Head of School Search

 
3/27/26

We began our search for a new Head of School (HOS) with a thoughtful and inclusive search process that affirmed the qualities we identified as essential in our next HOS: strong leadership skills, integrity, a passion for progressive education and children, and an excitement to join with the faculty and Boards to continue to provide a progressive education, while defining excellence in a Preschool-8 school.

 

Our consultant team interviewed faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and administrators, gathered information through a survey of the entire Orchard community and relied on the perspectives of Search Committee members to help craft a position description that attracted over 120 applicants. From that initial pool we identified a dynamic and diverse group of 14 outstanding candidates. The Search Committee interviewed nine of these individuals, which resulted in the invitation of 5 finalists who together embodied a rich diversity of personal background and professional experience. Each was highly qualified and presented different and inspiring visions for Orchard. Unfortunately, due to timing of our search, two of our finalists accepted other HOS opportunities and one declined the invitation to come due to personal reasons.    

 

The two finalists who visited met with a broad representation of our community which resulted in feedback to the Search Committee from the community and the candidates. After consideration of everyone’s input, rather than select one of the search finalists to lead the school in July 2025, the Search Committee determined that the search should be paused until the Search Committee has time to work with the boards and our community to determine when it will be appropriate to  relaunch our search for our next leader. The Search Committee made that recommendation to the boards yesterday and this recommendation was approved. The pause will give the Orchard community the opportunity to leverage what we learned during the search and allow the boards, Ed, the faculty and staff more time to advance key initiatives.  Additionally, when we re-commence the search we will have the opportunity to do it much earlier so that we do not lose qualified candidates to other searches. 

 

This year we have had the extraordinary opportunity to have Ed Hollinger as our Interim HOS. Since joining our community in August, Ed has been a welcomed and valued member of Orchard. He has quickly connected with our community, leading with confidence. With appreciation for the great work Ed is doing, the boards have invited Ed to serve as our HOS for two years through the 2027 school year. The boards will work with Ed on a plan to address what we have learned through the surveys conducted, the search process, and insights Ed has gleaned during his time at Orchard. We are thrilled that he has accepted this invitation with enthusiasm!

 

Ed will continue to work together with the Boards, the faculty/staff, students, families, and alumni, on goals and objectives that continue to build upon Orchard’s long history of progressive education and living out the values of our mission to develop and educate the whole child.

 

We wish you a wonderful winter break and remain deeply grateful for your continued support of and trust in The Orchard School.

 

Warm regards,

Deb Thornburgh, Search Chair

Philip Genetos, President of the Board of Governors

Will Lawson,  Chair of the Board of Trustees