St. Matthew’s Searches for New Head of School, Interim Leader Appointed

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

After four years at St. Matthew’s Parish School in Pacific Palisades, Ed Kim has stepped down as head of school “after thoughtful consultation and discernment with the leadership of St. Matthews,” according to a statement made by the school.

A committee—comprised of former Head of School Les Frost, President and Head of School at Harvard-Westlake School Rick Commons, St. Matthew’s alumni and former Chair of the Board of Trustees Gene Sykes and others—has been tasked with leading the search for a new head of school.

The search process is active and focused on finding somebody to fill the position permanently “as soon as possible,” Director of Marketing and Communications Jeremy Monsayac said to the Palisadian-Post.

“This will be a robust and thorough search process, with an internal search committee, consultants and community input,” Monsayac said. “We are looking for a leader who will respect, as well as enhance, the core traditions of St. Matthew’s while developing new programs to deliver a best-in-class education.”

St. Matthew’s is billed as an Episcopal co-ed school for students in preschool through grade eight. With a tagline of “serve, lead, flourish,” the school operates with a community character covenant, which addresses things like respect, responsibility, honesty, empathy and fairness.

Students who violate either the covenant or the parents and student handbook are reported to be subject to consequences, including loss of privileges, suspension and, “in the most serious cases,” expulsion.

The head of school will be consulted in “incidents requiring more serious consequences.”

“The vision for St. Matthew’s remains consistent,” Monsayac continued, “to support academic excellence while nurturing the intellectual, creative, spiritual and ethical development of our students.”

The school recently appointed Stuart Work as interim head of school for the 2022-23 academic year. Work was previously head of school from 2011 through 2018, before Kim.

“Like many others, I was hooked on St. Matthew’s the first time I set foot on campus, back in 2011,” Work shared in a message from the head of school. “Interacting with the exceptional people and being part of the rich and active life of the school only increased my devotion to this exceptional place during the seven years I was head of school.

“This is why I jumped at the chance to return to St. Matthew’s, this time as interim head, for the 2022-23 school year. There are new programs, new facilities and, of course, new faces, but what typifies a St. Matthew’s education remains unchanged.”

A representative from St. Matthew’s told the Post that the school is targeting a start date of July 1, 2023, for its new permanent head of school, with hopes to announce the appointment by early 2023 or as early as late 2022.