Head of School Search

List of 3 items.

• Letter from the Search Committee Co-Chairs

  September 21, 2023

   

  Dear Harborlight Friends,

   

  We are reaching out to provide you with an update on our Head of School search process and to alert you to some important upcoming activities. 

   

  As you know, we have recently retained Carney, Sandoe, & Associates (CS&A) to lead the search for our next Head of School. With the help of our consultants at CS&A, we are launching a global search for our new Head of School. Throughout the process, we are committed to keeping the community informed while also respecting the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process. 

   

  A vital component of the process will be a visit to the school by our consultants John Faubert and Burke Zalosh on Tuesday, September 26, and Wednesday, September 27 to meet with parents, faculty, administrators, staff, trustees, and students to develop a highly informed profile of the qualities and abilities that our school community is seeking in its next leader. It is critically important that we hear your thoughts and receive input from you throughout the search process. These meetings will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the search and to voice your ideas about the qualities you value in our next Head of School.  Please mark your calendars to attend one of these sessions.

   

  Parents are invited to attend one of two open sessions:

  Tuesday, September 26,  at 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

  Wednesday, September 27, 8:30 am - 9:30 am

   

  Times for faculty and staff to meet with the CS&A consultants will be distributed internally.

   

  All interested parties will also have an additional opportunity to provide feedback by participating in a community-wide, online survey. On or about September 26, we will email you a link to a confidential survey so that you can share your views. We strongly encourage all members of our community to participate in the survey, as this will be another important avenue through which CS&A and the Search Committee will be able to capture the valuable insights of each constituent group. 

   

  With input and information gained from on-campus meetings and from our community survey, we will complete a final Harborlight Head of School position profile, which is one of many ways we will be publicizing this search. To keep the search timeline on track, our consultants will be conducting preliminary screening of candidates this month and after preliminary and semi-finalist interviews during the fall, we will identify a group of finalists to bring back to the School for public, on-campus interviews/forums this winter. Flexibility is a key component of this process, so please understand that the timing of some of these events may shift as we proceed. Updates will be provided through periodic emails and a dedicated section of the school’s website will provide additional information.

   

  The ultimate responsibility for hiring a new Head of School rests with the Board of Trustees. To aid in that effort, the Board has appointed a Search Committee comprised of trustees, faculty, current and former parents. This group brings a deep understanding of Harborlight Montessori and represents a broad range of perspectives and voices.

   

  The members of the Search Committee are:

  1. Brandi Johnson, current parent, Board Vice Chair, and Search Co-Chair

  2. Dean Tsouvalas, Board Member, Search Co-Chair

  3. Eileen Caruso, current parent, Board Chair

  4. Sue Sullivan, Upper Elementary Teacher

  5. Cynthia Perreault, Lower Elementary Teacher 

  6. Jose Iglesias, current parent 

  7. John Cusolito, former parent, Board Member 

   

  If you have any questions or concerns about this process, or if you have someone to recommend for the Head of School position, please email us at search@harborlight.net 
  
  

  Please also feel free to contact our consultants directly. Burke Zalosh is available at burke@carneysandoe.com, and John Faubert is at john.faubert@carneysandoe.com. 

   

  The Board of Trustees is committed to finding an extraordinary leader who embraces Harborlight’s mission and values and can lead our school into an exciting and successful future. Thank you in advance for your participation and support in this important initiative. 

   

  Brandi Johnson, Search Co-Chair

  Dean Tsouvalas, Search Co-Chair

   

• Letter from President of the Board, Eileen Caruso

  September 13, 2023

   

  Dear Friends of Harborlight,

   

  It is with deep admiration and appreciation that we reflect on the leadership and career of Paul Horovitz, Harborlight’s Head of School, who has announced his retirement for June 2024. Paul’s impact on the school and its mission is immeasurable, and his legacy will live on through the students, parents, faculty, staff, and trustees who crossed his path over the past 10 years. We owe Paul a debt of gratitude for navigating Harborlight through dynamic transition and subsequent strengthening and stabilization. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I convey our immense gratitude to Paul for his outstanding service to Harborlight Montessori. We accept his decision to retire as Head of School and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

   

  One of the primary roles of Harborlight’s Board of Trustees is to help identify the next Head of School and, although the announcement is still fresh, we have been preparing for this transition for many months. With an eye toward the future, the Board of Trustees has thoughtfully retained Carney, Sandoe & Associates, the preeminent firm in

  independent school leadership, to lead our search. With their help, we are launching a global search for our new Head of School.

   

  We have also appointed a Head of School Search Committee, to be led by trustees Brandi Johnson and Dean Tsouvalas. This committee will work closely with Carney, Sandoe & Associates on all aspects of the process, from defining a job description to participating in the final candidate interviews. In the coming days, Brandi and Dean will

  communicate an update on our search committee and process and alert you to several opportunities to gather input from Harborlight’s important constituent groups. We are committed to finding a leader who can build on the momentum that Paul has created,

  and we are confident that the position of Head of School will attract many talented leaders.

   

  Harborlight is an exceptional community, made up of outstanding faculty and staff, and a supportive parent body. The Board of Trustees wants to reassure our community that the important work of our school will continue without interruption. Please join us in

  celebrating Paul’s unwavering commitment and years of service to Harborlight. His leadership and contributions have left a lasting impact that will continue to benefit generations of students to come.

   

  Sincerely,

  Eileen Caruso

  Chair, Board of Trustees

• Letter from Paul Horovitz to Harborlight Community

  September 13, 2023

   

  Dear Harborlight Friends,

   

  This is my tenth year as Harborlight’s Head of School. I look forward to spending each day with a strong team of talented colleagues who are passionate about their mission and in a school full of children who are excited to engage, explore and experience as they grow.

   

  I also know that an important part of growth – both for individuals and institutions – is change. With that in mind, I am writing to share with you my decision to retire at the end of this school year in June. It is the right time for me, and for the school.

   

  We have accomplished a lot together in a decade. When I arrived in 2014, the school was working to establish a new identity and culture for Harborlight following a merger, an achievement that we celebrated during last year’s 50th anniversary. We have built a strong year-round, all-day Montessori program, deepened student learning through

  Experience Weeks and strengthened our support of children and families by investing in student support resources. We have prioritized professional development and improving compensation. We navigated the COVID years, balancing safety and community while maintaining academic achievement. We came together as a

  community to raise funds for a new bus and have addressed infrastructure needs, big and small. We have built a solid financial foundation, and enrollment is strong. And we have worked hard to nurture a sense of connection among all of us – students, families,

  faculty, and staff. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together.

   

  I am confident that Harborlight is in good hands, with the leadership of a committed board of trustees, a talented faculty, and an administrative team whose love for the school is exceptional.

   

  I am grateful for the privilege of being part of the story of this wonderful school, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow and enrich the lives of all who come here to learn and to teach.

   

  Sincerely,