Head of School - St. Paul's

St. Paul’s Episcopal School

Pk-8, Co-ed day school

294 students  

6249 Canal Blvd.

New Orleans, LA  70124

https://www.stpauls-lakeview.org/

Start Date: July 1, 2027

As St. Paul’s Episcopal School (SPES) continues to build on a proud history begun in 1960, the Board of Trustees has launched a search to identify a new Head of School for July 1, 2027. To that end, and to assist the Board in clarifying the goals and opportunities the new Head will face, Andre Withers and Mark Crotty of Educators Collaborative have solicited input from members of the school community during an on-campus visit and through an electronic survey: faculty, students, administrators, staff, parents/guardians, church members, and trustees. The following represents a summary of SPES’ strengths, the challenges and opportunities it faces in the next three to five years, and the personal and professional qualities trustees and the school community seek in the next Head of School.

St. Paul’s Episcopal School distinguishes itself as a place where, in one person’s words, “the focus is on learning how to be good people.” Similarly, the school celebrates childhood while giving students “the tools of how to be an adult.” SPES is a warm, friendly community that “earns a place in people’s hearts.”

Mission: “St. Paul's Episcopal School is dedicated to instilling in our children strength of intellect and strength of character in a Christian environment that is positive, respectful, and familial. We encourage our students to strive to do their best, to be compassionate, and to appreciate and preserve the beauty of life.”

Philosophy: “St. Paul's Episcopal School is an outreach of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The school community consists of teachers and administrators, children, parents, grandparents, church members, and friends. We serve children of all socio-economic groups, races, and religions because we want our children to see and recognize the beauty inherent in a richly varied and diverse world.

“At St. Paul's, we educate children in an atmosphere that is close-knit and nurturing, without undue pressures of competitiveness. It is this atmosphere that allows us to develop the full potential that exists within each child.

“We teach to a curriculum that gives our students the knowledge and skills to perform at a high academic level and thrive in a technological and rapidly changing world. Just as importantly, we believe we must instill in our children at an early age a sense of the joy of learning, so that they will not only become good students but lifelong learners.

Intellectual development is vital. Equally vital is the development of moral character. Integrity. Respect. Kindness. Service. Accountability to self, family, and community. These are the ideals we teach our children, and these are the behaviors we expect.

“We support the structure in which learning can take place, but we allow for the freedom in which discovery can happen. Our school life is rich with music, art, and opportunities for play. These, too, are necessary to lead our children toward discovering and appreciating their own unique gifts and contributions. We encourage every student to participate fully in the life of St. Paul's.”

Fast Facts

• St. Paul’s Episcopal is co-educational and serves students from Nursery through Grade 8. 2025-26 enrollment is 284 students.
• The average class size is 12 students.
• 69 full and part-time employees.

• 2025/2026 Tuition Range: $14,515 to &17,940 plus fees
• 36% of students receive some financial assistance
• 24% of students/families and 16% of faculty identify as diverse.
• Annual Budget: $5,051,652

St. Paul's is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) and the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools ("AES), and approved by the State of Louisiana Department of Education. St. Paul's complies with the regulations and standards of these accrediting bodies. St. Paul's is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES).

Sense of Community

Every constituency lauded the “very family-centered” sense of community at SPES. They talked about the intimacy, the safe and homey feeling, the concern for each other’s well-being. Everyone knows each other, and people revel in the many events that unite community members.

Episcopal Identity

As a vestry member noted, a strong Episcopal identity permeates the school. It is particularly apparent in the “St. Pauls’ way,” which echoes the Episcopal covenant of respecting the dignity of every human being. Students attend chapel, based on morning prayer, thrice weekly and Eucharist monthly. In the classrooms this spiritual direction allows students to know that each day they will be challenged in the classroom, where it is safe to explore, take risks, and gain confidence, that they will learn by doing, and that they will be reaching for the highest level of learning.

Governance

SPES exists as an outreach of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and the school works in close partnership with the church, particularly at the governance level. Currently 18 trustees sit on the board. Three trustees must be church members; the head of school and  the rector and senior warden also serve as ex officio members. Recently the board has been striving to strengthen their relationship through ongoing professional development and review of the cost-share arrangement. As one trustee remarked, “We’re very focused on moving forward.” This positive spirit runs through the board, primarily in its growth mindset for its own work and the future of the school. They are thinking strategically and excited to partner with the next head of school.

Program

SPES offers an appropriately challenging program that blends traditional and innovative curricula and pedagogy. The students receive excellent academic preparation and perform strongly on both testing and in high school. Along with the core subjects, the students have extensive exposure to arts, music, and technology (coding and robotics). Public speaking and SEL are woven through the entire program.  There is a learning specialist and counselor. Of particular note are the sustainability and service learning programs, often intertwined. The sustainability program focuses on three areas: economic, environmental, and cultural. The school has partnered with various organizations to make the learning very real here. For example, in a program called Coastal Care, students grow and then plant grass vital to preserving the Louisiana coastline. The mission-driven program emphasizes “desired habits of mind,” such as empathy, awareness of the needs of others, willingness to take action, the ability to communicate effectively, and to work collaboratively.

