Head of School Search
October 16, 2024
Announcing Black Pine Circle’s New Head of School
Dear Black Pine Circle Community,
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that, after an extensive search process, Jase Turner has been chosen as BPC’s new Head of School, effective July 1, 2025. The Board, with input from the Search Advisory and Finalist Consultative Committees, is confident that Jase is the best person for the position. The decision took into account the school’s mission, values and strategic priorities, as well as a close examination of hundreds of opinions submitted by various BPC constituents.
It is clear that Jase is a collaborative, and dedicated leader with a passion for fostering transformative educational experiences and a proven track record of designing, implementing, and evaluating academic and co-curricular programs grounded in academic excellence. He is deeply committed to the expanding role of education for social change and meeting the needs of 21st-century students. Jase’s leadership style emphasizes mission-alignment, partnership, data-driven decision making, and equitable student care. He works hard to foster a sense of belonging, social justice, and self-advocacy, while cultivating a strong school culture.
Jase has been an independent school educator and administrative leader in elementary through high school settings for over 15 years. He comes to us from The Seven Hills School, where he is currently Assistant Head of School for Strategic Priorities, focusing on overseeing and refining a dynamic, rich, and relevant academic curriculum, as well as strengthening the social and emotional well-being of students. Jase also leads Seven Hills’ efforts to carry out goals from the school’s strategic plan, including diversity, equity, and inclusion work across admissions, hiring, curriculum, and school policy. In the 2022–23 school year, Jase stepped into the Acting Head of School role while the Head of School was on a planned sabbatical. During this time, Jase oversaw all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the school, including working closely with the Board of Directors.
His journey in education also includes three years as a teacher and advisor at Redwood Day’s middle school and nine years at Bishop O’Dowd High School, where he made an impact as Director of Academic Support and Associate Principal for Student Life, among other roles.
A key finding from the search was the community's consistent desire to preserve what makes our school culture unique as we continue to grow. From his years of experience in East Bay independent schools, Jase understands what sets us apart from other independent schools in the area. We are confident that Jase is the right person to uphold our school’s mission and values—curiosity, community, inquiry, and voice—while guiding us through the next phase of BPC’s evolution. The Board’s impressions of Jase aligned closely with those of other community members:
“Jase strikes me as a humble, caring leader, with a history of bringing people together around strategy and direction in Bay Area independent schools. He is approachable, yet holds a strong vision for our school that closely aligns with our values.”
“He clearly values the Socratic method and in growing students who are strong thinkers, open to hearing other perspectives. He values our commitment to the arts and student voice.”
“I think his vision is one that would align well with BPC's mission. He strikes a balance between academic rigor and social emotional learning. He understands the world has changed and is willing to innovate to prepare the young people for their future.”
With this announcement, Jase is stepping down as a member of the BPC Board of Directors and he will begin working closely with Interim Head of School DeAndre Calhoun and a specially formed Transition Committee to ensure a smooth and thoughtful transition.
I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone in our community who participated in this months-long search process. Please join me in welcoming Jase Turner to the Black Pine Circle community. We look forward to the positive impact he will undoubtedly make on our school as we embark on a new chapter under his leadership.
Sincerely,
Lukasz Strozek (Iza, 4th)
Chair, Search Team
Chair, Board of Directors
October 16, 2024
Letter from Jase Turner
Dear Black Pine Circle School Community,
I am genuinely honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as Black Pine Circle’s next Head of School. I am excited to lead a community that believes strongly in child-centered teaching through inquiry, exploration, and discovery, with an emphasis on rigor and on integrating academics with music, drama, and the visual arts. BPC’s mission to create a learning community that encourages humanity, empathy, moral depth, cultural understanding, and intellectual freedom resonates deeply with me. It is through this mission that we can build and nurture the environment for rich learning to take place. The care BPC takes of its students allows them to stretch intellectually and emotionally, demonstrate resilience, develop meaningful relationships with one another, and to feel like they belong.
During my visits, I learned a lot! Whether it was when meeting with faculty and staff, counting on the carpet with kindergarteners, exploring in the garden, having lunch and hearing what our lower and upper school students have on their mind (and being challenged to several games of Connect Four!), observing classes enjoying Socratic discussions, or meeting with parents and caregivers and hearing why they love BPC and what they hope for its future… I could go on. I didn’t want to leave. I felt inspired.
The warmth, connection, and authentic sense of belonging I experienced during my time with all constituents––students, faculty and staff, parents and caregivers, and board members––affirmed my desire to join this amazing community as it embarks on its next chapter. BPC has a strong history of fostering the freedom and trust to challenge students, encouraging them to be curious, think critically, and demonstrate deep understanding, which enables them to excel in math, music, arts, and language. I am excited for our future together.
I am extremely grateful to the Board of Directors for entrusting me with the privilege of leading BPC, and the Search Advisory Committee, led by Board Chair Lukasz Strozek and Vice Chair Max Christoff, for their support in the process. DeAndre and I will be working closely together to ensure a smooth transition as we continue building on the legacy of John Carlstroem and those who came before him.
Thank you all for welcoming me into this very special community!
Jase Turner
After almost two decades of Dr. John Carlstroem being Black Pine Circle School’s illustrious Head of School, he moved on to his next adventure in Maui at the end of the 2023–24 school year. We are looking for a new Head of School to begin with the 2025–2026 school year. As BPC looks to the future, with exciting new opportunities for growth, we are focused on building on our foundational principles of Curiosity, Community, Inquiry, and Voice.
