Cornerstone Preparatory Academy
- Location: Acworth, GA
- Student Enrollment: 361
- Website: https://www.cornerstoneprep.org/
- Hiring for: head of school
The space a leader leaves
Cornerstone Preparatory Academy prepares to say goodbye to its beloved head of school, Marsha Robbins, whose leadership has shaped the heart and direction of the school for the past 10 years. Her departure—prompted by changes to her husband’s career—leaves not just a vacancy, but a gap in the relational, kind-hearted leadership that helped shape Cornerstone’s culture. The task to find the right successor is a call to carry forward the legacy of trust, growth, and deep community connection. The next head of school will step into a role that demands both vision and heart, with the future of the academy’s mission-driven work in their hands.
About Cornerstone Preparatory Academy
Cornerstone Preparatory Academy is a private, accredited K–12 University-Model school dedicated to partnering with parents to provide a comprehensive, college-preparatory education grounded in a biblical worldview. Cornerstone believes that education is most effective when school and family work together. Trained classroom instruction is combined with intentional at-home involvement to nurture students academically and spiritually. With small class sizes, dynamic student activities, and a strong focus on Christian discipleship, the school equips students to grow as Christ followers and utilize their gifts for eternal change.
The ideal candidate
Cornerstone Preparatory Academy needed a head of school who would lead out of a personal relationship with the Lord. The ideal candidate would be a servant-hearted, spiritually grounded leader who models humility. The vision for the ideal candidate comes from the people before them who led by example, even by cleaning bathrooms or picking up trash.
The ideal candidate would have the following qualities:
- Experience in a similar school
- Current experience in education
- Decisive and discerning
- Staff-supportive and team-oriented
- Relational and community-building
- Wise, grounded in training and experience
- Leads through relationships, not emotions
Launching the search
Feeling the pressure to find the right candidate before Marsha left, Cornerstone Preparatory Academy’s leadership got ahead on their search process by partnering with Vanderbloemen. Now, with access to Vanderbloemen’s vast selection of candidates and team of experts, they were confident that their ideal candidate would be secured in time.
Our team of consultants talked to Marsha, principals, and teachers at Cornerstone to understand the school’s overall vision for the position. The executive search consultants built a profile outlining who the ideal candidate would be and what the position looks like at Cornerstone. The profile was passed along to Recruiting Operations Manager Emily Hernandez-Basquez to officially begin the search. Emily sorted through applications and vetted candidates before presenting them to the school’s team.
From there, Cornerstone’s job was easy. They found their dream candidate within the first round of Vanderbloemen’s search process. They were ready to extend an offer.
About David Raines
David Raines brings extensive experience to his new role, including having served as head of school in four Christian schools over 12 years. Cornerstone Preparatory Academy matched his own vision to support a K-12 school that prioritizes Christian education. The decade of experience as head of school in similar schools has developed in him the qualities Cornerstone hoped for – decisive leadership, humble servanthood, relational mindset, and careful discernment.
David sought out head of school positions in Georgia hoping that he and his wife of 28 years could move closer to their kids and grandkids. After accepting the head of school role at Cornerstone, they made plans to stay in Georgia and one day retire there. David and his wife previously lived near Acworth and look forward to coming home to return to their church in the area.
Both Cornerstone and David are thrilled to be matched in this search. Cornerstone’s team is confident that David is fully capable of carrying on Marsha’s legacy, supporting the existing culture, and continuing to challenge Cornerstone toward growth and eternal impact.
