Letters to the Community

June 8, 2021

The Taipei American School Board of Directors is excited to introduce Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge as TAS’s 15th Head of School, whom we have appointed following a unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee. Dr. Dodge will finish her Interim Head of School appointment early and will formally start her role as Head of School as of July 1, 2021.  

Dr. Dodge is well known to many in the TAS community, having served in several previous positions, including in college counseling, as the Deputy Head of School, and most recently as the Interim Head of School. Before describing Dr. Dodge’s background further, I want to share some details about the search process that led to her appointment.  

The Head of School Search Process

The Board commenced the search process in August 2020, following the announcement from our previous Head of School, Dr. Sharon Hennessy, that she would retire for health reasons effective September 2020, after more than 14 years of exemplary leadership. In spite of some challenges due to the ongoing global pandemic, the Board’s Search Committee has had the opportunity to conduct a thorough search during this school year for Dr. Hennessy’s successor, and we were able to assess a wide range of well-qualified candidates.  

The Search Committee was comprised of six Board members:  Alex Hsu (Co-Chair), Elizabeth Wang (Co-Chair), Charlotte Ackert, Joseph Hei, Tina Koo, and Vera Wu.   

The Search Committee was assisted by an Advisory Committee comprised of the following school representatives:  

• Evelyn Chen – Upper School Science Teacher, incoming Upper School Associate Principal 
• Ryan Haynes – Upper School Director of Academic and Personal Counseling 
• Robert Kowalec – Lower School Grade 4 Teacher 
• Jessica Lee – Former Head of PTA  
• Nathan Smith – Dean of Faculty: Director of Instruction and Learning
• Kristin Rowe – Middle School History/Political Science and Forensics Teacher 

After researching, interviewing, and reference-checking four leading executive search  firms for independent schools, the committee retained Carney, Sandoe & Associates in November 2020.  The search firm’s team was comprised of some of its most experienced consultants: Ben Bolte, John Chandler, Ralph Davison, and Deb Welch.  In January 2021, over a four-day period, Carney Sandoe conducted virtual site visits, focus groups, and  surveys with community members including Board members, faculty, administrators, parents, students, alumni, friends of TAS, and non-teaching staff. Drawing from the feedback from 114 community members, the Search Committee and Carney Sandoe  drafted the Head of School Position Statement, which articulated the qualities the community would like to see in the next Head of TAS.  

During the winter and early spring, Carney Sandoe sent the position paper to over 5,000 potential candidates around the world (including American independent schools) known by the firm to assess their interest in the position.

From this large number of potential candidates, the consultants began direct email and video conversation with 145 potential candidates. Carney Sandoe presented twelve candidates to the Search Committee in the first round. Of the twelve candidates, eight were heads of independent or international schools; one was an assistant superintendent of a medium-sized US public school district; one was a superintendent of a large US public school district that had a sizable presence of international parents; one was the principal of a US high school; and one was a former college president who was currently serving as a vice president for advancement at a college. 

The Committee reviewed the twelve candidates’ resumes and statements of education philosophy and leadership practice as well as Carney Sandoe’s dossiers containing transcripts of two lengthy interviews with each candidate by Carney consultants. Search Committee members conducted due diligence research prior to introductory calls with each candidate; each call was participated by numerous committee members.  

Based on this extensive review process, the committee selected four finalists, and presented their redacted profiles to the Advisory Committee for their feedback and further questions. With additional input from the Advisory Committee, the Search Committee conducted second-round interviews with the four finalists.     

In the end, two of those candidates moved forward to our final round in May, which consisted of confidential video interviews with over 100 members of the TAS community (including faculty, administrators, parents, students, current Board members, past Board members, Board elect members, alumni, and friends of TAS). After extensive deliberations taking into consideration each candidate’s background, leadership qualities, reference checks, and community feedback, the Search Committee voted unanimously on May 28 to recommend Dr. Dodge as the next Head of School to the full Board.  

