Our New Head of School

November 15, 2022 

Park City Day School Community,

We are pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees has voted to appoint Brad McCutcheon as our next Head of School. We look forward to him continuing his work celebrating our students, faculty and staff; fortifying connections within our community; and nourishing the intellectual and artistic vitality that is central to Park City Day School. We are also looking forward to supporting his work achieving initiatives around enriching the student experience through curricular work, as well as strengthening recruitment and retention and Park City Day School’s brand identity. 

In his role as Director of Advancement and as a parent of three Park City Day School students, Brad has been a joyful, first-hand observer of the heights Park City Day School students can reach when inspired by our deeply committed and talented faculty.

Brad’s twenty-four year career in education brings extensive leadership experience and proven success as an administrator, outdoor educator, and elementary and middle school teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Sustainability from Antioch University of New England. He has worked in diverse learning environments including several independent schools, a school in inner-city Philadelphia, and the world-renowned Green School in Bali, Indonesia. Brad is passionate about intimate independent school programs that value experiential and project-based learning with a strong academic framework.

Brad has had success as a teacher, curriculum writer, admissions director, faculty collaborator, fundraiser, and community leader. He believes in growing and fortifying a school with values rich in relevant research, deep interpersonal connections, thoughtful reflections on community, and a dedication to being present in the daily task of learning.

The Board is deeply grateful for the work of the Search Committee led by Michael Augustine, Melissa Nau, Savannah O’Connell, and Melissa Stock from the board; Hye Soo Dixon, Natalja Djunic, and Evan Walker from the faculty; and Abbi Antablin and Allison deWindt Hull representing the FA and parent community. This committee included eight parents of 14 Park City Day School students, with graduation dates ranging from 2022 to 2035.

To find the most compelling candidates, the committee conducted a global search which generated an impressive candidate pool. The Search Committee met fourteen of the most promising candidates, ultimately inviting four finalists to visit the school last month to meet with students, faculty, administration, parents, and the Board. These visits generated over fifty comments from the community via the assessment tool, which were read carefully and ultimately guided additional areas of exploration during follow-up conversations with each candidate and other resources. The committee reviewed the observations and insights from the school visits with the detailed candidate interviews, case studies, written exercises and reference calls.

Brad has a range of impressive accomplishments in his career as an educator, manager, and administrator. Watching students light up in his visits with them, observing his profound appreciation for the skill of our faculty and staff, and hearing of the deep well of respect he has engendered as a parent, it is clear he will be able to bring to bear his immense professional skills and personal warmth for the benefit of Park City Day School.

We will welcome Brad officially as our Head of School in summer 2023. Thank you for your support and input throughout this process! We’ll continue to engage and integrate the community throughout the transition.

Sincerely,

Park City Day School Board of Trustees

Michael Augustine, P '22, '24

Kim Frauenberg, P '22, '20

Suzanne McCooey

Melissa Nau, P '28, '34

Savannah O’Connell, P '30, '35

Josh Stern, P '23, '25

Melissa Stock, P '27, '29

Craig Zogby, P '28, '30

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Search Timeline & Process

March of '22: Final Head of School Search Surveys conducted, open to all community members (link at the bottom).

March 30: Confidential meeting to review anonymous community survey responses and develop an in-depth profile of ideal candidate using insights from surveys.

March 31-April 1: Candidate evaluation process established.

March 8-April 3: Candidate resumes reviewed.

April 5-8: Candidates contacted to set up first-round of interviews.

Late April: First-round of Zoom interviews.

May: Second-round of Zoom interviews.

May: Candidates will be asked to respond to written questions to better understand if they’re a good fit, and to evaluate their written communication skills.

June-July: Candidates given case studies based on Park City Day School scenarios to further evaluate their written communication, conflict resolution, and strategic capabilities. 

Fall of '22: Finalists will visit campus for in-person sessions.

Nov of '22: Head of School named.

Head of School Announcement Letter- 12-16-21