Head of School Search

Dear Hackley Community:

Thank you for your support, feedback, and commitment as we searched for the next Hackley Head of School. We are excited to share the news that Charles Franklin has accepted the role, starting July 1. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved this decision on the recommendation of the search committee, and the hundreds of survey responses and their feedback we received from the community similarly showed strong enthusiasm for Charles from every constituent group—faculty and staff, parents, students, and alumni.

Charles is currently finishing the academic year as Assistant Head of School at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, where he successfully led academic programming, the faculty growth and evaluation program, hiring, and professional development. Charles grew up in Connecticut, studying at Amherst and receiving a Masters in Education at Johns Hopkins before taking on roles ranging from History Teacher, Dorm Parent, and Coach, to Dean of Students, Upper School Co-Head, and Director of Academics. Both his passion for education and compassion as a leader will have great impact at Hackley.

We received over 60 applicants interested in the Head of School position. With our search consultants at RG175, we narrowed the pool to 25 and from there the Search Committee selected nine semi-finalists. Fortunately, many of you were able to meet our three finalists during their time on campus, all of whom would have potentially been great Heads for Hackley. Charles stood out because of his deep understanding and appreciation for what is unique about our school. For Charles, a strong sense of community came through in every interaction he had on the Hilltop, as well as the deep love that students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni have for Hackley. We believe he is the right leader to take Hackley to even greater heights in the coming years.

This process was a major undertaking. Hackley is a special place, thanks to you, and finding the right fit was not a guarantee. We are grateful for the time and effort from all our constituents to ensure we reflected as many viewpoints as possible in our decision. We learned more about our community in the process and hope you did as well.

Please join us in celebrating this wonderful news, and welcoming Charles, his wife Haley, and their three daughters, Connelly (11), Tate (9), and Charlie (6) to the Hilltop.

Best,
Rodge Cohen
President, Board of Trustees

John Canoni, Kaveh Khosrowshahi, and Hannah Saujet
Co-Heads, Hackley Head of School Search Committee