Head of School Transition

List of 6 items.

• Friday, August 30, Head of School Update

  Dear Bush Community,
  
  

  Welcome to the start of the new school year! We are writing to you on behalf of the Head of School Search Committee to provide an update on the process. Over the summer months, the Search Committee worked with Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A) to evaluate qualified candidates for the Head of School position. The identification of these candidates was the result of a global search, and included educators from a wide range of educational organizations. The response to the search reflects the strong reputation that Bush has in educational communities.
  
  From the fifty formally submitted applications, our CS&A consultants referred seventeen candidates to the Search Committee. We narrowed this pool to eight semifinalists, hosted individual Zoom interviews with each, and then selected four inspiring finalists. 
  
  We’re excited to share that these four finalists will be visiting The Bush School campus in the month of September. We will be organizing visits with multiple constituencies, including students, parents and guardians, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, former and current trustees, and parents of alumni with each candidate. 
  
  Candidates will be on campus on the following dates:
  
  

  Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6
  Monday, September 9 and Tuesday, September 10
  Monday, September 16 and Tuesday, September 17
  Thursday, September 19 and Friday, September 20 
  
  Please click here to see the time and location for virtual and in person opportunities to meet candidates. They are organized by constituency. 
  
  

  The day before each visit we will share background information on each candidate and provide a survey link for your feedback. The background information we will provide is a summary of each candidate’s educational and professional experience written by CS&A. Because application materials can vary greatly, we want to provide consistent information to you.
  
  During September, the Search Committee and the CS&A consultants will be checking references. The Search Committee will consider the information gleaned from the candidates’ references and the community’s feedback and make a recommendation to the Board for our next Head of School. The Board will make the final decision on behalf of the community.
  
  We hope you will welcome the candidates to Bush. Please know these visits are a two-way street; while we are assessing and getting to know them, they are also assessing and getting to know us. We also ask that you keep these names within the Bush community to the greatest degree possible so as to respect the candidate’s position at their current school.
  
  On behalf of our entire Search Committee, thank you for your support and engagement in this process that informs the search and enables the candidates to better understand Bush’s community and culture.
  
  As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please email us at headofschoolsearch@bush.edu.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  

  Karim Lessard '89, Board President

  Julie Okerstrom

  Search Committee Co-Chairs

• Tuesday, July 2, Head of School Search Committee Update

  Dear Bush Community, 

  We hope the summer is off to a good start for all of you. We are writing to you on behalf of the Head of School Search Committee to provide you with an update on the progress of the search and to provide an overview of our activities in the coming months.
   
  Over the past several weeks, the consultants at Carney Sandoe, Karen Neitzel and Jennifer Christensen, have been working with our Search Committee to prepare the Position Description for our next Head of School. It incorporates feedback shared by many of you in meetings with our search consultants as well as input gathered from the online survey. This document serves as a primary tool in the recruitment process, offering potential candidates a glimpse into our school community and culture. The Position Description can be found here.
   
  There has been a great deal of interest in this position, and our consultants have begun engaging with prospective candidates and will continue recruiting, interviewing, and vetting candidates throughout the first part of the summer. The Search Committee will review the candidate materials with the search consultants in mid-August to select a group of semi-finalist candidates for confidential interviews.
   
  The Search Committee will then select the finalists who will be asked to come to campus and meet with constituencies in September. After fully vetting all the feedback from the finalist meetings, the Search Committee will deliberate and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees for a new Head of School. Once approved by the Board of Trustees, our next Head of School will be announced to the community. We hope to be in a position to announce the new Head of School by the end of October.
   
  The Search Committee is confident that, through an engaging and transparent process, the many voices and perspectives in the Bush community will add tremendous value to our goal of recommending an outstanding candidate for Bush’s next Head of School. We will continue to update you and invite your input as the process unfolds.
   
  Updates can be found on the school website, and you can continue to provide your feedback to any member of the Search Committee or through headofschoolsearch@bush.edu.
  
  Karim Lessard & Julie Okerstrom
  Search Committee Co-Chairs

• Thursday, May 23: Head of School Search Committee Update

  Dear Bush School Community,

   

  As you know, the search for our next Head of School officially began last week with a campus visit from Karen Neitzel and Jennifer Wong Christensen from the search firm Carney, Sandoe & Associates. Karen and Jennifer engaged with students, faculty, staff, parents and guardians, alumni, and Trustees in small group sessions over the course of their visit. Thank you to those who participated and provided valuable insight to assist us in creating the Position Description which will be used to recruit top candidates from throughout the country or world.

   

  To gather additional input, we have also distributed a community survey and you are invited to respond by clicking here. Please do so by this Friday, May 24 at 5:00 p.m.

