head of school search

At the end of the 2025-2026 school year, Pankti and her family will be returning to the East Coast to be closer to our extended family and to begin a new chapter in their lives. This decision was the result of a process of discernment with family and with the leadership of the board and guided by a firm belief that the school is ready to embark on its next chapter with strength, purpose, and clarity.  

As a community, over Pankti’s tenure, SFFS has strengthened the roots of our mission - successfully reaccrediting the school, launching a strategic plan that will guide the coming decade, preparing the ground for a capital campaign, and walking through complex and changing times with steadiness, empathy, and resolve.  The school’s financial position is strong, and the community is united in support of our mission and students.

The responsibility for selecting the next Head of School at SFFS lies with the Board of Trustees—one of its most significant duties. The Board will contribute to articulating the desired candidate profile, meet with all finalists, and, based on the Search Committee’s recommendation, approve the appointment of the new Head of School.

To lead this process, the Board has established a Search Committee to manage the search on its behalf. The Committee will be led by two co-chairs - trustees Seth Brenzel and Gaby Mishev. The committee is responsible for leading each phase of the process and will gather input from all constituents of the SFFS community, including students, faculty and staff, parents, graduates, former parents, and trustees. In partnership with our search consultants at RG175, the Committee will coordinate and execute the logistics of the entire search effort.

Both the Board and the Search Committee are dedicated to keeping the SFFS community informed and engaged as the process unfolds, with a commitment to transparency, inclusion, belonging, and honoring the diverse voices within our community.  

The SFFS Board, the Search Committee and our RG175 consultants are committed to an open search and value the perspectives and input of our faculty and staff. Broad faculty and staff input will be solicited through the process, with key opportunities including:

• Participation in a community survey in late Winter 2025
• Opportunity to meet with and provide feedback on the three finalists in Spring 2026

The SFFS Board, the Search Committee and our RG175 consultants are committed to an open search and value the perspectives and input of all members of the SFFS community. Community input will be solicited through the process, with key opportunities including:

• Participation in a community survey in early Dec. 2025
• In-person meetings with RG175 in early Dec. 2025
• Opportunity to meet with and provide feedback on the three finalists in Spring 2026

SFFS is partnering with the leading national executive search firm, RG175 and three of their top consultants, Coreen Hester, Steve Morris, and John Green.  Together with the Search Committee, they will be committed to a thoughtful, transparent, and inclusive process. RG175 brings a deep commitment to diversity and a proven record of identifying strong leaders by fostering the relationships that matter most—among schools, trustees, and candidates—in a manner grounded in integrity, equity, and community.  

RG 175 is providing advice to the Search Committee concerning format, logistics, procedure, and best practices throughout the search process. In particular, key roles include:

• Providing advice regarding the search process and timeline
• Preparing a Position Statement that summarizes the SFFS Head of School opportunity and the qualities and characteristics of ideal candidates
• Sourcing candidates nationally and internationally
• Conducting reference checks
• Supporting the Search Committee in evaluating candidates
• Providing advice to ensure a successful transition

Fall 2025

• Head of School departure announced 
• RG175 Hired and present at Board Retreat
• Search Committee formed
• Faculty and Staff Advisory Committee formed 
• Community Meetings held for current parents/guardians, faculty and staff, senior leadership team, alumni, current and former trustees, and students
• Position Statement posted

Winter 2025/2026

• Candidate communication, recruitment, and assessment by RG175
• Candidate application deadline (February 1, 2026), semifinalists selected

Spring 2026

• Semifinalist interviews by Search Committee 
• Finalists visit SFFS for interviews and to meet the community
• All constituencies give feedback on finalists 
• Search Committee recommends candidate for Board of Trustees approval 
• New Head of School announced to the community

July 2026

• New Head of School begins tenure (July 1, 2026)

Please note: The Search Committee understands that unanticipated issues may arise and is prepared to adjust the above timeline and process if necessary. In the event that the new Head of School can begin only in July 2027, the Search committee will conduct the process of identifying an Interim Head of School for the 2026-2027 school year expeditiously.

The Search Committee is committed to an open and transparent search process. The Search Committee will keep the SFFS community informed of our progress through announcements and postings on the SFFS Search webpage. The Search Committee will balance our commitment to make this process inclusive and transparent with the need to respect the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process.

Community members will be able to identify candidates for the position through the community survey that will go out in early December, and interested candidates can apply through the  RG175's website.

Day to day operations at SFFS will be largely unchanged. Pankti will remain Head of School through the end of the 2025-2026 school year and is committed to working with her leadership team, faculty and staff to ensure the experience for every student remains joyful, meaningful and consistent. The essential teaching and learning that happens in 250 Valencia will continue unabated. While we will undoubtedly miss her presence, the Board, Pankti, Leadership team, faculty and staff are working closely together, and the community continues to be united in support of our mission and students. The school’s financial position is strong. We are putting the finishing touches on a new strategic plan for the school, and new initiatives are being considered, including a capital campaign to reimagine some of our physical spaces at 250 and 260 Valencia. Pankti will continue to serve as Head of School through the end of the 2025-2026 school year.