Letter from David Maher to
The Board of Trustees
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November 13, 2020
Dear Trustees,
I write to tell you that I will end my tenure at Rolling Hills Prep, Renaissance, and REACH Schools at the end of the current school year. I am truly appreciative for the opportunity to have served as the Director of Upper Schools, Assistant Head of School, and Head of Schools over the last six years. My daily interactions with our faculty and staff, parents, and most importantly, our students, have given me countless memories and a deep passion for the mission and impact of our three great schools.
Taking part in our family of schools’ incredible progress as we provide a transformative education for our students has been a privilege. I am confident that our innovative and incredibly talented faculty, staff, and administrative team, along with our dedicated Board of Trustees will continue Rolling Hills Prep, Renaissance and REACH Schools on their current path of success and growth in the coming years.
Most pressingly, there is much to do in the months ahead. I am committed to leading all three schools through the winter and spring and as we continue to anticipate our return to in-person instruction and campus-based life.
I look forward to the events and celebrations commemorating the milestone anniversaries of both RHP and Renaissance, and to the conversations with so many of you to extend my personal gratitude. Laura and I are grateful for the positive impact the schools have had on our lives and we truly appreciate the chance to be a part of the incredible Husky Community. In the spirit of “Once a Husky, Always a Husky,” I look forward to staying in touch and learning about the continued accomplishments that are on the horizon.
With sincere appreciation,
David Maher
Head of Schools
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Letter from The Board of Trustees
to the Community
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November 13, 2020
Dear Husky Community,
Our Head of Schools David Maher has informed the Board of Trustees that 2020-21 will be his last year at Rolling Hills Prep, Renaissance and REACH Schools. The Board received this news with tremendous appreciation and respect for what David has accomplished in his six years at our Schools, but also with regret that his tenure is coming to an end. While David will always be a Husky at Heart, we understand and support his desire to pursue new challenges.
As part of the Husky family, David has demonstrated his profound commitment to our Schools’ mission of finding the potential in every student. David’s accomplishments include hiring the most experienced and diverse leadership team in the Schools’ history; the renovation and installation of the Adam Z. Rice Memorial Theater; the successful WASC reaccreditation of both RHP and REN; the approval to be a candidate school for an RHP International Baccalaureate for Middle School Years Program; introduction of three specialized diploma programs; creation of admissions agreements with both the University of LaVerne and Marymount California University; and most recently the launch of our newest school, REACH Elementary School.
And while these accomplishments are easy to see, David’s signature one-on-one relationships with students, parents, guardians, faculty, and staff are equally important and cherished. No doubt, his big smile and genuine charisma will be missed by all. David has been the embodiment of our four pillars – disciplined minds, sound character, healthy bodies, and creative spirits. As evident in the talent of our faculty, staff, and students, his leadership will positively affect our community for years to come.
David will serve as Head of Schools until June 30, 2021 and he is committed to a smooth and orderly transition. This includes continuing to help bring students back to campus with the hope that schoolwide in-person learning will be achieved when it is safe to do so.
With this announcement, the Board of Trustees established a core group of trustees who will serve on a search committee. And, as is considered best practice for these searches, I will chair the committee. In addition, I will appoint a Search Advisory Committee comprised of members of our community who will participate in the interview process of the finalists. We have also retained Educators’ Collaborative, LLC, a search firm with almost four decades of experience, which will lead a national search process for our next Head of Schools. Educators’ Collaborative recently led the successful head of school searches for Chadwick School and Vistamar School.
Let me assure you that everyone in our community will be given opportunities to weigh-in on our search process. We value your input and support as we embark on the search process in the coming days. Information will be forthcoming about upcoming Zoom focus groups. To keep everyone informed, we have created a webpage dedicated to the search to provide regular updates and you may access it by clicking the button below. Our goal is to appoint a new Head of Schools by the spring of 2021.
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On behalf of the Trustees as well as those who have worked with David over the past 6 years, we express our deepest gratitude for his leadership and friendship. And while we will have opportunities to celebrate and recognize his work before the school year ends, I know that I speak on behalf of our entire Husky community when I say thank you, David. We wish you and your family all the best.
Sincerely,
Chloe Reid Boutelle
Chair, Board of Trustees
Parent ’22
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