This communication was sent to the Speyer community on Friday, June 6.

Dear Speyer Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Head of School Search Committee, we are delighted to announce that Dr. Kirsty Montgomery has been selected to serve as Speyer's next Head of School, effective July 1, 2026.

The Head of School Search Committee, comprising twelve members of the Speyer community and chaired by Board Member Tushar Shah, P’27, launched its work last November by engaging RG175 to conduct a nationwide search for Speyer’s next Head of School. The Committee received more than seventy applications, ultimately selecting nine highly qualified candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds for in-person interviews in late April. Three finalists were then invited to campus for two days of comprehensive interviews, meetings, and classroom visits. After carefully considering the thoughtful and wide-ranging feedback provided by the Speyer community, the Committee recommended to the Board of Trustees that Dr. Montgomery serve as the next Head of School. On May 29, the Board unanimously approved this recommendation.

“Through our lengthy and thorough process, including multiple rounds of interviews, conducting extensive reference checking, and reviewing the feedback from countless members of our community, Kirsty emerged as the clear choice to be Speyer’s next leader,” Shah said. “The common refrain from all constituencies was that her experience in gifted education across different age groups and her personal qualities as a life-long learner would make her a great role model for our students, faculty, and staff, and a powerful ambassador for Speyer.”

Currently serving as Head of School at The Avery Coonley School, a PreK-8 independent school for gifted students in Downers Grove, IL, Kirsty has built a distinguished career leading institutions committed to intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinary learning, and social-emotional development. At Avery Coonley, she spearheaded the creation of a centralized Student Support Services Center, oversaw both strategic and campus master planning processes, and significantly increased fundraising and auxiliary program revenues.

Prior to Avery Coonley, Kirsty served as Head of School at Lakeview Academy in Georgia, where she drove successful enrollment growth, strengthened fine arts programming, and earned high praise for her steady crisis leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in her career, she held leadership and faculty positions at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies, and the Center for Talent Development.

Kirsty holds a Ph.D. in History and two M.A. degrees — one in Social Sciences and another in History — from the University of Chicago, as well as a B.Phil in Political Science from Northwestern University. She has presented widely on leadership, gifted education, and interdisciplinary curricula. She has co-authored multiple educational publications and innovative global curricula, including Around the World in Twenty-One Trumpets, created in collaboration with her husband, professional trumpeter Chris Hasselbring.

Outside of her venerable professional and academic work, Kirsty has served as a Director of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, a Scientific Advisor on the European Music Archaeology Project, and a Board Member of the Evanston Escola de Samba. She currently serves on the Board of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS). In her spare time, she enjoys attending theater, sporting events and concerts, and visiting with family and friends. She is excited to begin her next chapter in New York.

"I am thrilled to join Speyer's extraordinary community as its next Head of School," Montgomery said. "I had the privilege of witnessing 'learning without ceilings' in action when I visited Speyer. Speyer’s mission resonates deeply with me. I am truly honored to build on Speyer’s strong foundation and partner with students, faculty, staff, families, and the Board of Trustees to ensure the school continues to thrive."

“Kirsty captivated us with her exceptional background in gifted education and a vision that aligns perfectly with Speyer’s mission,” said Speyer’s Board Chair, Adam Taki, P’30. “Her proven track record as a strategic leader, her commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, her ability to unify diverse voices, and her deep understanding of the needs of gifted learners make her uniquely suited to guide Speyer into its next chapter. The Board and I look forward to partnering with her as we advance our mission and unlock new opportunities for our students and the community.”

Kirsty will succeed Larry Donovan, who will retire from Speyer after the 2025-2026 school year. We are deeply grateful for his steadfast leadership over these past six years. Larry and the senior administration have already begun planning for the upcoming school year, assuring a smooth transition and successful onboarding of Kirsty.

“I had the great fortune of first meeting Kirsty when she, the Chair of the Board of Avery Coonley, and a trustee visited Speyer in January of 2024,” Donovan said. “The team was visiting other independent schools that serve gifted children, and Kirsty’s commitment to educating students like the ones we have at Speyer was readily apparent. We are so fortunate to have her returning to Speyer in this capacity! I look forward to connecting with Kirsty over the next thirteen months as we prepare for this passing of the baton.”

The selection of the Head of School is one of the greatest responsibilities of trusteeship, and we can take pride not only in Kirsty’s acceptance of the appointment, but also in the breadth of our search and the remarkable caliber of the candidate pool. There are currently hundreds of active Head searches at fantastic schools across the country, and the exceptional quality and enthusiasm of the more than seventy accomplished educators who applied for our position speak to Speyer's recognized leadership in academic excellence and innovation in gifted education.