The Board voted unanimously in an Executive Session on the evening of May 28 and ratified this decision at the Open Board Meeting on June 8 to appoint Dr. Dodge as Taipei American School’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2021.  

Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, TAS’s next Head of School 

Dr. Dodge is well-known to the TAS community, and many know that she has had a diverse range of experiences in her career. She grew up in New England as a Taiwanese-American in a community with few Asians. Dr. Dodge received her B.A. cum laude in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, an M.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University. In addition, she completed all credits towards an M.Ed. in Middle School Education at Lesley University and has served as a math instructor.

Before her career in education, Dr. Dodge was a consultant and CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has held positions as an Associate Director of Admissions in the Undergraduate Office of Admissions at Harvard University, as the Director of Admission at Wellesley College, and as the Director of College Counseling at TAS. Over the years she also has served as a resource for The College Board (serving as Chair-Elect of the New England Regional Council of the College Board), the US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools, and the New England Association of College Admission Counseling, among several other organizations. Most recently, she served as TAS’s Deputy Head of School and as the Interim Head of School.  

Dr. Dodge has ably led TAS as our Interim Head of School through a challenging year and was instrumental in helping us develop our 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.   

Those within our community who met Dr. Dodge during the search process described her with praise:  

• “Grace is considerate, caring, trusting, and open to communication and facilitates partnership and collaboration. She is capable of embracing and identifying opportunities while trying to resolve and tackle issues.”  
• “Grace has a deep understanding of TAS culture and dynamics. She has demonstrated the right instincts to handle challenging situations as the Interim HOS. She did not just manage to get by but has thrived in her role in a very tough year. She has a great balance of care, diplomacy, and directness in her communications.” 
• “I like the way she said that she wants to celebrate every child, recognizing that not everyone is an academic superstar, each child has different talent that they could explore at TAS. Also, she will be able to manage TAS’s finances well with her strong background in financial accounting.” 
• “She is willing to listen and learn and takes on her leadership role with humility and respect. Grace understands students as well as parent expectations and can bridge the seeming contradiction between academic excellence and wellbeing.”   
• “She is personable, willing to get down to the trenches, see what’s going on, a straight shooter, well experienced in the college admission process. Knows TAS well and knows both Western and Chinese culture well and can navigate between the two.” 

Similarly, those who have worked with Dr. Dodge in the wider educational community gave her the highest recommendation to be the next Head of School of TAS: 

• “Grace is a super star who is only going to get better. She has the skillset to deliver. As the permanent HOS for TAS, she would be able to work on some of the issues she has had to hold back for now.” 
• “Grace is a quick study of any system, challenge or problem; she is super intelligent; persistent; and very perceptive. Any path you give her she can get it done. She is bright in terms of strategy and as a Director of Admission.” 
• “Grace was a great champion of DEI. She made a real difference in helping to create the diverse student body we have at Harvard today.” 
• “She is excellent in listening and is able to build a network of people from many different backgrounds. She is open-minded and receptive, and also has a confident presence that is reassuring to others. She is a joy to work with.” 
• “Grace is great at identifying and developing talent. She champions professional development for her team, and the people she has managed have gone on to new and higher roles with much success.” 
• “Grace has the ability to be truly outstanding in everything that she does. She would be a great leader for any institution, and she has the qualities that would enable her to be a national and international leader as well.” 

Dr. Dodge is passionate about education and student wellbeing. Her words upon learning of her appointment reflect her deep commitment to TAS:  

“I am grateful to the Board of Directors and to the TAS community for its tremendous support during my interim term, and I am truly honored to be able to continue leading TAS at this exciting time in the School's history.  

This is a time for TAS to continue building on its appreciation for diversity, for community building, and for making sure our students feel nurtured and safe in an inclusive school community daily. On top of the breadth and depth of our programs offered, it is the people in the TAS community that make the School such an energizing place to work. I share a genuine love of TAS with all of you and am humbled to partner with the community in working together to build on the School's 71-year legacy and long history of academic excellence.  

