Head of School Announcement
Dear Members of the Cobb School Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to announce that the Board has voted unanimously to appoint Ms. Subha Sankaran as Cobb School’s third Head of School, effective immediately. Subha has been serving successfully as Interim Head of School since July 1, 2023. The effect of the October 23, 2023 Board vote was to officially install Subha as Head of School, and to offer her a subsequent three-year term, which will commence on July 1, 2024. We are thrilled to announce that Subha has accepted the Board’s offer, and I hope that you will join us in congratulating Subha on her appointment as you see her around campus. It is truly a year of celebration for Cobb School as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary and officially welcome our wonderful new Head of School!
We appreciate the efforts of all who participated in our search process, with special thanks due to the members of the Head of School Search Committee, chaired by Tom Miller, which included Cobb alumni, current and past parents, faculty, staff, and trustees. Your commitment to and success in finding the best possible leader for the future of Cobb School will have a deep and lasting impact on our community for years to come.
Our Head of School Search Committee posted the Head of School position on July 1, 2023 and worked diligently through an array of networks to perform an exhaustive search of professionals working in the field of Montessori education. The Committee was tasked with finding the best possible candidate to lead Cobb School as a beacon of Montessori excellence and support our mission of building a better world through educating the whole child.
The Committee received over 30 applications from qualified candidates from many states and multiple countries. Over the summer, the Committee narrowed that list to 5 semi-finalist candidates, all of whom interviewed with the Committee. On August 28, the two finalists were selected by Committee vote, and both finalists were invited to campus to meet and interview with Cobb School community constituents, including parents, faculty, staff, administrators, and the Committee. Subsequently, open comments from the community were requested, received, and reviewed. All of the two finalists’ qualifications, feedback from the community members, and supporting information were reviewed and discussed by the Committee at its October 20 meeting, and the Committee unanimously recommended that Ms. Subha Sankaran be named as the next Head of School.
Subha deeply embodies “The Three S’s” of outstanding Montessorians, and her faithful adherence to the Montessori pedagogy shines through in her leadership style. She is a Scientist, as she displays mastery of all aspects of Montessori education and is certified by both Association of Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS), as well as being formally educated and experienced in accounting and commerce. She is a Servant, in that she places the needs and goals of the children and the entire Cobb community as her top priority as a leader, a quality that we have already come to admire and respect during her eight years at Cobb School, first as a faculty member and now as Head of School. And she is a Saint, operating with unyielding grace, courtesy, and respect in all her interactions with Cobb community members in the pursuit of a culture of peace and harmony in which the children can flourish and feel a sense of agency and belonging. Subha, in her role as the leader of Cobb School, will continue to serve as an incredible role model to both the school community and the wider world of Montessori institutions.
The Board of Trustees extends its gratitude to the Cobb community for its patience and invaluable participation during this process, and we all look forward to engaging the community as we work strategically to continue improving our program offerings and the physical campus of Cobb School in the coming years. We invite you to join us in person for the many special events that Subha and the Cobb team have planned to celebrate our 50th Anniversary.
Most Sincerely,
Chair of the Board of Trustees
A Message Our New Head of School
Dear Cobb Family,
It is with great enthusiasm and humility that I accept the honor of serving as Cobb School’s Head of School. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Board of Trustees for their diligent, thorough, and efficient search process and support over the past several months. I would also like to share my deep appreciation for the mentorship and encouragement from both my predecessors, Mary Lou Cobb and Sue Angelides, who have been instrumental in my growth. Most of all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to all of you in the staff and parent community for your support and faith in me to lead the school.
Over the past eight years, I have come to love Cobb School as a parent and teacher. During these past few months working as the Interim Head, I have gained a renewed appreciation for who we are as a school and what makes it so special. We have an extraordinary community of families, a steadfast Board, and an incredibly dedicated staff who all work tirelessly for the children. It is a place where the adults and children work hard but work joyously, finding fulfillment in learning, work, and service to others. We value harmony with nature and appreciate the beauty, diversity, and interconnectedness in the world. It is a place where every child is seen and guided with love and patience. We are firmly grounded and guided by Montessori’s vision for the education of the whole child and education for peace.
Cobb School was built and has grown on the foundation of these values over the last 50 years. I approach leading this special school with a deep sense of responsibility to uphold these values. I look forward to working with all of you to continue the school’s great work for the children and its impact on the community.
With deep gratitude,
Subha Sankaran