We extend special thanks to our fellow members of the Search Committee: Rodrigo Alonzo, Paul Deards, Shanti Ifill, Katy Lederer, Jascha Levy, Dorothy Meyer, Peter Nakada, David Opolon, Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber, and Jennifer Selendy. They devoted countless hours and great care to the search process to deliver its successful outcome.

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Montgomery in the summer of 2026. Until then, we will continue to celebrate not only all the moments and achievements, great and small, that typically punctuate a Speyer school year but, of course, our own Larry Donovan as he concludes his distinguished and transformative headship.

Sincerely,
Tushar Shah, P’27, Chair of the Head of School Search Committee
Adam Taki, P’30, Board Chair

This communication was sent to the Speyer community on April 11, 2025.

Dear Speyer Faculty, Staff, and Community,

The Head of School Search Committee has worked diligently throughout the past few months, reviewing applicant files and preparing for in-person interviews with a group of exceptional “semi-finalists.” As you might expect, our school attracted a robust pool of candidates with demonstrated leadership strength and with passion for the education of gifted learners. 

The Search Committee plans on inviting three finalists to move forward in our process and to visit Speyer in May. Each finalist will meet with Larry, members of the school leadership team, faculty, staff, interested parents, and students. Our finalist process has been designed to provide opportunities for input from multiple constituents, as we move toward decision-making. 

Open meetings with each finalist will be held in the Dining Hall on the following dates: 

Meetings with Finalist #1
Tuesday, May 6 at 3:35 PM – Faculty/Staff 
Tuesday, May 6 at 5:00 PM – Parents 
Wednesday, May 7 at 9:00 AM – Parents

Meetings with Finalist #2
Tuesday, May 13 at 3:35 PM – Faculty/Staff
Tuesday, May 13 at 5:00 PM – Parents
Wednesday, May 14 at 9:00 AM – Parents 

Meetings with Finalist #3
Wednesday, May 21 at 3:35 PM – Faculty/Staff 
Wednesday, May 21 at 5:00 PM – Parents 
Thursday, May 22 at 9:00 AM – Parents 

A few days prior to each finalist’s visit, we’ll share an introductory candidate profile and the link to an online survey to be used to provide the Search Committee with your observations and feedback. While community input will be carefully considered, as we explained at the outset of this process, it is the sole responsibility of the Board of Trustees to appoint our next Head of School, who will begin at Speyer on July 1, 2026. 

We hope that you will note the above dates and times on your calendar in anticipation of the visits. The Search Committee has been energized by the work done thus far, and we look forward to introducing our Head of School finalists to you. 

Sincerely,
Tushar Shah, Trustee, P’27
Chair of the Head of School Search Committee

We are pleased to share the Position Statement for the Head of School role. This is one of RG175’s recruitment tools used to attract qualified candidates. It was compiled using information from their meetings and interviews during their visit to the Speyer, including input from the survey of Speyer faculty, staff, trustees, and parents. It was approved by the Head of School Search Committee and is posted here as well as on RG175’s website.

This message was sent on January 16 2025 to our full community and contained the link to the community survey.

Dear Speyer families,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who participated in this week's Head of School search parent meetings and completed the survey. Tony Featherston and Jerry Katz expressed their appreciation and gratitude to everyone at Speyer for making them feel so welcome and for sharing their passion and their insights about the school.

As I previously mentioned, Tony and Jerry, together with the Search Committee, will use your input to guide the search process and also incorporate it into the school's position profile, a key tool used to attract the best candidates.

If you haven't already done so, there is still time to fill out the survey — the deadline is tomorrow/Friday, January 17, at 6:00 PM.

Remember, throughout the search process, you can find all previous emails and other information on the Head of School search webpage here. If you have any questions or concerns, please email headofschoolsearch@speyerschool.org.

Hope you enjoy the long weekend,
Tushar Shah, Trustee, P’27
Chair of the Head of School Search Committee

This message was sent on January 9, 2025 to our full community and contained the link to the community survey.

Dear Speyer families,

I hope that you had a restful and enjoyable winter break and are gearing up for all the good things to come in 2025. I’m writing to follow up on my email in December, which outlined the details of the Head of School search process. You can find previous emails and other information on the Head of School search webpage here.

