There are several reasons why so many heads of school are being dismissed early in their respective tenures—declining enrollments, undisciplined boards of trustees, entitled and entrenched faculty, a disconnect between leadership style and the cultur...
Independent school education is facing a leadership crisis. The median tenure of a head at his or her present schools is less than six years (Mitchell). Abrupt departures of heads within two months of the end of the school year are increasing at an a...
True story. In 1998 as Head of School, I was interviewing candidates for the Middle School Head position. At the time, the Middle School operated like an old junior high school, essentially treating early adolescents as if they were smaller versions...
Being a search consultant often means working both sides of the same street: finding the best candidate for the school and finding the best fit for the candidate. It should be obvious that a school can be a wonderful place without its being right for...
Superlative Country Day School is looking for a new Head of School. There at the end of the “God-on-a-good-day” list of wished-for traits for its new leader is “sense of humor.” Really? Indeed, Superlative’s earnest search committee is serious about...
