keys, and we look forward to celebrating her many accomplishments during this school year.

One of the most important roles of the Board of Trustees at an independent school is to select a new Head. After careful consideration of several search firms, the Board has chosen to work with consultants Bob Fricker and Burke Zalosh from the educational search firm Carney, Sandoe and Associates. Bob and Burke’s experience and approach to the search process are a great fit for the Keys community, and we are delighted to be partnering with them.

At Keys, our search is being led by a committee chaired by Amy Schneider, a trustee and parent of a fifth grader. You will find a full list of committee members below. The Board of Trustees is deeply committed to finding a leader who embraces our strong mission and essential values, and guides us forward in our work of helping children grow into their best selves.

Thank you for your support throughout this important process for Keys. We are committed to keeping you informed and involved as we go through the stages of this search, and will provide information and periodic updates on this webpage. Please feel free to contact the committee at any time if you should you have any questions: searchchair@keysschool.org.

Overview of Search Timeline

July, 2018:  Search consultant Bob Fricker meets with the Leadership Team (the seven senior administrators who report directly to the Head of School) to begin gathering information about Keys.

September, 2018:  Bob Fricker and Burke Zalosh spend three days at Keys, meeting with faculty, staff, parents, and students, in order to get to know our program and our community.

September, November, 2018:  Application period; the Head Search Committee reviews applications and interviews semi-finalists.

December, 2018:  A series of two-day Finalist visits that include forums with parents, faculty and staff, as well as interviews with administrators and the search committee. Every constituency is asked to provide feedback via survey following each Finalist visit.

January, 2018:  Our goal is to have an announcement about our next leader and begin to design a plan with Alona Scott for a seamless transition.

Search Committee Members

Ultimately, the responsibility of hiring a new Head of school lies with the Board of Trustees. With that charge in mind, the Board has created a Search Committee made up of Trustees and representatives from the faculty, staff, and the community at large. We believe this group includes a diversity of perspective and a depth of knowledge about Keys that will allow us to thoroughly evaluate candidates. The Search Committee members are:

Eli Abbe
, Former trustee, alum parent
Kate Atmore, Director of Advancement
Matthew GemelloTrustee, current and alum parent
Jill Glasgow, Current Lower School parent
Jesse Johnson, Chair, Board of Trustees, current parent
Kelsey McMillan, 4th Grade teacher
Ramon Peypoch, Trustee, current parent
Ramesh Rajagopal, Trustee, current and alum parent
Jeff Redlawsk, Middle School Music teacher
Amy Schneider (chair), Trustee, current parent
David Webster, Trustee, current parent

Updates from the Search Committee