Head of School Search

On behalf of the Search Committee I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the progress of the Head of School search, as the Board of Trustees seeks to identify Tad Jacks’ successor.  First, I would like to welcome Debra Quinn, 7th grade parent, and Kathy McNeil, 12th grade parent, to the Search Committee.   While some activity related to the search has been visible to the Craig School community, many of the most important steps over the coming months will be taking place behind the scenes, and I will provide periodic updates about this progress.   As previously announced, Educators’ Collaborative (EC) consultants John Mackenzie and Deirdre Ling have been retained as our search team. Last month they conducted an on-line survey of our School’s community and interviewed a number of key stakeholders by phone in order to gather feedback regarding the state of the School and its aspirations for the future. After the start of the school year in September, they will come to campus and meet with parents, students, teachers, staff, and alums in order to gain a deeper understanding of the School. In the meantime, EC and Craig have put together a detailed profile to inform and encourage candidates to apply for the Head of School position. The profile can be viewed by clicking here.   EC is now actively engaged in building a strong candidate pool and then vetting the candidates through preliminary interviews and reference checks.  Our Search Committee expects to begin screening candidates late in the summer, with the intention of identifying a small group of finalists, who will be invited to Craig for interviews in the fall.   Out of respect for candidate privacy, all communications with candidates and all interviews prior to the finalist stage will be handled in a confidential manner. During the finalist visits, however, there will be opportunities for those in the school community to meet with the candidates and to provide their impressions of each.  It is the Search Committee’s goal to select the next Head of School in late fall, and we are on track to meet that schedule.  As a reminder, the Head-Elect will not officially assume responsibilities at Craig until July 1, 2020 upon the conclusion of Tad Jacks’ tenure.   I will provide additional information between now and the finalist visits.  In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.   Sincerely,   Amanda Jahn, Chair Head of School Search Committee  

As indicated in Frank Velocci’s May 23rd message to The Craig School community, I have been asked to chair the Search Committee as the Board of Trustees seeks to identify Tad Jacks’ successor. I very much appreciate the opportunity to serve Craig in this way and look forward to keeping you informed about the progress of the search in the coming months. As an important initial step, I am pleased to announce that Educators’ Collaborative (EC), a national consulting firm specializing in working with independent schools, has been engaged to assist us with the search. Deirdre Ling and John Mackenzie will be the partners from EC assisting us. Both consultants have themselves headed independent schools, and together they bring over 70 years of experience working in independent education. Of particular note, Deirdre and John are familiar with Craig, as they assisted the school with the hiring of both Tad Jacks and Director of Admissions Nicole Moon during the 2013-2014 school year. I would also like to take this opportunity to identify the other members of the Search Committee. They are: Frank Velocci, Chris Coates, and Andrea Lustig – all current Trustees and Nicole Moon, Director of Admissions. We will be adding about 2 new members to the Search Committee in the coming weeks and will let you know who they are in our next communication. By design and at the recommendation of our consultants, the Search Committee is small in number, but we are committed to making this process an inclusive one, involving the school community at appropriate points along the way. Towards this end, we ask you to share your perspective on Craig and its future leadership by completing a brief survey that is accessible via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CraigHeadSearch Please complete the survey by Monday, July 15th. Beginning immediately our consultants will start to build the pool of candidates by listing the position with appropriate agencies and associations, contacting selected educational leaders to solicit recommendations for the position, and reaching out to potential candidates with whom they and their colleagues are familiar. After the candidate pool has been developed, the Search Committee will meet to review the credentials of the top candidates identified by our consultants. Our goal is to complete the search process and announce the appointment of a new Head of School no later than January 2020 and perhaps earlier. Through this process, we will seek to find an appropriate balance between involving community input and respecting the privacy of the candidates. This latter consideration regarding candidates is important to help ensure the strongest possible candidate pool. Thank you very much for your commitment to The Craig School and your willingness to assist the search process in this way. Sincerely, Amanda Jahn Head of School Search Committee Chair

May 23, 2019 Dear Craig School Community, Six years ago, Tad Jacks became our Head of School.  In that short period of time, Tad has guided us through some of our most transformative years and helped to create a foundation that will ensure our long-term success.  With the conclusion of the 2019-2020 school year, his seventh, Tad has informed the Board of Trustees of his intent to step down as Head of School.  I cannot say enough about the remarkable work that Tad has performed while at Craig.  It has been my honor to serve as a Trustee with Tad as our Head.  His love and dedication to Craig came through in every decision he made. I have had the pleasure of working one on one with Tad over the past four years.  I can tell you first hand that Craig and its students were always first in his thoughts.  He wants the very best for our children.  It was always heartwarming to hear him tell me about the smallest detail of a student’s day or interests. Among the many highlights of Tad’s accomplishments at Craig, along with your Board of Trustees, is the purchase of our Campus in Mountain Lakes.  There were years of uncertainty for the Lower School and Middle Schools’ long-term home but under his leadership, those worries were put to rest.  While recent attention has centered on the significant renovations to our Lower and Middle School Campus, Tad’s primary focus has always been to enhance our current programs and make sure we remain leaders in our field.  We have never offered a more compelling curriculum.  Our Orton Reading Program is the model for schools to follow and we continue to find new and innovative approaches that allow our students to not only overcome their reading challenges but also excel in the classroom. During his final year, Tad will continue to focus on the academic and core curriculum recommendations and Action Plan themes that were part of our 2017 continuing accreditation process by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and strengthening the programs that have made Craig the premier school for children with learning disabilities.  With our wonderful and dedicated faculty, I can most assuredly say that Craig’s standard of excellence will continue.  Tad will make sure of that. The Board of Trustees has established a Search Committee that will be chaired by Amanda Jahn, a Trustee and a Current Parent.  We intend to engage our entire Craig community (parents, teachers, administration and our students) to help identify our next leader.  We look forward to recruiting our next Head who will build upon Craig’s traditions and Tad’s work. Please join me in thanking Tad for his service.  We will all miss him dearly.   Frank F. Velocci Chair, Board of Trustees