   

  We are delighted to announce our search committee members, co-chaired by Trustees Karim Lessard ’89, P ’22 and ’28 and Julie Okerstrom P ’22 and ’25. Karim runs 7 Simple Machines, a technology firm and incubator that has spun off companies in HR, healthcare, and financial services. Karim started volunteering for Bush as an assistant track coach and was the leader of the final Seacliste trip to France.  He developed an interest in volunteering for schools and spent nine years on the board at Seattle Country Day School with an emphasis on DEI and Finance then later went on to start the SCDS Alumni Association. Julie has been an active volunteer in many capacities at Bush and joined the Board in 2021. She currently serves as the Chair of the Development Committee and Co-Chair for the Center Campus and Middle School Campaign. Julie previously served on the board of Epiphany School, where she chaired the Development Committee, served on the Executive Committee and was a member of the search committee for Epiphany’s current Head of School.

   

  We are honored to serve alongside the following search committee members from The Bush School’s faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees:

  • Wesley Burns, Trustee and P ’34 and ‘37
  • Jessica Rosen, Trustee and P ’24, ’28 and ‘33
  • Quentin Streets, Trustee and P ’30 and ‘32
  • Sharon Hurt, Assistant Head of School for Advancement
  • Julie Barber, Lower School Dean of Academics and P ‘31
  • Mike Jackson, Middle School Faculty and P ’20 and ‘22
  • Christine Miller, Upper School Faculty and Math Department Chair, Acting Upper School Dean of Academics and P ’26 and ‘29

  We believe this group of individuals will represent the views of our community while keeping the interests of the school as a whole at the forefront. In addition to a deep understanding of our school’s culture and mission, the committee possesses a diverse set of skills and experiences to assist in the process of interviewing and evaluating candidates, as well as a shared passion for The Bush School. We thank them for their time and commitment to this important work.

   

  The search committee is responsible for ensuring a thorough process, vetting potential candidates, and making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees for the final hiring decision. We are committed to being inclusive and as transparent as possible about the process itself while also respecting and upholding the confidentiality of all candidates. You will hear from us again in the coming weeks once the Position Description is finalized. Continuing updates can be found on the school website. We also invite you to share your thoughts, comments, and questions with us at headofschoolsearch@bush.edu.

   

  Thank you for your engagement and support during this exciting time for The Bush School.

   

  Warm regards,

   

  Karim Lessard & Julie Okerstrom

  Search Committee Co-Chairs

• Tuesday, May 14: Head of School Transition Update

  Dear Bush Parents and Guardians, 

  
  

  Thank you for your support as we begin planning for our Head of School transition. Since I was last in touch in late April, the Executive Committee has been hard at work to launch the search process. I’m pleased to share an update with you. 

  
  

  First, many thanks to Trustees Karim Lessard ’89, P ’22 and ’28 and Julie Okerstrom P ’22 and ’25 for agreeing to co-chair the search committee. The committee is still in formation, and we hope to announce its members soon.

  
  

  After careful consideration, we have selected the search firm, Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), to facilitate our search. Karen Neitzel and Jennifer Wong Christensen are the senior consultants who will partner with us. Karen and Jennifer are familiar with The Bush School community, having recently facilitated our Middle School Director and Upper School Director searches. In partnership with the Board, they are committed to following a thoughtful, inclusive, and transparent search process. 

  
  

  As a first step, Karen and Jennifer will engage our community during a campus visit this Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17. 
  
  

  
  Carney Sandoe’s visit questions will center around three primary themes:

  1. What do you value and appreciate about the school? Why did you choose The Bush School? 
  2. What is the work ahead for Bush? What are the priorities, opportunities, and challenges?
  3. What are the qualities and characteristics you hope the next Head possesses?

   

  They have also created a community survey to gather information, and you are invited to respond by clicking here. Please do so by Friday, May 24 at 5:00 p.m.
  
  

  The information that is gathered during this visit and from survey responses will help in the creation of the Position Description (PD) which is an informational recruiting document for candidates. The PD will highlight community priorities, opportunities, and challenges ahead for The Bush School, as well as the desired experiences and qualities of our next Head of School. This will be a global search, and we are confident that the opportunity will attract a talented group of candidates.

   

  Continuing updates can be found on the Head of School Transition page on the school website. We invite you to share your thoughts, comments, and questions with us at headofschoolsearch@bush.edu.

   

  With warm regards,

   

  Lisa Carroll

  President of the Board

• Friday, April 26: Important Message from the President of the Board

  Dear Bush School Community,

   

  This is a letter that no Board President ever wishes to write, but earlier this week Percy informed the Board of Trustees that the 2024-2025 school year, his eleventh as Head of School, will be his last year at The Bush School.

  

  On behalf of the Board, I want to express deep appreciation to Percy for his outstanding leadership, his many talents, and the countless contributions he has made to our school since his arrival in 2014.

