Head of Middle School

Carney, Sandoe & Associates, an educational recruitment organization, has partnered with Holland Hall to find their next Head of Middle School. The role would start July 2027.

Introduction:

Holland Hall, an independent Episcopal school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, serving more than 1,000 students from PreK through Grade 12, seeks its next Head of Middle School beginning July 1, 2027. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a branch in one of the regions most respected independent schools.

Holland Hall is, at its core, a deeply relational school — one where community is not simply a value, but a lived and widely shared experience. Across constituencies, there is a striking consistency in how people describe the school: students are known, supported, and valued as individuals.

The culture of care is not incidental; it is structural. The school’s size, advisory system, daily schedule, and expectation that faculty engage with students beyond the classroom, all contribute to a community where connection is the foundation for learning.

There is a shared interest in the School’s success reflected in strong parent engagement, a rising number of legacy families, and successful back-toback capital campaigns. Holland Hall’s financial foundation — a strong endowment and zero long-term debt — provides stability and opportunity as it looks ahead.

The next Head of Middle School will have a strong community of talented faculty, engaged families, a new reimagined space for the branch, and more than 350 students who are curious, capable, and accustomed to being challenged.

About the Position:

The Head of H.A. Chapman Middle School reports to the Head of School and serves on the School’s senior administrative team. The MS Head oversees the branch’s faculty, program and daily operations; works closely with the MS deans, counselors, and chaplain; and serves as the face and voice of the Middle School to current and prospective families.

Beyond the branch, the MS Head partners with the other branch heads and the Director of Teaching and Learning to build true PreK-12 curricular alignment, and is a strong advocate for the Middle School’s role in all phases of school operations.

The next Middle School Head will inherit a healthy, much-loved branch with a strong faculty and clear values — and the room to be ambitious with it. The new Branch Head will also join a school leadership team in a season of renewal: new Head of School Brent Kaneft begins his tenure on the same day.

Although the school is undergoing several changes, the new leadership is inheriting a middle school with a deeply rooted sense of community, a model that ensures students are known, a talented faculty valued as the heart of the institution, and many brand-new facilities. That means the new heads can focus on building trusting relationships — with students, faculty, families, and colleagues — through presence, listening, humility, and transparency.

At the same time, the community is eager for thoughtful, aspirational leadership around teaching and learning. Holland Hall values innovation, and change works best when it is collaborative, clear and thoughtfully paced.

The Middle School is nearing the end of its top-to-bottom transformation. The $30 million project reimagines the H.A. Chapman Middle School for grades 4-6 and adds Ruth Nelson Hall, a new two-story center for grades 7 and 8.

Research first, then architecture

The buildings grew out of the 2019-20 Middle School Learning Committee, in which trustees, faculty, donors, administrators, and students studied the cognitive, developmental, and learning needs of children ages 9 to 13. Its central decision: research on how adolescents learn would shape the buildings, rather than retrofitting pedagogy to an architectural plan.

A rare moment for a new leader

The new Head of Middle School will arrive just as students and faculty move in — with the rare opportunity to shape how new spaces come to life: the routines, traditions, and daily rhythms that will define the Middle School experience for years to come. The project is the primary capital priority of Lead. Build. Transform., the School’s comprehensive campaign, whose commitments have surpassed its original goal.

Holland Hall’s Middle School is a thoughtfully designed bridge between the Primary and Upper schools. Students move into specialist-taught, subject-based classes earlier than most schools, and they thrive because each one is known well by a core group of adults.

Trusted faculty trained in Mind Brain Education and Competency Based Learning bring learning to life on our 167-acre campus. Holland Hall has intentional traditions at each middle school grade level, as well as branchwide experiences that begin with the Advisory program — an integral part of the student experience. Advisories meet daily and focus on goal setting, academic growth, celebrations, competitions, and school spirit.

The Middle School House System, in its third year, is a cross grade level program meant to inspire pride in our school history, as well as larger group identity and connection. Each day, students experience music, art, recess and PE/athletics, as well as core subjects. Students lead parent teacher conferences with a focus on Holland Hall’s Portrait of a Middle School Learner and established competencies/skills.

About Tulsa:

A thriving city of 415,000 residents in a metropolitan area of more than a million, Tulsa offers an appealing balance of energy and livability, culture and accessibility. Nestled in a distinct part of the state called “Green Country,” Tulsa is surrounded by rolling hills and dense tree cover and enjoys four distinct seasons and about 227 sunny days a year.

Culture and the arts

The Philbrook Museum of Art and Gilcrease Museum anchor a thriving cultural scene that is also home to a professional symphony, as well as ballet, opera, and touring Broadway companies. Other museums include the Bob Dylan Center, the Woody Guthrie Center, and Greenwood Rising, which tells the story Black Wall Street, and the legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Outdoor recreation and more

Tulsans enjoy many cycling and running trails around the Arkansas River and it River Parks system, as well as The Gathering Place, an awardwinning park in the heart of the city. Tulsa is also within easy driving distance of world-class lakes with boating, water sports, and fishing, as well as rock climbing and other outdoor adventures.

Housing and other tangible benefits

Compared to metro areas of similar size, Tulsa remains affordable — bigger yards, more house for the money, short commutes, and neighborhoods where people actually know one another. Living close to campus is easy, if desired. There is a strong civic feel and a long tradition of philanthropy and community involvement. Tulsa is large enough to be interesting and small enough that you can quickly build relationships, feel part of a community, and enjoy the energy of a city on the rise.

Experience:

• Leadership experience with increasing responsibilities at the administrator level
• Demonstrated excellence as a teacher and knowledge of current, research-informed best practice in middle school curriculum and pedagogy
• Fluency across the developmental range of grades 4-8
• Experience hiring, coaching, evaluating, supporting, and retaining excellent faculty
• Demonstrated skill partnering with families, including judgment in sensitive situations involving children and parents
• Openness to change and adeptness at change leadership
• Experience collaborating on curricular alignment across divisions
• A personal and professional commitment to belonging and inclusion
• Familiarity with and commitment to the Episcopal philosophy of educating the whole child; candidates need not be Episcopalian
• A bachelor’s degree required, masters preferred

Qualifications/Qualities:

• Energy, passion, and joy for working with middle school students and faculty
• A very visible and involved presence in classrooms and across campus
• An open, collaborative management style combined with the ability to make decisions
• Warm, approachable, and inclusive in every interaction
• A clear, consistent communicator who fosters transparency and trust
• A belief in faculty growth and creativity in pedagogy
• Professionalism and pride in the privilege of serving at Holland Hall
• Emotional intelligence, a calm, resourceful approach to the unexpected, and steady leadership
• Excitement about establishing roots in Tulsa and the Holland Hall community
• Articulates a shared vision for the middle school program and aligns with the mission of Holland Hall
• Fosters collaboration with students, parents, teachers, and administrators

Potential Benefits: Compensation and benefit packages are competitive but will differ by school and will typically depend on geographic location, your experience, and your level of degree.

💵 Competitive pay

🧠 Professional Development Opportunities

✏️ Classroom Resources

🏥 Medical, dental and vision insurance

😃 401(k) plan – Employer match

⛱️ Paid holidays, vacation and personal time

🏠 Housing (boarding schools only)

Carney Sandoe does not discriminate on the basis of physical handicap, sex, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic origin in administration of its services, consulting, events, professional development, or other programs.