From the unique challenges faced by the education world due to the pandemic, we have seen expectations change for K-12 graduates before they move onto college and the working world. The world now demands more young people who can show they have not only been academically challenged, but they are also worldly, emotionally healthy, flexible, compassionate, open-minded, and happy lifelong learners, no matter where their passions lie. These are my wishes for every student, and I am excited to be charged with executing the 2021-2026 strategic plan alongside my outstanding faculty and staff colleagues. This plan highlights the education of the whole child to be ready for the rapidly changing world. We will always keep teaching and learning at the forefront of what we do at TAS, yet recognize that times of change provide us with the space for collective growth, reflection, and rediscovering the true meaning of an American-based education as we look towards the opportunities of the future.” 

Looking to the Future

Dr. Dodge will take over as Head of School at an important moment in TAS’s history – as our school both builds on past successes and adapts to ensure we best support students in the future. Over the last decade and a half, TAS has grown and improved in many traditional measures of independent school excellence. We have achieved high standards of academic excellence; a broad range of world-class programs; leading facilities that support those programs; dedicated and experienced teachers, administrators, and staff; and, most importantly, bright and remarkable students who want to make an impact in the world. We believe that Dr. Dodge will be the school leader who helps us succeed as we move forward with our Strategic Plan, uniting our school across divisions; embracing the education of the whole student; strengthening our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and recognizing that TAS aims to "cultivate an enduring commitment to learning, personal well-being, and service.” We also believe that she will be an important role-model for our students, embodying the TAS values of Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, and Courage. 

The Search Committee has put in countless hours, and it is thanks to their dedication and to the able contributions from our consultants at Carney Sandoe that this search process has succeeded. The Board and School are grateful for their service, and for the service of all in the community who contributed their time and thoughtful insights.   

We are fortunate Dr. Dodge will assume her leadership as Head of School at TAS this next school year and will immediately be able to impact the School with her leadership. Though we faced challenges at the end of this school year resulting from the ongoing global pandemic, I am happy to bring you the wonderful news of Dr. Dodge’s appointment at the start of the summer break.  On behalf of the TAS Board of Directors, we thank you for your support of and trust in Taipei American School.  

Sincerely,  

Tina T. Koo  

Chair, TAS Board of Directors 

2021 年 6 月 8 日

台北美國學校董事會很興奮地向您宣布程上博士為台北美國學校第十五任總校長。遴選委員會一致向董事會推薦，董事會也一致同意任命程上博士為台北美國學校下一任總校長。程上博士將提前結束代理總校長一職，並自 2021 年 7 月 1 日起正式成為總校長。

程上博士在社群中頗負盛名，過去在學校中也擔任過許多要職，包括升學輔導相關職務，副總校長，以及最近的代理總校長。在詳細介紹程上博士的背景之前，請容我先分享一些總校長遴選流程以及任命程上博士的相關細節。

總校長遴選流程

自前任總校長韓雪倫博士宣布因其健康考量，將於 2020 年9 月結束超過十四年的卓越領導並引退之後，董事會便從同年 8 月開始進行下任總校長遴選流程。即便適逢全球嚴苛疫情肆虐之際，遴選委員會仍然在過去一年中徹底搜尋並評估多名資格符合的候選人，並從中遴選出韓雪倫博士的繼任者。

遴選委員會由六位董事所組成：Alex Hsu (聯合主席),、Elizabeth Wang (聯合主席)、Charlotte Ackert、Joseph Hei、Tina Koo，以及 Vera Wu。

