Head of School Search - Commonwealth School

Announcing Commonwealth's Next Head of School

Commonwealth School’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce its next Head of School. Beginning on July 1, 2021, Jennifer Borman (Class of 1981) will assume the headship position, succeeding longstanding, retiring Head of School Bill Wharton.

Read the Full Announcement from Board of Trustees Chair Therese Hendricks

"[School leadership] is a profoundly human enterprise that requires keen psychological insight, empathy, attentive listening, and emotional fortitude. It requires an active intellect—both to reflect the school's core educational mission and to use it to steer a complex organization."

—Jennifer Borman '81

In January 2020, Headmaster Bill Wharton announced that he will step down at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. He will have completed 36 years of service, 21 of those years as headmaster. While Bill’s steady hand and unflinching dedication to Commonwealth’s mission and unique culture will be greatly missed, this point in time represents a rare opportunity for us to refocus on what is at the center of the Commonwealth experience. It will be a time of reflection on what makes our school special, and what we want to preserve moving forward.

Read the Head of School Position Statement

Letters to the Community

December 10, 2020 - A Message from Incoming Head Jennifer Borman '81

September 23, 2020 - September Update from the Search Committee

August 4, 2020 - August Update from the Search Committee

March 16, 2020 - March Update from the Search Committee

January 13, 2020 - A Message from the Co-Chairs of the Search Committee

January 10, 2020 - An Announcement from Commonwealth School

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of the Board of Trustees?

The primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees is to hire the Head of School.

The Board selected and hired Bob Henderson and Tony Featherston of Resource Group 175 to support the search for Commonwealth's next Head of School. Bob and Tony visited Commonwealth in February, 2020 to interview and survey the faculty, staff, students, alumni/ae, and parents to write a position statement for the Head of School.

In the fall of 2020, the Trustees met and interviewed the finalists. In early October, the Search Committee offered their recommendation and the Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Jennifer Borman as Commonwealth's next Head of School.

The Board will assemble a transition team, with the support of RG175, that will manage the leadership transition.

What is the role of the Search Committee?

The role of the Search Committee is to manage the Head of School search at every stage of the process.

The Search Committee was responsible for vetting all highly qualified candidates presented by RG175, keeping the Commonwealth community informed and engaged throughout the process while maintaining the confidentiality of the recruitment process, and facilitating the leadership transition into the school.

The Search Committee arranged and conducted interviews with the semifinalists and finalists. Three finalists visited Commonwealth in Fall 2020. Following the visits, the Search Committee identified and recommended its finalist, who was subsequently confirmed by the Board of Trustees.

What is the makeup of the Search Committee?

The Search Committee is composed of members who have a wide range of perspectives, involvement, and backgrounds and share a deep commitment to Commonwealth's mission and core values. The members of the search committee are:

Fred Ewald P ’21, trustee and committee co-chair
Julia Holloway ‘82, trustee and committee co-chair
Marie Lossky P ’10, ‘11, trustee and committee co-chair

Therese Hendricks P ’05, ’07, trustee & board chair
Bob Murchison P ’10, trustee
Judith Sanford-Harris ’70, trustee
Jonathan Sheffi ’99, trustee