As a reminder, Tony Featherston and Jerry Katz — the RG175 consultants working with Speyer — will be visiting Speyer next week. The two meetings for parents are Wednesday, January 15, with one meeting in the morning (8:45 AM-10:00 AM) and one in the evening (6:00 PM-7:00 PM). At each meeting, parents will be able to ask questions about the search and give input on what they feel the Search Committee and Tony and Jerry should be looking for in our next Head of School.

In addition, we hope everyone will participate in a brief survey to share your thoughts on our shared vision for the future; responses are needed by Friday, January 17, at 6:00 PM. Whether you are able to attend one of next week's meetings or not, please take a few minutes to share your perspectives on Speyer and the next Head of School in this format.

Tony and Jerry want to learn all they can about Speyer — its defining characteristics, strengths, and challenges — and, together with the Search Committee, they want to gain a clear understanding of what our community feels is important when searching for our next Head of School. Responses to the survey, input from the in-person visits, and information made available from school documents and publications will be used to create the school's position profile, a key tool used to attract the best candidates.

Again, we hope you will take the time to fill out the survey and attend one of parent meetings next week. If you have any questions or concerns, please email headofschoolsearch@speyerschool.org.

Sincerely,
Tushar Shah, Trustee, P’27
Chair of the Head of School Search Committee

This message was sent on December 11, 2024 to our full community and contained the FAQs also listed on this page.

Dear Speyer Community,

As you know, Speyer is embarking on a search for its next Head of School. As Chair of the newly formed Head of School Search Committee, I have been tasked by the Board of Trustees to lead the process by which Speyer will find its next exceptional leader. As a trustee and current parent who is deeply committed to this institution, I am honored to serve as a steward of this important endeavor. Though we are just beginning the search, I wanted to provide an update as well as an overview of what to expect over the next weeks and months.

Resource Group 175
After careful research, Speyer has engaged the services of Resource Group 175 (RG175) as its partner in facilitating this important leadership transition. RG175 is a leading independent school search firm that has conducted more than 100 national leadership searches over the last three years. The RG175 consultants working with Speyer — Tony Featherston and Jerry Katz — are both former heads of K-8 independent schools who have deep experience in Head of School searches, including work with a number of schools serving gifted learners. They will help guide Speyer’s search process and recruit qualified candidates. All of us have been impressed by Tony and Jerry’s early insights and have found their commitment to openness and transparency to be a good fit with the aspirations of our Board on how we aim to navigate this process.

Members of the Search Committee
We have formed a Search Committee comprised of parents, faculty, staff, and trustees. They were selected to ensure diverse backgrounds and points of view and a shared commitment to Speyer’s mission and values. The committee will support RG175's efforts, help facilitate the school’s decision-making process, and guarantee the community’s feedback is incorporated throughout every step of the search. They are:

Tushar Shah, Trustee, P’27, Chair
Adam Taki, Trustee, P’30, Ex Officio
Rodrigo Alonzo, Third Grade Teacher
Paul Deards, Deputy Head of School and Eighth Grade Humanities Teacher
Shanti Ifill, Trustee, P’26
Katy Lederer, Trustee, P’27
Jascha Levy, P’32
Dorothy Meyer, Head of Middle School
Peter Nakada, Trustee, P’17, ’19, ’22
David Opolon, P’30
Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber, Trustee and Co-Founder, P’17, ’19
Jennifer Selendy, Trustee and Co-Founder, P’16, ’19

Next Steps
While the final responsibility for appointing a next Head of School rests solely with the Board of Trustees, your input will be extremely important in helping the Search Committee to define criteria for the search and in providing feedback about finalist candidates.

The search process will begin with Tony and Jerry’s visit to Speyer from January 14-16, 2025. During this time, they will interview Larry and each member of the school’s leadership team, as well as hold multiple open forums with faculty, students, and parents. Tony and Jerry’s objective during this visit will be to get to know our school well, in order to best represent it in a position statement that will be used to recruit prospective candidates.

The two meetings for parents to attend will be on Wednesday, January 15 — one meeting in the morning (8:45 AM-10:00 AM) and one in the evening (6:00 PM-7:00 PM). At each meeting, parents will be able to ask questions about the search and give input on what they feel the search committee and Tony and Jerry should be looking for in our next Head of School. We will send reminders after the Winter Break, but please mark your calendars now.

In addition, all members of the Speyer community will be encouraged to participate in an online survey to share their perspectives about the uniqueness of our school, opportunities and challenges for its future, and attributes our next Head of School should possess. You will receive a link for accessing the survey early in January 2025.

