Aloha Island School ‘Ohana and Friends,

 

The Island School’s Board of Directors enthusiastically announces the appointment of Nancy Nagramada as Island School’s next Head of School. She will join the School on July 1, 2023.

 

The nine-member Head of School Search Committee, appointed by the Board of Directors and led by Sam Pratt and Jed Gushman, partnered with RG175, a premier executive search firm that specializes in head-of- school searches. RG175 identified more than 45 qualified applicants with varying degrees of familiarity with PK-12 school practices, management, pedagogy, and curriculum from private, independent, parochial, public schools/districts throughout the world.  RG175 identified and benchmarked the strongest applicants based on Island School’s Position Statement qualifications and requirements to present to the Search Committee. 

 

Island School was fortunate to attract highly qualified candidates from around the world. Following a thorough and collaborative process that included input from all of Island School’s constituents, the Board of Directors believes that Nancy exemplifies the attributes and personal qualities to lead and guide Island School into a new era. During her visit to Island School, Nancy demonstrated her abilities to be an inspiring communicator and bridge-builder who instills trust. In addition, the comments we received from her references and our faculty, staff, students and parents, confirm that she is a forward-thinking educational innovator who can inspire and energize teachers, administrators and students. We readily saw that she has the genuine desire and ability to lead with Aloha.

 

Nancy has an accomplished academic career as an administrator, educator, and teacher.  She comes to Island School with more than 25 years in a variety of educational settings on both the East and West Coasts.  Currently, Nancy serves as the Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School at The San Francisco School in San Francisco, California, one of the oldest independent, coeducational day schools in San Francisco, founded in 1966.  Previously, she served as a teacher, administrator, and residential faculty member during her 14-year tenure at The Athenian School in Danville, California. She received her Masters of Arts in Education Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Education from Hunter College.

 

During her time with us, Nancy shared that she is a first-generation Filipina-American who learned a tireless work ethic from her parents and has dedicated her professional life to shaping schools to build a true feeling of belonging for all community members. She thrives in environments that nurture confident students who love to learn, have empathetic hearts, and are ready to make a significant impact on the world around them. 

 

Nancy will complete the 2022-2023 academic year at The San Francisco School before moving to Hawai‘i with her husband Charlie, also an educator, and son, Milo, currently a 6th grader. Their other three adult children, Sam, Sidney, and Sebastian, will remain on the mainland to continue their education and careers. 

 

We have appreciated the collaboration with RG175 for the search process, and Jim Scott and Doreen Oleson, our firm representatives, will continue as partners into the next school year, supporting Nancy’s transition with mentorship and counsel.

 

Finally, I would like to thank the Island School ‘Ohana for enthusiastically participating in this selection process and providing invaluable feedback. I would also like to thank all the members of the Search Committee for their extraordinary service and dedication to Island School, particularly Sam Pratt and Jed Gushman for their leadership as co-chairs of the Search Committee. And finally, special thanks to Vince Durnan, who as our Interim Head gave us the opportunity to complete a thorough search while still having confidence that the school was in great hands.

Mahalo,

 

Kathy Richardson

President, Board of Directors