March 30, 2026
Dear Andover community:
As we begin the spring trimester, we are pleased to share an update on our Head of School search.
In early March, our search consultants from Carney, Sandoe & Associates spent two full days on campus, meeting with students, faculty, and staff. They have also engaged in conversations with parents, trustees, and friends of the school. The feedback from these meetings and the input collected through the online survey have been incorporated into a Position Description outlining the qualities we seek in our next Head of School. This document will help introduce Andover to prospective candidates and share our story with a broader audience.
The recent survey generated nearly 1,500 responses from across the school community, including current and former parents, employees, alumni, trustees, and friends of the school. This strong participation reflects the community’s deep commitment to Andover and its engagement in this search process.
The survey results affirm several consistent themes. Respondents highlighted the school’s academic excellence, outstanding faculty, and diverse student body. Those same themes are echoed in the priorities for the next Head of School: recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty, nurturing the school’s academic excellence, building the Academy’s sense of community and school spirit, and attending to the emotional, developmental, and wellness needs of each student.
Survey responses also pointed to the professional experiences and personal qualities most desired in the school’s next leader. Chief among these were experience leading in a complex environment, leadership experience in an independent school, skill in supporting and retaining faculty, and boarding school experience. Respondents also highlighted a desire for a leader who is approachable, collaborative, decisive, and transparent.
In their open-ended comments, community members added further depth. They wrote of the importance of maintaining academic excellence while attending to students’ mental health and community well-being, the desire for thoughtful adaptation to societal, demographic, and technological change, and the importance of continuing to recruit and support outstanding faculty. Respondents also frequently shared a desire to strengthen the school’s sense of community, traditions, and sense of collective purpose.
This feedback—both the data and the narratives—directly shaped the Position Description now being shared with prospective candidates. The profile reflects what the Andover community values most and outlines the opportunities and expectations that will define the next Head of School’s leadership.
We will continue to keep you posted on the status of the search through periodic updates online. Community members may reach the search committee at HOSSearch@andover.edu. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this process.
Sincerely,
Eric Zinterhofer ’89, P’18, ’19
Search Committee Chair and Trustee