Black Pine Circle School, K–8, is renowned for its unique approach to education, blending challenging academics with a high-caliber arts program. A 50-year-old elementary and middle school with a compelling mission and a distinctive place in the Bay Area independent school landscape, BPC is a beacon of innovation and excellence with an unwavering commitment to marrying Socratic discourse with a deep dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our exceptional school provides a nurturing environment where students are encouraged to engage in critical thinking, creative expression, and collaborative learning. The fusion of rigorous academics, a vibrant arts program, and an exceptionally warm community cultivates well-rounded individuals with a lifelong love of learning who are well prepared to excel in the complexities of the modern world.
Search Timeline
February 2024
Search Team established / Consultants visit BPC for Discovery
March 2024
Position Statement crafted and disseminated broadly
March – Early May 2024
Candidate recruitment
May 2024
Selection of finalists
September – Early October 2024
Finalist Round
Late October 2024
Appointment of next Head of School
July 1, 2025
Head of School begins tenure at BPC
Head of School Search Q&A
added 10/2/24
We aim for the new Head of School to start on July 1st, 2025. This allows the new Head to finish the school year at their current school, and gives them some time to get onboarded and get to know the faculty and staff, in time to kick off the next school year. In addition to this, a Transition Committee will be formed to help support an effective transition in the months ahead of the new Head’s start date.
Independent schools often have educators/leaders at peer schools on boards. It’s not uncommon for a sitting Board member to be a candidate. That said, we have taken very careful steps to avoid as many potential conflicts as possible. This was actually something that Steve and Cathy, our excellent search consultants, have been very helpful in their advice on how to handle. Now that you know that one of the candidates is a Board member (remember that we had to maintain confidentiality right up until their visit), I can offer a bit more transparency:
As soon as the search process started, the Board asked the candidate to recuse himself from any Board conversation related to the search. The candidate was not present in any executive sessions or Board deliberations regarding the search and did not have access to any search-related materials. The Search Advisory Committee was structured to purposefully include members of various BPC constituents, not just Board members, and in fact, we have structured it in a way that no one constituent (including the Board members) constituted a majority. The Search Advisory Committee, in forming their recommendation, is following a defined process which includes a thorough analysis of the various assessments across all the different constituents.
Finally, every BPC Board member is very serious about their responsibility to the school, which includes selecting the best candidate to be BPC’s next Head of School.
We will have had multiple conversations with the finalists before we make the choice, to understand where they are in the process, whether they have any timing constraints, and to build mutual confidence that, if selected, they will accept our offer. Of course, unanticipated circumstances can arise. Fortunately, we have a very strong pool of four finalists. It is important to emphasize, though, that the Board is committing to the BPC community that it will only present an offer to candidates who they firmly believe to be an excellent fit for the role.
Absolutely! The Search Advisory Committee is going through all the survey results (including all individual comments!) and any other input we have separately received. One of the most cherished and valuable aspects of the BPC community is that we have strong constituents, each with their own voice, and each voice contributes to the whole.
Back in April and May, as our consultants, Steve and Cathy, did their tour of BPC, interviewing the community (remember that time?), a lot of thought was put into the Position Description for the BPC Head of School role. This Position Description has served as a beacon throughout the evaluation process, helping us understand what makes a great fit. In addition to this, the Board spent time in May discussing criteria that matter the most. Yes, each finalist is different, but in its comprehensive analysis of the materials, the Search Advisory Committee (and, ultimately, the Board) feel empowered to identify how the candidates stack up against what truly matters for BPC’s future success.
We expect the search to take place between now and September 2024, culminating in the selection of the next Head of School in late September-early October for a July 1, 2025 start.
The Search Team assists the Search Chair and the search firm we have selected, RG175, in all aspects of the search, including identifying and interviewing candidates, and making a final recommendation to the BPC Board of Directors. The Search Team includes smaller committees (such as the Search Advisory Committee) tasked with specific responsibilities. The selection of the Head of School is the ultimate responsibility of the Board of Directors.
RG175 has already coordinated opportunities for the community to provide feedback about the most important criteria in this search. This feedback, along with interviews, and references and background checks, will inform the recommendation for Head of School to the Board of Directors.
The Search Team intends to ensure that the search process fulfills Black Pine Circle School's commitment to be thorough, fair, transparent, and inclusive.
Search Team members include upper and lower school parents, faculty, administrators, and Board members. They were chosen by the Board of Directors for their deep connections and contributions to Black Pine Circle School as well as their expertise in specific areas, such as K-8 education. Members of the constituent committees agreed to specific commitments required to perform the committees’ duties.
We are very fortunate to have a strong, diverse, and expert community to help guide our search.
During the process, there will be various opportunities for Black Pine Circle community members to provide input. Most recently, community members were invited to meet with RG175 consultants and to participate in an online survey. RG175 has also met with administrators, faculty, parents/guardians, and students.
All community members will also be invited to meet our Head of School finalists when they come to campus. Information about the schedule will be announced when available.
In addition to the faculty/staff who will serve on the Search Team and the various committees, Black Pine Circle School employees will be actively engaged throughout the search by taking the time to meet candidates when they visit the school, welcoming visitors into their classrooms, and providing other means of input as requested by the Search Team. The search process takes place over an extended period and will not impact the effectiveness of Black Pine Circle School employees nor will it significantly reduce classroom time for our teachers.
No. Our faculty, staff, and administrators remain committed to fulfilling our primary goal, which is to transform the lives of students through extraordinary educational experiences. Additionally, our Head of School, John Carlstroem, remains committed to the day-to-day responsibilities of leading our school through June 30, 2024, and will have the full support of the Board during his final months of service.
After this time, and for the 2024–25 school year, DeAndre Calhoun, the Head of our Upper School and Assistant Head of School, will take on the role of Interim Head of School. At the same time, Andra Marziano, Dean of Upper School Students and Assistant Head of Upper School, will take on the Interim Head of Upper School role.