遴選委員會同時也指派了下列六位校方代表組成顧問小組：

• Evelyn Chen – 高中部科學教師暨下任高中部副校長
• Ryan Haynes – 高中部升學與個人諮詢輔導主任
• Robert Kowalec – 小學部四年級導師
• Jessica Lee – 前任家長教師會會長
• Nathan Smith – 教務長
• Kristin Rowe – 中學部歷史∕政治學暨辯論學教師

幾番研究、面試並審查四家專門為獨立學校徵尋高階人才的機構之後，遴選委員會於2020 年 11 月任命 Carney Sandoe & Associates 為學校尋找下一任總校長，該公司也派出 Ben Bolte、John Chandler、Ralph Davison 和 Deb Welch 等四位最富經驗的顧問為學校服務。2021 年 1 月，Carney Sandoe & Associates 在四天內進行線上視察，專訪了焦點小組，並對社群成員進行問卷調查，包括學校董事、教職員、行政團隊、家長、學生、校友以及學校長期以來的支持者。根據這 114 位社群成員的意見與回饋，遴選委員會及 Carney Sandoe & Associates 舉列出社群所希望下一任總校長能具備的特質條件與職務聲明。    

去年冬天到今年早春期間，Carney Sandoe & Associates 將此一職缺需求暨職務聲明寄送給全世界超過 5,000 名有潛力的候選人（包含在美國獨立學校任職的領導人才）。

四位顧問從眾多的候選人中篩選出 145 位有潛力的競爭者，並開始透過電子郵件及視訊會議方式與之聯繫。在第一輪訪談後，Carney Sandoe & Associates 挑選出 12 位候選人予遴選委員會，其中八位為獨立學校或國際學校總校長，一位為美國某中型公立學校副總校長，一位為美國某大型、具國際家長族群之公立學校總校長，一位為美國某高中校長，一位為目前擔任美國某大學募款單位副總的前任大學校長。

遴選委員會對 12 名候選人的學經歷、教育理念、領導實踐，以及 Carney Sandoe & Associates 對每位候選人進行兩次長時間訪談後的檔案資料進行審閱。遴選委員會的委員們同時也在與每位候選人聯絡之前，針對每位候選人做足研究調查。每次訪談都由數位委員共同參與。

根據上述廣泛、深入的研究調查結果，遴選委員會選出四位入圍決選的候選人，並將其檔案交付給顧問小組並尋求其意見與建議。而在整合顧問小組的意見之後，遴選委員會對這四位候選人進行了第二輪的訪談。

今年五月，兩位最終候選人透過加密的線上訪談方式，與老師、行政團隊、家長、學生、前∕現任董事、新任董事、校友與 TAS 的長期支持者等超過一百位的 TAS 社群成員進行對談。在深思熟慮並詳細審閱、考量兩位候選人的資歷、領導人特質以及背景之後，遴選委員會一致推舉程上博士為下一任總校長，並向董事會提出建議。

董事會於 5 月 28 號傍晚舉行的內部會議上，一致決議任命程上博士為下任台北美國學校總校長，並將在 6 月 8 號的公開董事會中批准此一決定，自 2021 年 7 月 1 日起生效。

台北美國學校的下屆總校長程上博士

程上博士在台北美國學校社群中頗負盛名，多數人也都知道她的職涯經歷廣泛且豐富。美籍台裔的她成長於美國新英格蘭州，該社區僅有少數亞洲人口。她畢業於哈佛大學應用數學系，於東北大學取得會計與工商管理雙碩士學位，以及高等教育管理的博士學位。此外，她也取得萊斯里大學（Lesley University）中等教育碩士學位的所有學分，並於該校教授數學。 

在程上博士轉職教育界之前，她曾在 PricewaterhouseCoopers 公司擔任會計師。她也曾在哈佛大學入學部擔任其副主任，在衛斯理學院擔任入學部主任，並在台北美國學校擔任升學輔導組組長。在過去數年間，程上博士也曾以新英格蘭區委員會主席候選人的身份協助美國大學理事會（the College Board）、美國國務院海外學校辦事處（the US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools），以及新英格蘭升學輔導協會等機構。近期她所擔任的要職則為台北美國學校副總校長以及代理總校長。 

