August 27, 2024
Dear Escuela del Sol Community,
I am excited to share some wonderful news with you. After a comprehensive and thoughtful search process, we are pleased to announce that Jr. High lead guide, Tanesia R. Hale-Jones, will be stepping into the role of Head of School for the 2025-26 school year.
This announcement is particularly meaningful as Tanesia is a valued member of our own community. For over 15 years, she has dedicated her time and expertise to our school, embodying the values and mission that make our community so special. Her extensive training in Montessori at the Elementary and Jr. High levels, combined with her deep commitment to education, positions her beautifully to lead our school into the future. Tanesia is also an alumni parent, and as such has intimate experience with being a parent to an Escuela del Sol student.
This decision follows an extensive national search, overseen by our board member Linh Nguyen, who specializes in organizational growth and change. We were fortunate to have Peri Pakroo expertly project-manage the process, and we are deeply grateful to our dedicated search committee, which included administrators, guides, and Escuela families. Dr. Nicole Evans from Embracing Equity also served in an advisory capacity, offering invaluable insights. The committee invested over 10 hours in interviews and preparatory meetings, ensuring that we found the best possible leader for our school.
We are truly fortunate to have someone with Tanesia’s experience, vision, and passion already within our community. Her journey with us has been one of growth, dedication, and unwavering support for our students, families, and staff. We are confident that she will continue to build on the strong foundation we’ve established and lead us to new and exciting opportunities.
Although Tanesia will officially begin as Head of School in June 2025, she will be actively working with the Interim Head of School Dana McCabe and the rest of the leadership team throughout this school year. This will allow for a seamless transition and enable her to contribute to the strategic planning process as we prepare for this important organizational shift.
Please join me in congratulating Tanesia on this well-deserved appointment. We are excited about the future of our school under her leadership and look forward to the journey ahead.
Please look for future announcements regarding an opportunity for members of the community to meet Tanesia as well as our transitional leadership team.
Warm regards,
Kate Chavez
Executive Director
Escuela del Sol Montessori + Harwood Art Center
