Castilleja School, a nationally-recognized leader in girls' education, has launched a search for its next head of school.
Castilleja’s Board of Trustees has begun the important work of identifying a new head of school. As co-chairs of the Search Committee, we are committed to a thoughtful, transparent process that includes meaningful engagement with the entire Castilleja community—and this webpage is meant to help facilitate that process.
Castilleja’s reputation for excellence is strong. We are confident that our search will draw accomplished, ambitious, and talented candidates. To attract and ultimately hire the right person, it will be essential for our committee to hear your perspective on the school’s changing needs, its challenges and opportunities, and the characteristics and experiences we are looking for in the next head of school.
We are committed to an equitable and inclusive process, ensuring that all members of the extended Castilleja community—including faculty, administration, staff, students, parents/guardians, and alums—have a voice and a role. Our committee understands the deep care you all have for our school, and we will keep you apprised and involved each step of the way.
Thank you for your commitment to our school, your upcoming participation in the process, and your support for our committee. We welcome your ongoing input at CastillejaHOS@spencerstuart.com and look forward to connecting with you soon.
Odette Harris and Jeff Wong
The Role: Castilleja Head of School
For more than one hundred years, Castilleja has been educating young women to become thoughtful leaders in an ever-changing world. We are seeking a dynamic leader for our next chapter to oversee the academic programs and activities for a diverse population of more than 400 students in middle and upper schools while we embark on the construction of a state-of-the-art, 21st-century, net-zero campus.
About Castilleja
Castilleja’s mission is to educate motivated young women to become confident thinkers and compassionate leaders with a sense of purpose to effect change in the world. Founded in 1907, Castilleja is the only independent 6–12 school for girls in the Bay Area. Deeply embedded in the community it serves, Castilleja's student body mirrors the diversity of the region, and alums pursue extraordinary college experiences (click here to view the Class of 2023 college choices).
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Our Search Partner
Spencer Stuart is a highly regarded national search firm selected to support the search. Spencer Stuart’s Mary Gorman, Aaron Mieszczanski, and Meg Becker are working closely with the Search Committee. They will gather input from conversations at the school and the online survey; draft the position description; and conduct extensive outreach into the desired candidate pools, seeking to identify leaders whose experience, backgrounds, attributes, and characteristics align with Castilleja’s aspirations for the next head of school.
Community Feedback
The Search Committee is committed to an equitable and inclusive process, incorporating all perspectives from the Castilleja community when making its important recommendation to the Board. In early November, the team at Spencer Stuart spent several days on campus, where they held conversations with more than 150 members of the campus community and had more than 300 people complete an anonymous community-wide survey. Thank you to everyone who provided their thoughtful input, which was essential in helping create the Opportunity Statement.
Recent Communications
Community Update October 18, 2023
Search Consultant's Visit November 2, 2023
Head of School Search Community Survey November 14, 2023
Community Update About Interim Head of School December 19, 2023
Update on Head of School Search January 12, 2024
Diverse Endowment Update February 28, 2024
Update on Head of School Search March 4, 2024
Contact Us
We welcome your insights or feedback directly with the committee and our partners at Spencer Stuart via email at any time at
CastillejaHoS@SpencerStuart.com
Our Search Committee
The Board of Trustees established a Search Committee, comprised of current and past trustees, faculty members, and parents that will manage the overall search process, and recommend a candidate to the Board. The Board expects the Committee to engage broadly with the stakeholders, to listen to all input representing a wide variety of views about the Castilleja School and the qualities needed in the next Head of School so that Castilleja is best positioned for its future.
