Dear Members of the RCDS Community,
I am writing to share the dates and times when our consultants from Educators’ Collaborative, Dr. Deirdre Ling and Mr. John Mackenzie, will be conducting the community listening sessions that I mentioned in my February 19 letter. During the listening sessions, Dr. Ling and Mr. Mackenzie will have the opportunity to hear directly from RCDS’s various constituencies about what each group perceives to be the strengths of our school and the challenges we may face in the coming three to five years. Dr. Ling and Mr. Mackenzie will also gather input as to the personal and professional qualities our community is seeking in the next Head of School.
Employees, parents/guardians, and alumni are invited to join one of the respective forums to be held during the first two weeks of March. Due to coronavirus considerations, these sessions will be conducted via Zoom rather than in person. The dates and times for these listening sessions are listed below.
Please review the schedule below and register for the appropriate session(s). You will receive Zoom information by email prior to the event.
CURRENT PARENTS & GUARDIANS:
- Thursday, March 4, at 10 a.m.
- Monday, March 8, at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 10, at 7 p.m.
ALUMNI:
- Thursday, March 11, at 6 p.m.
EMPLOYEES:
- Tuesday, March 2, at 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 3, at 4:15 p.m.
- Thursday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m.
Members of the Board of Trustees will be invited to participate in separate sessions, as will representatives of other groups, including the Parents Association, the Alumni Executive Board, and Upper and Middle School students. The consultants will also meet individually or in smaller focus groups with senior administrators, department chairs, and other key stakeholders. This broad range of perspectives will be instrumental in drafting a comprehensive position profile, or Information for Candidates, that is not only compelling but also authentic and distinctive to RCDS. The Information for Candidates will be shared with prospective candidates to educate them about our school, its strengths and areas of opportunity, and the specific traits, characteristics, experience, and credentials we are seeking in our next Head.
We understand that not everyone will be able to attend the virtual listening sessions, but we are still eager to receive your feedback. With that in mind, Dr. Ling and Mr. Mackenzie have created an anonymous online survey, the results of which will go directly to them and the Search Committee to further inform the Information for Candidates. Whether or not you participate in the listening sessions, we hope you will take the time to complete the survey no later than Friday, March 12.
Please remember that you can visit our Head of School Search page for information and updates. Thank you for your continued engagement in this important process.
Sincerely,
Patty Perez (Stronski) P’20, P’23, P’25, P’27
Head of School Search Committee Chair