San Domenico School selects new leader
A veteran educator who has worked in Pennsylvania, New York and abroad has been named head of San Domenico School in Sleepy Hollow.
Paul Sanders fills the vacancy left by Cecily Stock, who retired at the end of the 2022-23 school year after 25 years at the private K-12 school. Mike McGill was the interim head of school for one year during the transition.
“I am so eager to engage with the faculty and staff to learn more about the school’s distinct and powerful educational vision,” Sanders said in a letter to the school families and the public. “Recognizing that every school is unique, and relying on the wisdom and collaboration of the SD community, I hope my time in schools in the U.S. and overseas will bring perspectives that complement San Domenico’s diverse student body.”
Liz Revenko, head of the school’s board of trustees, said Sanders has a reputation from his previous schools of bringing fresh ideas and inspiration.
“Paul’s strategic input has led to increased student applications and revenue, strengthened connections and transitions between divisions,” Revenko said in a letter on the school’s website.
Also, Sanders has brought “an enhanced commitment to student wellbeing, staff welfare, co-curricular offerings and a vibrant school culture,” Revenko said.
Sanders started his career as an English teacher and coach at a Pennsylvania high school. He then spent seven years teaching English in New York City before moving on to middle and upper schools at the International School of Amsterdam.
In 2017, Sanders became assistant head of school at a pre-K-12 school outside of Philadelphia, where he worked for four years. Most recently he worked at the Oslo International School in Bekkestua, Norway.
Sanders, in his letter, credited the contributions of Stock.
“Her quarter century of service to San Domenico, including the past decade as head of school, is a testament to her deep commitment to the school’s core values,” Sanders said. “Her leadership navigated pivotal decisions and set a course for sustained excellence and impact.”
Sanders holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania. He has also taken extended studies at the Wharton Institute of Executive Education, Harvard Business School Online and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
He was recently admitted to Columbia University’s Klingenstein Heads of Schools Program.