Former Head of School Rachel Skiffer concluded her service to the school on January 26th after three and a half years, leaving the School grappling with administrative transitions and faculty and students alike frustrated by the lack of transparency.
This news came as a surprise to almost all members of the community, including Ricky Lapidus, appointed as interim head of school by the Board of Trustees, and Courtney Duke, now serving as the interim head of the Upper School.
“It’s not something that we were secretly planning six months ago or anything like that,” said Lapidus. Duke said she found out about the news just slightly earlier than the rest of the school community.
Earlier this school year, Skiffer applied for the head of school position at Georgetown Day School in Washington D.C. The Board of Trustees was informed, according to Board Chair Brock Williams.
“The overall thought was we may be in an interim situation and we need to think about that,” he said. Georgetown Day School eventually selected a different candidate earlier this month after a delayed review process. Williams declined to comment on whether the Board had a plan of action if Skiffer didn’t receive the job.
Williams also declined to comment on the timeline of conversations between the Board and Skiffer. “Things come out when they come out, but sometimes you just don’t have a lot of control over certain things,” said Williams. He declined to comment on whether or not the Board could have prevented such an abrupt transition.
Many professional community members were shocked by the suddenness of the board’s email. “I’ve been in independent schools for 27 years, and I’ve never seen this [suddenness] before,” said Emily Miller, the Visual and Performing Arts Chair as well as this year’s professional community moderator.
In the wake of the news, Miller, with the help of other professional community members, organized a series of anonymous statements from Black-identifying professional community members. These statements were read at the start of the meeting with the entire professional community, the week Skiffer’s departure was announced.
The sentiments expressed a wide range of reactions from the professional community. “I’m heartbroken,” said Miller. She described the general sentiments of the statements. “Some themes that showed up were people feeling unsafe, undervalued, disposable, lots of feelings of shock, lots of questions around the process?” she said.
Williams commented on the statements, saying, “I was listening. And I could feel the pain.”
Lapidus elaborated, “We have an institution with a complicated history as a community for people of color…and Black women even more specifically than that,” he said. “And listening to our community is really important.”
Williams refused to comment when asked if there was any tension between Skiffer and the Board. He said he was bound both out of respect for Ms. Skiffer, but also legally, to remain confidential.
“I understand the frustration,” he said about the lack of transparency surrounding the transition. “But at the end of the day, there’s a degree and a level of confidentiality that exists in situations.”
The School now looks to settle into new administrative transitions. “I think listening and hearing how people are feeling and what they need…is really important,” Duke said. “I don’t want anyone to think we’re trying to rush through that, and to not acknowledge that this is really hard.”
Hannah Niles, dean and Upper School health teacher, further explained that conversations are taking place about how the open roles will be filled, including Duke’s former role as Dean of Students and Academics.
The School will now be moving into a new era of leadership. “I’m not trying to look backwards. I’m trying to look forward,” said Williams. “But I would want people to process.”
For Lapidus, students remain his top priority, “Right now I just want to double down on students,” he said. As the professional community, students, and families alike look to process the announcement, Williams has faith that the future of the school remains bright. “I feel like the superpower of this community, of Head Royce, is how the community can come together and get through it together, right?” said Williams. “And I’m already. . .seeing it.”