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PR: Leadership
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Principal Search Process
Principal Search Process
Welcome to the Principal Search page, which provides the Branksome Hall community with information and updates regarding the search for Branksome’s next Principal.
Branksome has a bold mission: each day, we challenge and inspire girls to love learning and to shape a better world. This mission is advanced through the strength of our leadership and partnership between the school and our community.A Search Committee has been established and approved by the Board. The Committee is composed of Board Members, who represent parents, past parents and alum, as well as school leadership. Representative faculty and staff will serve as advisory contributors to the process. Bios of the Search Committee members can be found on this site. Our aim is to have the search completed by June 2023. The new Principal will transition to Branksome on July 1, 2024.
Toronto-based Caldwell Partners has been retained to work with the Board on the search for Branksome’s 8th Principal, which will include identifying a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates. The process will include a period of listening and comprehensive consultation with the school’s community of employees, parents, alum and students. This process will inform the development of a position profile, establishing clear criteria for our next Principal — a world-class leader who will build on our mission, vision, values and long-term aspirations.
As the search to find our next Principal is underway, we will keep our community informed of important milestones and developments. Throughout the process, we will remain committed to balancing openness and transparency with the need for confidentiality inherent in any high-level search. We very much value your input and look forward to providing you with regular updates, so please continue to visit this site to learn more.
Regards,
Mona Malone
Chair, Branksome Hall Board of Governors
Chair, Principal Search Committee
Announcements
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Branksome Hall Appoints Grace McCallum as 8th Principal
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
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Board Chair’s Search Announcement
Monday, October 17, 2022
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Karen Jurjevich’s Retirement Message
Monday, October 17, 2022
Search Committee
FAQs
List of 7 items.
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How were members of the Search Committee selected?
The Board of Governors chose members who are broadly representative of the Branksome Hall community and who themselves represent diverse professional experience and cultural backgrounds, including Board Members, employees, alum and parents. -
Why is confidentiality so important in a principal search?
To facilitate the recruitment of high-quality candidates, the Principal Search will be conducted as a confidential search, meaning the identities of or details regarding candidates will not be publicly disclosed during the search process. It is done to maintain integrity of the process and to protect candidate confidentiality. -
Is there a timeline for the Principal Search? Does the school have a set date for when the next Principal will begin in the role?
The Search Committee has launched a thorough and thoughtful search process. With input from the community through Community Consultations, the Committee will develop the Position Profile, which is scheduled to be released in late November 2022. The Search Committee will recommend the final candidate as Principal for approval by the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors will announce their decision in June 2023. -
How will the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion be incorporated into the search process?
Elements of the Principal search process that incorporate the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are:- Search Committee members have all completed unconscious bias training, including reviewing a document prepared by Caldwell Partners entitled "Considerations for an Inclusive Search Process."
- The Search Committee has developed a list of key assessment criteria, which will be used as a candidate assessment matrix to reduce bias in assessment.
- Advertisement copy and the Position Profile language will be inclusive.
- Advertising approach will include posting with organizations that serve equity-deserving groups.
- The Committee will use an interview script with rubrics to reduce bias in assessing each answer and each candidate interviewed will be assessed against the agreed-upon criteria using a secure voting system.
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Why has Principal Jurjevich chosen to give a two-year notice period?
We are very fortunate that Principal Jurjevich has advised the Board of her intentions well in advance of her departure date. Succession planning with a clear timeline like this has many advantages. It means that the leadership transition can be approached with deep thought and care, rather than with haste. It enables the Committee to focus on identifying the right candidate, rather than focusing on meeting a tight deadline. It allows the Committee to consider candidates who may be working under a contract that requires them to give a one-year notice period. It means that during her final year of leading Branksome (2023–24), Principal Jurjevich will begin an orderly transition so that our new Principal will be well-briefed prior to transitioning to Branksome in July 2024. In addition, this allows time for ongoing follow-through on school priorities. -
How can members of the community provide input during the process?
There are three ways Branksome community members can provide input on the search process:- Through a confidential and anonymous Online Survey administered by Caldwell Partners.
- Through a series of in-person and virtual Community Consultations in October and November 2022.
- By directing any search process questions or recommendations to Caldwell Partners.
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What role does the executive search firm, Caldwell Partners, serve in the Principal search process?
Caldwell Partners is a leading provider of executive talent, with a 50-year history that has been built on transformative searches across functions and geographies at the very highest levels of management and operations. Industries served include education, non-profits, social enterprise, the arts and healthcare. Under the leadership of Heather Ring, the firm’s role in this process will be to develop a diverse pool of candidates, each highly qualified to meet Branksome Hall’s needs. The firm will facilitate candidate engagement with the Search Committee and the Board, and will support them through their review and selection process. All applications and nominations will be kept confidential.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.*
*The Land Acknowledgement may evolve as we honour our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous communities.
*The Land Acknowledgement may evolve as we honour our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous communities.
Setting the new standard for girls' education everywhere takes collective action. From all of us.
