February 21, 2013
Dear Odyssey Family and Friends:
Last August, when Daniel informed us that he would not be returning as head of school for the 2013 – 2014 school year, the Board of Trustees began an intensive search for an outstanding candidate to become the third head of school in Odyssey’s history. We surveyed parents, teachers, Board Members, students, and alumni to discover the qualities that Odyssey wanted and needed in the new Head of School. The Board of Trustees formed a subcommittee to lead the search and we requested that parents and staff form an advisory committee to guide us in searching for the perfect candidate to be the next head of school.
After months of reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates from Hawaii to Athens, Greece, we have selected the most highly qualified candidate to lead Odyssey. We proudly announce that Stephen P. Lane will be the next Odyssey Head of School. Stephen, who goes by Steveo, has 29 years of teaching experience, 25 of those years teaching in private middle school. For nine years he served as the Head of School of Santa Barbara Middle School. Santa Barbara Middle School, like Odyssey, is a private middle school. During his tenure as Head of the Santa Barbara Middle School, he successfully weathered many of the challenges that currently face Odyssey. He oversaw successful fundraising campaigns that raised almost $5 million. He guided the school to successful accreditation by the National Association of Independent Schools and two renewals of accreditation by the California Association of Independent Schools. Steveo has been a visiting committee member for the California Association of Independent Schools in the CAIS evaluation of four schools, so he knows what Odyssey must do to achieve accreditation. He developed a nationally-recognized program in outdoor experiential education and led many of the student trips himself. Steveo’s recognized stature as an expert on independent schools, his experience as a successful administrator and fundraiser, and his boundless energy led the Board of Trustees to choose him to be the leader for Odyssey’s future.
Educators who have worked with Steveo in the past could not praise him highly enough. One teacher who worked with Steveo for 15 out of her 30 years teaching said he was by far the best head of school that she ever worked under. She said he was a dedicated administrator and teacher who always put the needs of his students first. He respected the students and treated them with kindness. He had great rapport with his staff and worked collaboratively, always encouraging the staff to develop and implement new ideas. She said while she was at the Santa Barbara Middle School the staff was devoted to Steveo. During Steveo’s tenure, staff turnover was a rarity. A teacher who worked with him at The Garden Street Academy from 2009 to 2012 described Steveo as someone who is passionate, loves teaching and loves working with children. Steveo collaborated with the staff and they were sorry to see him leave. We are excited to invite into the Odyssey community someone who has a history of building community and impressing his subordinates and peers with his passion for middle school education.
Steveo will be the first father to hold the job of Odyssey Head of School. His wife, Shelley, has a doctorate degree in Oriental Medicine and practices acupuncture. She is also a nutritionist and herbal remedy specialist as well as a sensational organic chef. His daughter, Sophia, is in graduate school at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and specializes in cultural criminology. She graduated from UC Berkeley. Harrison, Steveo’s son, is a freshman at Santa Barbara City College, enrolled in the college’s environmental science program. Steveo’s wife and son have a keen interest in organic foods and both volunteer on organic farms around the country every summer. Could there be a cutting edge organic garden in Odyssey’s future?
Steveo received a B.A. in aquatic biology from UC Santa Barbara. During his tenure as head of school for Santa Barbara Middle School, Steveo completed six Institutes at the Principal’s Center of the Harvard University School of Education. The Principal’s Center is designed to provide training in best practices for the leaders of education in the United States. Among the courses Steveo completed were both the beginning and advanced Institutes in independent school leadership.
Thanks to Daniel, Steveo will be taking over an exciting and vibrant Odyssey School. Daniel’s legacy is one of strong leadership and great teaching. As Head of School, Daniel’s calm demeanor and unfailing graciousness have given Odyssey a European style. Daniel’s hiring and mentoring, leaves Steveo with a marvelous staff. Daniel’s outreach to other educators has increased Odyssey’s reputation in the Bay Area and has led to rapid increase in the number of applicants to the School. The Head of School search committee wishes to thank Daniel for working with them to bring candidates to campus and let them experience the magic that occurs in the Odyssey classrooms.
Steveo’s appointment concludes a comprehensive six month search process. Our sincere thanks to our Head of School Search Committee members and our Search Advisory Committee for the long hours dedicated to this effort. Finally, thank you to our staff, parents and students for your meaningful, insightful comments which helped us greatly in our deliberations.
We look forward to welcoming Steveo during a celebratory “meet the community” visit to Odyssey in the very near future. We will keep you updated. Thank you again for all of your patience and support.
We now begin an exciting new chapter in our ongoing Odyssey.
Most sincerely,
Janice Pickering, Ben Brown,
Member, Odyssey Board of Trustees Member, Odyssey Board of Trustees
Co-Chair Odyssey Head of School Search Co-Chair, Odyssey Head of School Search Committee
Committee