Boston University Academy Picks Carney, Sandoe & Associates to Find Head of School
June 4, 2019 – Senior consultants Ben Bolté and Peter Phillip of recruiting firm Carney, Sandoe & Associates have been charged with finding a new head of school for Boston University Academy. The search firm has been asked to find a strong leader, negotiator and advocate for high school students who is eager to work within a university setting and is prepared to serve as a liaison for the school’s relationship with Boston University.
The head of school position is a unique opportunity to lead a thriving, well-known independent secondary school with a rising profile while, at the same time, working with the administration, faculty and deep resources of a large university, said Carney, Sandoe & Associates. “Without exaggeration, there is no other position quite like this in the United States even among the handful of strong university lab schools,” the search firm said. “The school is particularly keen to attract students and faculty from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and issues related to diversity, equity and social justice are very important topics on Boston University Academy’s agenda.”
Boston University Academy wants a scholar, preferably with an academic terminal degree, who has a passion for the life of the mind and an appreciation for the liberal arts curriculum of the school. A team builder and manager willing to make decisions but who is also collaborative and transparent in decision-making is highly desired. The ideal candidate would be someone who wants to lead a small school where he or she will know each student, parent, faculty member, alumni, and donor and will fully participate in the life of the school.
Boston University Academy is an academically rigorous independent day school centrally located on the Boston University campus. The only high school in New England that is part of a major research university, it offers a distinctive curriculum to just under 200 students in grades nine through 12. Boston University Academy provides students with an unparalleled college preparatory program that combines liberal arts coursework with classes at Boston University.
Buffkin/ Baker Lands Diversity Head for Dalton School
Domonic Rollins comes to the private, college preparatory school from Harvard University, where he worked in the president’s office as a strategist and advisor on diversity, inclusion and belonging, and as senior diversity and inclusion officer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
Boston University Academy’s identity is still evolving as it enters its 27th year. Its next head will be expected to shepherd the changes as they emerge as well as serve as the most visible spokesperson and advocate for the school, both in the greater community and within the university.
Education Recruiters
Since Carney, Sandoe & Associates’ inception in 1977, the firm has worked with over 1,800 independent, private, boarding and charter schools in 48 states and 32 countries to provide faculty recruitment, head of school search and strategic consulting services. Over the past four decades, the firm has facilitated more than 32,000 hires all over the world. Carney, Sandoe & Associates is based in Boston.
Related: Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Non-Profit & Higher Education Search Firms
Mr. Bolté is one of the firm’s practice leaders for leadership search. He also serves as a placement associate for admissions and college counseling. During a tenure of more than 30 years with Carney, Sandoe & Associates, Mr. Bolté has amassed a deep network of education professionals. His work since 2002 has centered on retained head of school and key administrator searches, both domestic and international. His recent assignments have included search work at Packer Collegiate Institute (NY), Avon Old Farms School (CT), Bay School of San Francisco, American School in Paris, Friends School of Boulder (CO), Polytechnic School (CA), American School in London, New Canaan Country School (CT) and Charlotte Country Day School (NC).
Mr. Phillip is focused on retained domestic head of school searches and especially on searches for elementary schools (PK-8/9). He has also supported schools in searches for key administrators and he has provided consulting to boards of trustees on governance and strategic planning. Mr. Phillip has supported 15 elementary schools seeking new heads including St. Matthew’s (CA), Palm Beach Day (FL), Riverside (FL), Bement (MA), Grosse Pointe Academy (MI) and Canterbury (NC). He has also supported searches at secondary boarding schools such as Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (GA) and Kents Hill (ME). He has also worked with K-12 schools such as Miami Country Day (FL) and Trinity (NY).
Related: Academic Sector Pumping Big Fees into Search Firms
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media