Head of School Search

Headmaster Bill Wharton has 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. The Board of Trustees has appointed a search committee to manage the process of recruiting for, and ultimately identifying, the best candidate to continue the school’s mission as originally established by Charles Merrill in 1957. The Search Committee has engaged Bob Henderson and Tony Featherston from the consulting firm RG175 to lead recruitment efforts for the new Head of School.

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

To keep all members of our community updated on the progress of the search, this page will be periodically updated to share news and information.

Sincerely,

Fred Ewald P '21, Julia Holloway '82, Marie Lossky P '10, '11

Co-Chairs, Search Committee

Announcing the Finalists for Commonwealth's Next Head of School

After lengthy and productive deliberations, the Search Committee has selected three outstanding candidates to advance to the finalist round. These talented individuals will visit the school and participate in virtual meetings in the coming weeks. Below please find the names and brief biographies for our finalists. We look forward to offering each of them a warm welcome.

Jennifer Borman '81
Head of School
School One
Providence, Rhode Island

Jim Foley
Assistant Head of School for Leadership and Innovation
St. Luke’s School
New Canaan, Connecticut

Peter Laipson
Chief Academic Officer
Woodrow Wilson Graduate School of Teaching and Learning
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Letters to the Community

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 timeline for the search?

In January 2020, Commonwealth School publicly announced Bill's departure and the search process. In early February 2020, a survey will be distributed to the Commonwealth School community. The consulting firm RG175 will visit the school and will publish the position statement. In late February, the active search begins.

By early May through August 2020, the Search Committee will refine and narrow the pool of candidates. In early Fall 2020, the finalists will visit the school and community.

The Board of Trustees will select and announce the new Head of School in Fall 2020. There will be a transition period from December 2020 - June 2021 and the new Head of School will begin on July 1, 2021 for the 2021-2022 academic year.

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 will visit Commonwealth in February 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 will meet and interview the finalists, and once the Search Committee offers a recommendation for a finalist, the Board of Trustees will approve the appointment of 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 steer the Head of School search at every stage of the process.

The Search Committee is 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 will arrange and conduct interviews with the semifinalists and finalists. We anticipate 3-4 finalists will visit Commonwealth in Fall 2020. After the visits, the Search Committee will identify and recommend its finalist to be 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