作為代理總校長，程上博士帶領台北美國學校走過相當具有挑戰性的一年，同時也大力協助董事會制定 2021-2026 策略計畫。

在遴選過程中曾與程上博士訪談的社群成員們，給予她下列讚美：

• “Grace 是個體貼、有愛心、可信賴的人，她善於溝通、樂於建立合作夥伴關係。她能夠在處理問題的同時，辨識並抓住所有機會。
• “Grace 相當了解台北美國學校的文化與變化。在其代理總校長任內，她以正確的直覺處理了極富挑戰性的問題和狀況；她不只求安然度過，她還藉此機會在這艱難的一年間茁壯成長。她的溝通方式謹慎、圓滑又不失坦然。
• “我喜歡她願意嘉獎、讚美每一位學生，讓所有學生了解學業成績並非一切，每個學生都能以自己獨特的方式探索學校。此外，她還能夠藉著會計師背景，好好管理學校財務。”
• “她平易近人且有禮；她願意親自深入問題核心、了解問題所在；她直接坦率，對於升學輔導相當有經驗。她很了解台北美國學校，也理解東西方文化，因此能夠運籌於兩者之間。 ”

同樣地，那些與程上博士共事過的面試者，也給予她最高的評價，認為她最適合作為下一任台北美國學校總校長：

• “Grace 是個超級巨星，在未來的日子，她只會更加進步。她有足夠的技能來幫助學校及其社群；若她能成為下一任總校長，她將能無後顧之憂地處理、解決一些目前她無法徹底解決的問題。”
• “不論任何制度、挑戰或問題，Grace 都能迅速地學習並解決。她相當聰穎，能夠持之以恆，而且有洞察力。她能完成各種任務，有策略頭腦，而且是一位相當優秀的入學部主任。”
• “Grace 在多元、平等、共融這方面表現傑出。她造就了今日哈佛大學多元的學生族群。”
• “她樂於傾聽，也願意連結不同文化背景的族群。她思想開明，虛心接受，同時也能展現自信，使他人信服。跟她共事相當愉快。”
• “Grace 善於用人及發掘人才。她鼓勵她的團隊參加在職訓練，許多她的下屬也都成功地轉任更高階的職位。
• “Grace完全了解她所做的每件事情，她在任何機構都能成為偉大的領導者。不僅在國內，她還有著能夠成為國際領導者的特質。”

程上博士對教育及學生福祉懷抱熱忱。在她得知她將接任下屆總校長時，她的反應更顯現出她對台北美國學校的承諾。

“我很感激台北美國學校董事會及全體社群，在我擔任代理總校長期間給予我極大的支持，我也深感榮幸能夠繼續領導台北美國學校朝未來邁進。

台北美國學校現階段應著重於建立一個多元社群，以確保我們的學生能在安全、和諧的學校環境中成長。除了廣泛深入的課程之外，台北美國學校社群中的成員才是造就出一個充滿能量的學校的最大功臣。我很榮幸能和大家一起努力為美國學校繼續創作卓越的學術環境。

全球疫情帶給教育界獨特的挑戰，在所有畢業生進入大學或職場之前，世界對他們的期望就已經改變。除了學業成就之外，現今世界更要求年輕人展現他們在各個方面的學習力，而且無論其興趣為何，大家希望見到一個具有世界觀、身心均衡發展、有韌性、富同理心、思想開明且快樂的年輕人。這也是我對所有學生的期盼。我也很興奮能夠與我傑出的教職員們攜手執行 2021-2026 策略計畫，這個策略計畫強調全人教育，重點在培育出能夠適應當下瞬息萬變世界的年輕人。身為教育者，台北美國學校會秉持持續教導並虛心學習的態度，藉由這個變化的時代讓我們尋求機會、共同成長、反思並重新探索美式教育的真正意涵。 ”