Faculty and Staff

Employees at SPES are truly committed to the school’s mission and values and to the age students with whom they work.  Many have served the school for many years, and strong new hires have joined in recent years. They are well-versed in their subjects and pedagogy; in fact, many of the middle school teachers are also certified to teach high school. They value the sense of mastery, autonomy, and purpose which allows them room to be creative in best meeting the needs of students in designing program.

Overall, the spirit of employees was captured by one person who described “the joy of helping make this school better.”

Students and Enrollment

While the majority of SPES students come from the immediate Lakeview neighborhood and Metairie, the school draws from 21 different zip codes around the area. Given the competition for students in New Orleans, that reach is significant. After SPES, students matriculate at a wide range of top public, private, and Catholic schools around the area. The school faces two key enrollment challenges. One, within three blocks of SPES are both a strong Catholic elementary school and a pre-k—4^th charter school with a gifted program.  Two, Catholic high schools in New Orleans begin in the 8^th grade, leading some students to leave after seventh grade.

Campus

Entirely reconstructed after Hurricane Katrina, the Lakeview campus contains multiple appealing features. The main 60,000 square foot building has large, bright classrooms with plenty of windows. There are well-equipped technology labs and art studios, a science lab, a gymnasium, and a central multi-use space. Student work adorns the walls. Administrative offices are primarily in a central location. The school also uses the church’s stunning sanctuary. There are separate buildings for the nursery and “the littles” The school also has many exciting outdoor spaces: two playgrounds, a small turf field, a full outdoor kitchen, individual grade-level gardens, a courtyard (by the sanctuary), and a greenhouse for hydroponics. The school shares a facilities manager with the church, and it contracts cleaning and security services.

New Orleans

New Orleans is one of the truly iconic, most unique cities in the United States. Many of its attractions receive international acclaim: Mardi Gras, Jazzfest, the French Quarter, World War II Museum, Audubon Park and Zoo. Excellent restaurants and entertainment spots abound; sports enthusiasts can cheer on the NFL Saints and NBA Pelicans, along with several minor and collegiate teams in other sports. Outdoor opportunities are rich. New Orleans is home to top universities and LSU medical school. Leading industries include tourism, the ports, oil and gas. After years of struggling post hurricanes Katrina and Ida, population in the NOLA region has stabilized.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community with a warm, inviting atmosphere; everyone loves the school.
• Clear understanding of the values that inform the St. Paul’s Way.
• A palpable Episcopal identity
• Highly qualified, talented adults who are dedicated to the school and care deeply about the students

• A rich program responsive to the specific needs of children without rushing their growth
• Innovative, mission-driven sustainability and service learning programs
• Small class sizes
• Growth-minded Board, eager to partner with the new Head of School to create strategic vision and direction for the school

• Spacious facilities, with well-equipped indoor and outdoor spaces
  
  

Challenges / Opportunities

• Following a leader who has served the school for 42 years, the last 16 as head of school
• Partnering with the board on the next strategic direction and implementation for the next era in SPES’s history
• Continuing to foster a strengthening relationship with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
• Inspiring, leading, and mentoring a group of committed, talented employees while honoring their sense of mastery, autonomy, and purpose
• Developing a model for the sustainability of a unique small school in a highly competitive independent school market, moving from an admissions mindset to an enrollment management model.
• Improved campus security systems and infrastructure.
• Programmatic review that honors tradition while streamlining, creating coherence, and fostering further innovation.
• Continuing to nurture the relationships with alumnae, parents, past parents and friends of the school to solidify the foundation for fundraising.

Desired Qualities, Characteristics and Skills in St. Paul’s Episcopal School’s next Head of School

The next Head of School will be committed to its mission and core values. An ideal candidate will reflect:

• Experience with small school leadership and child-centered education.
• A visionary who explores multiple approaches to meeting challenges and cultivating growth.
• A community builder who offers a positive, inspiring presence.
• Open and available; trustworthy and trusting.
• A clear, direct, and honest communicator.
• An effective manager who can handle multiple responsibilities and is willing to be decisive after appropriate process and input.
• Knowledge of, or excitement about, the uniqueness of New Orleans.

TO APPLY

This search will be on an expedited timeline so applications will be reviewed as received.

A preliminary conversation is encouraged with Andre Withers and/or Mark Crotty (see below) of Educators Collaborative to learn more about this opportunity. Those interested are asked to submit the following materials, in the order listed, in a Single Merged Document:

• EC Candidate Summary Sheet (contact consultants for this document)
• Letter of Interest, addressed to the Search Committee
• Current résumé
• Statement of Educational Leadership
• A list of five or more references with contact information (including phone numbers and email addresses)
• EC Disclosure Form (contact consultants for this document)

Please Address Inquiries to:

Mark Crotty, Partner, Educators Collaborative - (214) 808-6550

MCrotty@educatorscollaborative.com

and/or

Andre Withers, Partner, Educators Collaborative

awithers@educatorscollaborative.com - (202) 528-1705

Statement of Non-Discrimination: St. Paul's Episcopal School admits students of any race, religion, national and ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally made available to students at our school.

St. Paul's does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national and ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability in violation of state or federal law or regulations in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.

St. Paul's does not discriminate against any person in employment, or otherwise because of race, religion, national and ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability in violation of existing state or federal law or regulations.