Our goal is to announce the new Head’s appointment by the end of the current school year. However, it is important to note that our new Head will not assume responsibility at Speyer until July 1, 2026; Larry will continue to serve as our Head of School through the entire 2025-2026 academic year.

The Board, the Search Committee, and I aim for transparency in this process, while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of our applicant pool. To that end, I will continue to update the community regularly as we move forward and, in addition to emails from me, we have created a Head of School Search page on our website where all communication and updates on this process will be posted.

I've included some Frequently Asked Questions below to learn more about the search. If you have feedback or questions, please email headofschoolsearch@speyerschool.org.

I'm grateful that Speyer is in a position of strength, and I know you join me as we look to the future with great confidence.

Sincerely,
Tushar Shah
Chair of the Head of School Search Committee

Tushar Shah, Trustee, P’27, Chair
Adam Taki, Trustee, P’30, Ex Officio
Rodrigo Alonzo, Third Grade Teacher
Paul Deards, Deputy Head of School and Eighth Grade Humanities Teacher
Shanti Ifill, Trustee, P’26
Katy Lederer, Trustee, P’27
Jascha Levy, P’32
Dorothy Meyer, Head of Middle School
Peter Nakada, Trustee, P’17, ’19, ’22
David Opolon, P’30
Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber, Trustee and Co-Founder, P’17, ’19
Jennifer Selendy, Trustee and Co-Founder, P’16, ’19

Below are questions that often arise during a Head of School search and time of leadership transition. If you have any other questions or concerns, again, please feel free to reach out to headofschoolsearch@speyerlegacyschoool.org.

Will Speyer's mission or core values change with a new Head of School?
No. The school’s mission and core values have been thoughtfully developed over time. An important factor in evaluating the next Head of School will be the degree to which candidates understand, support, and can enhance our mission and core values.


What firm is supporting the search process?
The Board of Trustees has engaged the firm Resource Group 175 (RG175) to partner with it on our head of school search.  Consultants Tony Featherston and Jerry Katz are facilitating and supporting our search process.  

What is the timeline for the search
The current plan is to be able to announce the appointment of our next Head of School by the end of June 2025, although the new Head will not assume responsibility until July 1, 2026. 

What is the role of the Board of Trustees in the search? 

The Board is responsible for selecting the Head of School. This is one of the most important roles that the Board plays for Speyer. The detailed task of conducting the search will be undertaken by the Search Committee; its members (listed above) were selected by the Board. 


How were Search Committee members selected? 

Search Committee members share a deep appreciation for Speyer’s mission and core values.  They include individuals who offer a diverse set of experiences and points of view as well as a strong degree of commitment to and involvement in the school community.  

What is the role of the Search Committee? 

Initially, the Search Committee is charged with considering input from multiple constituents and defining the qualities required of the next Head of School. As the process moves forward, they will review candidate files, interview the most viable candidates, speak with multiple references, and make a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees.  

Will the Head of School search impact student experience? 

No. Larry will continue to serve as Head of School through the end of the 2025-2026 academic year, and the Head of School search will have little or no visibility with students until finalists visit our campus in May 2025.

Will the search impact the faculty's time in the classrooms or the administration's time and availability?
No. While the faculty and administration’s input will be sought throughout the search process, it will not intrude on classroom time or ongoing school operations.  

How will the Search Committee keep the community updated? 

There will be periodic communication from the Search Committee throughout the process. It is important to note that most of the search process must be confidential, and that will shape early communications. In addition, this page on our website will house all communication and updates on this process.

How can I help during the search?
Broad community input will be critical to facilitating a successful leadership transition.  Community input will help to shape the job description for our next Head of School, and forums will be provided for faculty, staff, and parents to meet with each finalist candidate and to give feedback to the Search Committee. In addition, you can help by bringing any rumors or speculation directly to the Search Committee to minimize the spreading of any inaccurate information and by carefully reading all communications about the search.  

After careful research, Speyer has engaged the services of Resource Group 175 (RG175) as its partner in facilitating this important leadership transition. RG175 is a leading independent school search firm that has conducted more than 100 national leadership searches over the last three years. The RG175 consultants working with Speyer — Tony Featherston and Jerry Katz — are both former heads of K-8 independent schools who have deep experience in Head of School searches, including work with a number of schools serving gifted learners.

The message below was emailed to all members of our community on November 20, 2024

Dear Parents,

I write with some news that brings mixed emotions. The short version is that I will be leaving Speyer at the end of my contract in June 2026.