   

  Under Percy’s leadership, he helped the School execute on several key strategic priorities including:

  • growing enrollment by 25%;
  • increasing the school’s percentage of students of color to 48%;
  • increasing faculty salaries to the 75th percentile of national norms;
  • facilitating the purchase of the Methow Campus;
  • implementing the Cascades program;
  • shepherding the school community through the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • completing a successful capital campaign, the proceeds of which were used to construct the Upper School South building;
  • overseeing the seismic retrofit and restoration of Gracemont Alumni Hall;
  • implementing the Blazer Bus program; and
  • ushering in an epic Centennial celebration.

  On a personal note, Percy’s tenure at Bush has closely aligned with mine, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have known and worked closely with him over the last ten years. Percy will be missed for many things: his passion for Bush, his tirelessness, a calm demeanor, accessibility, his sense of humor, and his beautiful letters to the community, just to name a few.

   

  It is now the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to hire and support the next Head of School, and the process is already underway.

   

  The Executive Committee, comprised of myself, Vice President/President-Elect Salone Habibuddin, Secretary Karim Lessard ’89, and Co-Treasurers Atul Bali and Amy Fernandes, will oversee the formation of a Head of School search committee, as well as the selection of a search firm to guide us in this critically important work. Bush is well-positioned to attract strong candidates from across the country, and the search committee will follow a comprehensive, thoughtful, and transparent process allowing for meaningful engagement across the School’s many constituencies. As the process advances, I will be updating you. Going forward, the school’s website will be the source of all information related to the head of school transition.

   

  Any leadership transition period can be both exciting and unsettling, and there is a tendency to focus on the impending departure versus the longstanding commitment. But just as the Centennial year has provided us with an opportunity to reflect upon our past and envision our future, so too will a change in the school’s leadership.
  
  

  Percy’s final year will be a busy one, and I respectfully ask for your full support. The Board, in partnership with a strong Senior Leadership Team, talented faculty and staff, and many engaged parents and guardians, will accomplish a lot. We’ll also pause to honor Percy, celebrate his many contributions to Bush, and enjoy our remaining time together.
  
  

  Until then, please join me in thanking Percy for his many years of service to The Bush School, and for putting us in a strong position to manage the transition ahead.
  
  

  With warm regards,

  

  Lisa Carroll
  President, The Bush School Board of Trustees

• Friday, April 26: Important Message from the Head of School

  Dear Bush Community, 

  
  

  I remember walking onto the Bush campus for the first time in 2013, impressed by its beauty, vibrancy, and above all the kindness of the people who called this amazing community home. Being on campus, walking among Japanese Elm trees, incredible artwork, and buildings brimming with energy and inspiration filled me with a sense of calm, hope, and optimism. I have seen that same hope and optimism in the eyes of Kindergartners as they go about their day, as well as Seniors as they gather, plan, and prepare for the journey ahead. 

  
  

  It is that hope and optimism that has made Bush such an incredible place to work over the past ten years. So, it is with bittersweet emotions that I write to inform you that the 2024-2025 school year will be my last at The Bush School. Every day, over the past ten years I have felt profoundly fortunate to serve and lead a school as uniquely excellent as Bush. This is a community that welcomed my family, embraced my children, Claudia ‘21 and Carlos ‘24, through their educational journey, and supported a vision for The Bush School that honored its history and legacy in Seattle while still innovating and educating students to lead in the future.

  
  

  I believe that I have the best job in Seattle. I have the opportunity to work with a committed, creative, and caring faculty that see the infinite potential in each child, and work tirelessly to help them realize it. I have learned and been supported by a devoted staff and a peerless administrative team who are indispensable collaborators in this work. I am able to engage with funny, kind, curious, and ambitious students who support their peers, think critically about local and global issues, and are determined and destined to blaze their own trails in the world. I have been a part of a parent community that cares deeply about Bush and works to ensure that the school will always endeavor to be the best version of itself. Lastly, I have partnered with the Bush Board of Trustees to build a vision for the school’s future that has positioned the school to lead boldly into the next century.

  
  

  I am proud of the work we have done together over the last decade and the progress that the school has made on many of its stated priorities. My eleventh and final year at Bush will be busy, and I am eager to continue our work before my tenure ends in June 2025. In fact, the school is poised to begin a strategic planning process in the fall, to reveal our exciting work on new brand messaging and visual identity that will better position the school in the Seattle educational market, and to start a self-study process in preparation for our upcoming accreditation visit. These processes will provide a clear articulation of a path forward for my successor when they join the community.

  
  

  Now is the appropriate time for Nina and me to set our sights on pastures that are not greener, but much closer to family. I want to thank this community for welcoming a California kid and his family to the Pacific Northwest and making him feel at home. This city and this community have left an indelible imprint on us, and I will carry with me the fond memories, deep laughter, and enduring relationships that formed my new family here. I will leave with a deep sense of gratitude, hope, and optimism for the future of The Bush School. 

  
  

  As always, it’s a great day to be a Blazer.

   

  Warmly,

   

  

  Percy L. Abram, Ph.D.
  Head of School