Letter from Jennifer Gonzalez McComb '89

February 13, 2018

Dear Winchester Thurston School Community,

In December, the Board of Trustees was pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Scott Fech as WT’s next Head of School. Many of you had the pleasure of meeting Scott during the interview process, and shared with the search committee that you were impressed not only with his experience as a scholar, progressive educator, and leader, but also with his innate kindness and instinctive ability to listen. Scott comes to WT with diverse leadership experiences at several innovative schools around the country, and he is well-positioned to lead WT as the next Head of School.

The Trustees understand that transition and change can be a challenging time for any school, and we have developed a plan to ensure the transition to a new Head of School is thoughtful and transparent. I’m writing today to share elements of the plan.

At the end of January, Scott made his first of two, three-day visits to WT as our next Head of School. Our primary goal for this visit was to provide him with the opportunity to begin his working relationship with the Board, administration, faculty, and staff, and to start the process of listening and learning about the day-to-day workings of the school. The annual Board Retreat took place during this visit, and was devoted entirely to Scott’s transition. Guided by Bill Christ, a consultant who headed Cleveland’s Hathaway Brown School for many years and who worked through a smooth transition with his successor there, the Trustees and Scott began to develop a detailed plan for his transition, arrival, and first year.

I have appointed a Transition Committee of Trustees, faculty, and administrators, who will work with Scott to make certain this change is as seamless as possible. I am grateful to my fellow Trustee, Kerry Bron ’84, who has agreed to serve as Chair of this committee. For a list of committee members, and to stay up-to-date on all transition activities and communications, please visit the Transition webpage.

The Transition Committee will guide, support, and facilitate Scott’s learning process. Their work will include introducing him to individuals and groups within our school and in Pittsburgh, helping his family settle into their new home and community, and understanding the current landscape of the school educationally, operationally, and financially. The Trustees on the committee will develop a “Charge to the Head of School” before his official start on July 1, outlining goals and priorities for his first year. The Charge will be posted on our Transition webpage for the community to review.

Scott will visit us again in March, during the week prior to Spring Break. The primary goals for his second visit are to continue his learning about WT with the support of the Transition Committee, and to provide him with the opportunity to meet and begin his relationship with WT parents. The Transition Committee is planning several opportunities at both campuses for this engagement – both relaxed get-togethers with the full parent population, and more structured meetings with the Parents Advisory Council and the leaders of the Parents Association. More information about these meetings will follow shortly.

Scott has had a terrific start getting to know WT, and he is eager to keep the school moving forward on its current trajectory. On a personal level, I have found Scott to be incredibly thoughtful and insightful. He brings a fresh perspective to the Head of School position yet he carries a deep respect for those who have led WT in the past.

I hope to see many of you in March when Scott returns to Pittsburgh. I look forward to a lot of hard work this spring and a smooth transition this summer.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Gonzalez McComb ’89

President, Board of Trustees