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Private School Prepares For New Leader

ibune Photo by CANDACE C. MUNDY

Ryan Kelly, the new principal for Carrollwood Day School's high school division.

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2008

Updated:

LAKE MAGDALENE - A new principal will take over Carrollwood Day School's high school this summer, ushering its first senior class to graduation.

The private school recently hired Ryan Kelly, upper school director at Riverstone International in Idaho, to become principal at "CDS Prep." Though he officially starts July 1, Kelly and his wife, Heather, came to Carrollwood Day School last week to house hunt, meet parents and have lunch with students.

Students shook his hand over pizza slices and chatted with him about their ideas for field trips and programs. He asked about college plans and subjects they liked to study and promised to e-mail before he moves to Tampa.

Kelly, 35, is the third principal for the high school, which opened in August 2006 with freshmen and sophomores only. CDS Prep was the final expansion for Carrollwood Day School, which started as a preschool in 1981 and later added elementary and middle school programs.

The school had hired Tom Stoup in 2005 to get the high school under way. He resigned after its first year of operation for family reasons. A national search turned up no good matches, and teacher Stephen Orbison stepped in as interim principal for the 2007-08 school year. A second national search was looking unproductive until Kelly's resume came in at the last minute.

Head of School Mary Kanter had met about 15 candidates at an independent-schools convention in New York and invited five to Tampa for interviews.

"I said, 'I'm going to pick one more,'" she said, "His resume came that day."

Kanter had been looking for someone with high energy and a background in character education and International Baccalaureate, the global curriculum Carrollwood Day School follows at all grades. Kelly met all her criteria.

His current school offers International Baccalaureate as well, and Kelly has additional experience with the program, serving as a grader for the difficult IB exams. He earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which requires a thorough portfolio and passing a test, and is a certified IB math and science teacher.

His enthusiasm, dedication to students and personable nature also impressed Kanter. She knew he would fit with the school, and others agreed.

"Everybody who met him said this is the one," Kanter said.

Students felt like they meshed with him as well.

Adam DeBosier, a sophomore, and juniors Amy Uhl and Stephanie Phillips were on the student committee that interviewed candidates. DeBosier said he wanted someone who would communicate well with students, teachers and parents, and he found Kelly approachable and easy to talk to about problems.

Uhl hoped for a candidate who was open-minded and would encourage dialogue with students. She also said communication was important, especially with colleges and those in the community who might not be familiar with the fledgling CDS Prep.

Phillips said all the candidates seemed qualified, but Kelly's character set him apart.

"All of us just kind of clicked, personality-wise," Phillips said.

An Idaho native, Kelly was ready to leave Riverstone and was considering an offer from his former head of school to go to a new school in the Caribbean. But he couldn't see himself or his wife, Riverstone's athletic director, on an island long term. The couple's two dogs are their babies for now, he said, but he and Heather hope to have children one day.

"Where we are in our life, we wanted a place where we could set some roots," Kelly said.

He likes the IB program, and his interest in Carrollwood Day School was confirmed when he visited the campus on Bearss Avenue and met the faculty. He said he was looking forward to leading the high school into an expansion.

The school has increased from 43 students its first year to 62 this year. More than 100 are expected in the fall. Carrollwood Day School hopes to enroll up to 400. Its first seniors will graduate in May 2009, and Kelly said he was pleased to join the school at such an exciting time,

"It's just going to explode," Kelly said. "The high school is just going take off."

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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