展望未來

程上博士將在學校歷史上重要的一刻接下總校長一職，因為學校不僅要維持過去的成就並繼續成長，同時也要改變並盡全力協助我們的學生們。過去的十五年間，台北美國學校成就了許多獨立學校應該達到的卓越標準，包括一系列世界級的課程、支持這些課程的優良硬體設備、專業且經驗豐富的教職員與行政團隊，以及最重要的，所有聰慧、卓越且願意為世界盡一份力的學生們。我們相信程上博士能夠帶領學校實踐策略計畫、讓各學部緊密合作、實踐全人教育、強化我們對公義、平等、多元與融合的承諾、體現本校“持續造就學習、個人福祉與服務之承諾”的目標，終向成功邁進。

經過長時間的努力，本次遴選流程順利結束。董事會與學校相當感謝遴選委員會以及 Carney Sandoe & Associates 顧問們的貢獻與付出，也感謝所有參與這次遴選過程之社群成員所付出的時間及深思熟慮的見解。

我們很幸運有程上博士繼續擔任台北美國學校總校長，繼續帶領我們迎向新的學年。即便疫情讓今年學期末充滿挑戰，在暑假開始之際，我很高興地向您宣布程上博士接任總校長的好消息。謹代表台北美國學校全體董事，我們在此感謝您對台北美國學校的支持與信任。

謹此   

台北美國學校董事長

李婷蘭 Tina T. Koo 

Dear Members of the TAS Community,

Our Head of School search process is moving forward, and we are pleased to provide an exciting update on our progress to date.

Over the past several months, the Search Committee, in partnership with our consultants from Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), has seen a very strong pool of talented candidates with an impressive breadth of experience from all over the world. The quality of the candidate pool has benefitted greatly from the significant and thoughtful input provided by the entire community, and we thank you all again for your partnership in this effort.

After reviewing the resumes of multiple candidates and holding numerous interviews with candidates over the past months, a group of four “semi-finalists” was invited to interview with the entire Search Committee with input from the Advisory Committee. We are pleased to announce that the committee has selected excellent candidates from this group as finalists to introduce to a broader cross section of our School community during the week of May 17.

Finalists will each be interviewed through individual and group meetings with members of the Head of School Search Advisory Committee, our senior administration, Board, faculty members, members of the parent/ alumni community, and of course some of our students. Due to COVID-19, the candidates are not able to visit Taiwan or the TAS campus, so these final meetings are meant to be as much for the candidate to get to know the school as much as it is for community members to get to know them. It is our hope that the candidate, if chosen, will feel excited to come. At this time, to respect their confidentiality leading up to the final interview, we are unable to share the names of the finalists.

The feedback from community members, along with reference checks and earlier consultant and Search Committee interviews, will become information the committee considers in recommending a candidate to the Board. 

On behalf of the entire Search Committee, we want to express our appreciation for the support we have received from community members. We look forward to updating you further as we complete the finalist selection process.

Sincerely,

Alex Hsu 
Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee 
Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors  

Elizabeth Wang 
Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee 
Treasurer of the Board of Directors / Head of Management and Resources Committee 

Dear Members of the TAS Community, 

Happy New Year! 

As shared prior to the holidays, the Search Committee of the Board of Directors has selected Carney Sandoe & Associates to partner with us in the search process for a new Head of School. The Board has two important updates to share with you at this time.

1. Head of School Search Website

In an effort to include our community and to be open and transparent about the search process, the School has created a Head of School Search website within the community portal. You can find the newly created website here: www.tas.edu.tw/head-of-school-search/home.

The website contains an archive of previous letters to the community, an expected timeline, a series of frequently asked questions, a form for you to submit questions and comments, and much more. We hope that this will prove helpful to all of our community members as we begin this important work.

Please note that you will need to log into the TAS portal to view this information.

