Head Search - The Montessori School

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It is with great appreciation and gratitude that The Montessori School congratulates Laurie Stulb on the announcement of her retirement at the end of her current contract as Head of School. Laurie has served as Head of School for the TMS community for the past 13 years and her commitment and visionary leadership have been invaluable to the students, faculty, families and institution as a whole. She ensured that our school renovations updated our facilities to meet the evolving needs of the infrastructure of the building while maintaining the integrity of our authentic Montessori educational process. Laurie is a champion for the students and their needs. Her community outreach has led to significant support for our school. We have all reaped the benefit of her advocacy for students and the importance of their education.

The TMS Board of Trustees has begun the process for finding the next Head of School to begin as soon as the 2022-23 school year. The search process will be led by an Administrative Transition Team of members who are named below in partnership with Carney, Sandoe & Associates. The search process will involve communication and feedback from the entire TMS community.

The transition of leadership in administration will reinforce and strengthen the mission of TMS as an institution. We are committed to hiring a leader who recognizes and values our unparalleled program and is committed to furthering the success of our gem of a school.

We are excited for the future of TMS, and thank you in advance for your participation in this process.

Communications

Letter from Laurie Stulb

Letter from Ngoc Tran

Letter from Administrative Transition Team (October 2021)

FAQ's

Why is Laurie Stulb leaving TMS?

On October 8, 2021, Laurie Stulb officially announced her plan to retire as of July, 2022. This is consistent with the end of her contract with TMS which Laurie graciously extended, guiding the school community through the Covid pandemic.

Laurie has worked diligently as Head of School for 14 years. The TMS community is grateful for her leadership and energy. She ensured that our school renovations updated our facilities to meet the evolving needs of the infrastructure of the building while maintaining the integrity of our authentic Montessori educational process. Laurie is a champion for the students and their needs. Her community outreach has led to significant support for our school. We have all reaped the benefit of her advocacy for the students and the importance of their education.

Is TMS using a search firm to help with the hiring process?

Yes, TMS and the ATT (Administrative Transition Team) have contracted with Carney, Sandoe & Associates to lead us through the search process to find an excellent match for our next Head of School. We are working with Skip Kotkins, who has international experience placing Heads of Schools, including in Montessori schools. Carney, Sandoe & Associates as an industry leader has a strong track record placing heads of schools and providing leadership training to schools since 1977.

What is the timeline for hiring a new HOS?

The timeline of a HOS search can vary widely due to a number of factors. It is possible the search will conclude as early as this spring. The search process consists of the following phases:

1) Establishing a relationship between the firm and school (educating the firm about the history and culture of our school)

2) Building the candidate pool (Utilizing multiple tools, a wide net is cast for candidates. We seek both candidates who have self-identified as looking for positions, as well as recruiting candidates we know, whom we hope to entice with the TMS opportunity)

3) Promising candidates are referred to the committee

4) First round interviews (an initial round of interviews conducted by the committee will narrow the pool to a smaller number of finalists)

5) Reference checking

6) Finalist visits

7) Selection (the committee will recommend one candidate to be voted upon by the TMS Board of Trustees)

How can we be involved in this process?

Be in touch! Please feel free to continue to share your thoughts and questions regarding the HOS search by emailing the Administrative Transition Team at HOSSearch@themontessorischool.us

Who is on the TMS Head of School (HOS) Administrative Transition Team (ATT)?

Dareus Conover
Current and alumni parent, TMS alumnus '86, Systems Architect for University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences

Marj Horton
Trustee, Director of Montessori Teacher Education Program at Chestnut Hill College

Keri Kelly
Former TMS Children’s House Guide, Reading Specialist, Alumni parent

Amy Robinson
Current TMS Lower Elementary Guide, TMS alumna '96

Brittany Shearon
Trustee, Former educator and director of literacy program within Philadelphia School District

Karen Walsh
Former Board Chair, Trustee, Alumni parent, Senior Executive Bank of America

Sue Zaharchuk
Trustee, Former leader of TMS capital campaign, Alumni parent

Administrative Transition Team Members