After 30 years in education, this was not an easy decision. It is one grounded in my desire to spend more time with family and close friends. My sisters and brother-in-law live in New Hampshire, where I was raised, and the majority of my close friends live there or in the Boston area. I moved to NYC in July of 2008, and it is time to move closer to home. Some of you are aware that I bought a place in South Portland, Maine, and that is where I will eventually settle.

I have been reflecting on my time at Speyer; I joined the community in July of 2019. The school was still very young, not even in its teen-aged years. There was a lot of appeal in taking on the challenge of helping to move the school into a steady state. Through the building of a strong leadership team, engaging with the Board and many of you parents, we have made SO much progress! Speyer’s name is more broadly known on the NYC independent school landscape, for example, and directors of admissions at some of the top schools in the nation seek our graduates for matriculation. Speyer has joined the ranks of independent schools across the country that serve students like ours, and our involvement in the Association of Independent Schools for Gifted Students since its inception has augmented this.

From a financial perspective, our enrollment is more solid, and this is a particular achievement considering how many K through 8 schools in NYC have struggled. During my time at Speyer we have retired more than $12 million in debt, and we have increased the number of generous donors who augment our income. You all are aware of our success in fundraising, with donations on GivingTuesday and participation in our Annual Fund the envy of schools and non-profits across the city. Last year’s Gala raised a record in terms of gross dollars.

More recently, we redeveloped our terrace, taking better advantage of the space and offering more resources for the children during recess and PE classes. Last spring, we hosted a multi-grade dance recital in a “real” theater space. Just this year we have successfully launched an expansion of the Middle School, welcoming wonderful new students and families to our community. To meet the students’ needs, we hired terrific faculty and staff, and a mentoring program was launched to help ease the transition for these professionals. We now have a full-time Director of Equity and Inclusion, and the proliferation of affinity groups is just one manifestation of what this new role has meant for our community.

Most importantly to me, we have built a culture rooted in joy — the children, generally, race into the building each day to see their teachers and friends. They love to learn, and we have strengthened our programs to ensure they are appropriately challenged. In the past few years we have won city-, state-, and nation-wide titles and accolades in chess, debate, math, and Odyssey of the Mind. As stated, our students are accepted to the finest high schools in the nation, and our college placement is equally unparalleled.

I am proud of where Speyer is now. And, I want to recognize that none of this could have been achieved without the tireless effort of a stellar senior administrative team, a staff that willingly goes the proverbial extra mile in ways small and large, and a faculty that cares deeply for our children. Your kids are known and loved at Speyer, and I think this contributes to the community of joyful learning and inspires them “to be intellectually curious and passionate” as our mission states.

With all of these accomplishments, we know that there is work to be done! We are in the throes of organizing and launching a campaign to raise needed funds for our school, for example, and we are undergoing our reaccreditation process with the New York State Association of Independent Schools. Now, in concert with a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees, we will be launching a search for a new Head of School who can lead Speyer through its next period of growth.

These past five+ years have not always been easy, to be sure, but this community has pulled together time and again to support our school. I pledge to work as hard from now through the next year-and-a-half, and, with your assistance, I know that Speyer will continue to grow and thrive.

With all due gratitude and much love,
Larry



Dear Speyer Families,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I write to inform you that our Head of School, Larry Donovan, will be stepping down at the end of his contract in June 2026. We fully support his decision and are grateful for his leadership since joining us in July 2019.

During his tenure, Larry has guided our school with a steady hand through times of growth and unprecedented challenges. When Larry took his current post, he surely did not expect a pandemic, yet he rose to the challenge. His calm leadership and dedication ensured that our students continued to learn and thrive during a period of great uncertainty. His commitment to our mission and the well-being of our community has been invaluable.

We are appreciative of Larry's ongoing efforts, especially as he leads us through Speyer’s reaccreditation process. Even as he prepares for his next chapter, we are confident that he will continue to give his very best to the school. The Board expects and supports his continued dedication in fulfilling his responsibilities as our Head of School.

We are also fortunate to have a strong leadership team behind Larry. The dedication and expertise of the team, alongside Larry's guidance, have solidified the strong foundation upon which we stand today.

As we look to the future, the Board is committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition. We have engaged a reputable recruiting firm to begin the search for a new Head of School. Leading this important initiative is Tushar Shah, a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. Over the coming months, Tushar will assemble a committee comprising trustees, faculty, staff, and other members of our community to guide this decision. This is one of the most important choices our school will make, and we are dedicated to conducting a thorough and thoughtful search process.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school — there is no better place for our children.

All the best,
Adam Taki
Chair of the Board