2. Upcoming Virtual Site Visit for Parents and Faculty

As part of their onboarding process to get to know TAS and its community, the Carney Sandoe consultants — Ben Bolté, Ralph Davison, John Chandler, and Deborah Welch — will conduct a virtual site visit on January 20-22. 

During these three days, parents, students, faculty, staff, administrators, and board members will have the opportunity to share their perspectives of TAS and their desired qualities in a new Head. These conversations will allow the Carney Sandoe team to develop a compelling school profile and job description that reflects what we want and need in our next leader. The following virtual site visit sessions will be available for community members to sign up through the Head of School Search website:

Parents Virtual Site Visit Times

• Wednesday, January 20 — 7:00 PM (Taipei time)
• Friday, January 22 — 8:00 AM (Taipei time)

Faculty Virtual Site Visit Time

• Wednesday, January 20 — 8:00 PM (Taipei time)

Please note the virtual site visit sessions will be limited to the first 20 registered attendees. The consultants will be dialing in from the United States, so the time slots provided are planned accordingly.  

In addition, all community members will also soon be invited via email to complete a Head of School Community Survey, which will allow individuals to express their views on issues relevant to TAS and what we should be seeking in the next Head.    

We hope you will take the opportunity to share your thoughts on TAS and your desired qualities for the next Head of School.   

Sincerely, 

Alex Hsu 
Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee 
Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors  

Elizabeth Wang 
Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee 
Treasurer of the Board of Directors / Head of Management and Resources Committee 

Dear Members of the TAS Community,

As you know, in August 2020 Dr. Sharon Hennessy announced her decision to retire as Head of School. As Chairs of the Search Committee tasked by the Board of Directors with identifying Sharon’s successor, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to her for what will have been close to 15 years of superb leadership. It is a remarkable tenure, one that we celebrate.

We also express appreciation to Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, Interim Head of School from 2020-2022. As Grace has so aptly expressed, her leadership serves as a bridge from “one historic chapter under Dr. Hennessy to a new chapter.”

We would like to share with you the outline of the search process we have put in place that will lead to the appointment of the next Head of Taipei American School. TAS’s esteemed reputation in the international school community, as well as our 71-year-old-history, culture, and financial stability, will allow us to conduct a search that will attract a pool of outstanding candidates. Our search process will be transparent, thorough, and inclusive, and we will ensure that the community has the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas along the way.

It will be the responsibility of the Search Committee of the Board of Directors to screen and evaluate candidates and make an appointee recommendation to the full Board of Directors, which will make the final decision on the next Head of School. Our current expectation is that this process will lead to an announcement of our new Head before the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

The Search Committee has spent the past few months interviewing several highly qualified search consultants, ultimately retaining Carney Sandoe & Associates to partner with us in the search process. Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A) is recognized internationally in recruiting school leaders and was the firm employed for the search when Dr. Hennessy was hired. Ben Bolté, who has over 30 years’ experience with the firm, will serve as the lead along with Ralph Davison, John Chandler, and Deborah Welch.

More details will be following in the coming weeks regarding opportunities that the school community will have to participate in the process to share perspectives about TAS and the desired qualities in a new Head. These conversations will allow CS&A to develop a compelling school profile and a position description that reflects what we want and need in a leader.

In January, we will be launching a section on the school website dedicated to the search process so that you can follow search related communications and schedules, as well as a FAQ section, which we hope you will find helpful. We will update the page regularly as new information becomes available though much of the process in any head search must be kept confidential.

We hope this communication provides a useful launch to the Head of School search process. We are committed to appointing as our new Head of School an individual who embraces the TAS mission and values and who has a demonstrated record as an outstanding leader.

Sincerely,

Alex Hsu
Co-Chair, Head of Search Committee
Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors

Elizabeth Wang
Co-Chair, Head of Search Committee
Treasurer of the Board of Directors / Head of Management and Resources Committee