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Ranney Announces Selection for New Head of School


Message from the Board of Trustees

Dear Members of the Ranney Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce that the Board has unanimously accepted the recommendation of the Head of School Search Committee to appoint Dr. John Griffith as Ranney School’s fourth Head of School. We enthusiastically welcome Dr. Griffith to the Ranney community effective July 1, 2013. His wife, Dana, and their four-year-old daughter, Claire, are looking forward to moving back up north to be closer to family and their New Jersey roots.

Beginning in the late spring of 2012, the Board of Trustees commenced the search process. This five- month process generated widespread interest in this unique position. The Search committee, Co-Chaired by Trustee Chris Fitzmaurice and myself also included Trustees, Kristen Gerhard, Michael Oster, and Trustee and alum Doug Roberts, Class of ’79. The Committee also included Patricia Marshall, Associate Head of Academic Administration and Head of the Lower School; Nancy Wade, Middle School Teacher and Forensics Advisor; Emmett Walling, Aquatics Director; and Mimi Keenan, President of the Ranney School Parents’ Association. The Search Committee conducted a very comprehensive and inclusive search, seeking input from the Ranney community during interactive and informative evening sessions open to parents and teachers and meetings with student leadership groups throughout the process.

As many of you know, the Board of Trustees has been working with the nationally recognized search consulting firm, Educator’s Collaborative, who has been assisting with the search process. The search yielded close to 50 candidates from across the globe. Because of our school’s strong national reputation, the pool of finalists was robust, and each was carefully and thoroughly screened before being invited to advance to the final round. After a comprehensive review of the finalists before and during their visit, and with valuable input from our Search and Constituency Committees who gathered information from parents, teachers, administrators, students and alumni, the overwhelming evidence pointed us in the direction of Dr. Griffith. His outstanding record of achievement and accomplishments combined with his superb academic preparation make him an ideal candidate to uphold Russell Ranney’s vision for academic excellence, as well as the school’s mission, and embodies the perfect qualities to follow the great legacy of excellence created for 20 years by our distinguished Head of School, Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff.

Dr. John Griffith comes to Ranney after spending eight years at the Battle Ground Academy (BGA) in Franklin, Tennessee. During his tenure at BGA, Dr. Griffith served in two different roles, first as Headmaster working with the President of the School and, for the past four years, in the traditional role of Head of School. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Middlebury College in English, a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in English (Modern British Literature) from Oxford University and a M.A. from Columbia University in Educational Leadership. His experience at BGA, a Kindergarten through 12th grade, coeducational day school very much like Ranney in size and structure, included campus expansion, program development, and the creation of new technologies in teaching and learning. Dr. Griffith also guided the school through two successful strategic plans. Before his role as Headmaster at BGA, Dr. Griffith’s experience was rooted in academic leadership as Upper School Head at the Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio.

In short, Dr. Griffith has a track record in creating environments that help young people flourish – in academics, the arts, and athletics. His own character and values are aligned with our school’s mission, and he has the desire to pursue our firm commitment to excellence.

During the search process and most recently, Dr. Sykoff and Dr. Griffith have communicated frequently. According to Dr. Sykoff, “Dr. Griffith is the absolute right choice to be our school’s next leader and to begin the next phase of Ranney School’s distinguished history. He is an educator with compassion and a leader with vision. His statement of educational philosophy speaks to his focus on a student-centered school, where connection and engagement of children are the real essence of a school’s purpose. It will be a privilege and an honor to work with such a dynamic leader during the transition and for many years to come.”

In a recent message to Dr. Sykoff and me, Dr. Griffith writes, “Dana and I could not be more excited about the move to a wonderful community and the prospect of joining a school of the caliber of Ranney. We are also delighted that our four-year-old daughter Claire will grow up in a school that is such a warm and nurturing place. Throughout the visit, I was impressed by all of the constituents: a talented faculty, a strong administrative team, successful alumni, committed Trustees, a supportive parent community, and, especially bright and engaging students. My visit included long discussions with Dr. Sykoff, and I am looking forward to working closely with him in the transition and for a long time to come. It is humbling and very gratifying to be in a position to build on the incredible foundation that his leadership and passion have helped to create. Ranney has so much momentum, and I am thrilled to be starting a collaborative strategic planning process that will allow all groups to articulate their hopes and aspirations for this great school. I appreciate the confidence that the search committee and the Board have placed in me and am, of course, grateful to the BGA community and Board for the tremendous support over the past eight years.”

On behalf of my colleagues on the Board, I wish to thank all members of the Search Committee, and the Constituency Committee, as well as our search consultants at Educator’s Collaborative, for their conscientious efforts and support. Most of all, I wish to thank Dr. Sykoff for bringing our school to this extraordinary level of success. His trusted and dedicated leadership and vision have guided the continuous growth of our school for two decades, and his guidance and advice in this transition speaks further to this genuine commitment to our great school. Dr. Sykoff will turn over the leadership reins to Dr. Griffith next summer, and he will remain with Ranney School as mentor and counsel, offering direction and creating new opportunities in the areas of alumni development and endowment growth.

I am sure you can appreciate my enthusiasm for the outcome of this important transition in leadership. Our school has a brilliant future, and we look forward to saying thanks to Dr. Sykoff in congratulatory events soon to be announced and to welcoming another inspired leader in Dr. John Griffith, who will build on this incredible foundation and forward momentum which has been developed with enormous pride.

The Head of School Search site will be continuously updated with our unfolding plans, as well as the personal and professional background of Dr. Griffith.


With thanks and sincere appreciation,

Jamie Price,
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.