Rick Branson, Head of School, Announces June 30, 2019 Departure

On April 4, 2018, Dr. Rick Branson, Head of School, announced to the Indian Creek community that the 2018-19 school year, his eighth at Indian Creek, will also be his last at the School. “I am in equal parts stunned at how fast seven years have passed, incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be a member of the Indian Creek community, and excited for the future of our school,” Dr. Branson shared in his remarks to the faculty and staff.

Rick and his wife Sarah are ready to embark upon their next global adventure. The Bransons aim to ideally be closer to family residing overseas or return to their west Coast roots. The Board of Trustees has accepted Rick's decision with great admiration for him and gratitude for his contributions to Indian Creek School.

Indeed, Dr. Branson’s seven years at Indian Creek have been remarkable in the history of the School. Under his leadership, Indian Creek introduced an enhanced academic curriculum, including Singapore math and growth of our Advanced Placement programming. A champion of technology, he paved the way for the introduction of blended learning coursework, a first in our region, and led improvements in the use of digital tools in our classrooms. He oversaw growth in our Upper School campus enrollment and facilitated the successful addition of our seventh and eighth grade students to an enhanced student experience on the Crownsville Campus. In addition, various campus improvements, including the development of new best-in-class athletic facilities were completed during Rick's tenure.

Indian Creek is pleased to announce that the School has engaged one of the leading education search firms, Wickenden Associates, to lead a national search. Parent and Trustee Robert Wells will chair the Head of School Search Committee. Robert has served multiple terms as a Trustee, has significant experience in matters involving corporate governance, and even served on the first (and to date) only search committee for a new head of school at ICS back in 2011.

The Search Committee and Wickenden will seek input from all Creek constituent groups – faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni, and friends - in an effort to make the recruiting process inclusive for the entire community. To that end, a team from Wickenden will be on campus next week to meet with members of the Indian Creek community in an effort to identify the traits and characteristics we need to lead us into the future.

Please join us for the following Open Indian Creek Community Forums with the Wickenden team:
  • Open Faculty and Staff Forum: Tuesday, April 10, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Jack and Nancy Becker Center for Performing Arts at Indian Creek Upper School
  • Open Parent Forum: Tuesday, April 10, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Jack and Nancy Becker Center for Performing Arts at Upper School
  • Open Parent Forum: Wednesday, April 11, at 8:15 a.m. in the Lower School Campus Cafeteria. 
*Please note that these forums are for adults only. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the search throughout the coming weeks.

The search committee looks forward to sharing more details about the search process, including the consultant site visits, in the coming days.

Click here to read Head of School Rick Branson’s full message to the Indian Creek Community.

Click here to read Board Chair Matt Alsted’s full message to the Indian Creek Community.
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Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland.  Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.