Cal/West Educators Placement offers several options to assist an independent or private school in finding a new senior leader. Every search is customized according to the needs and resources of the school, and the requirements of the position. We are happy to consult with school representatives to determine the most appropriate search option.  

"Thank you for such a wonderful search. We simply could not have done this without your help. Your coordination, flexibility and guidance were the most valuable and comforting parts of the search. Whenever the search committee, hiring chair, and the Head all express positive feelings about the candidates, you’ve done a fantastic job. I am looking forward to working with you on this next search."

Janice Jackson-Haley, Human Resources Manager
Lakeside School, Seattle Washington 

Retained Head Searches
An exclusive, “Retained Search” is frequently conducted when a school has a need for a new Head of School. In a Retained Search, considerable attention is focused on the school’s culture, history, mission, circumstances, and goals in order to ensure that the most appropriate and qualified candidates are found. A retained search involves placing specific, targeted advertising and online listings and conducting extensive networking and national outreach to find top candidates.

Typically, the school’s Board of Trustees decides to conduct a search and appoints a search committee which works exclusively with an experienced firm or consultant. The professional firm manages the recruiting and outreach and works closely with the committee throughout the process. A fee, usually payable in three installments, is charged. The final payment is due after the school selects and hires someone to fill the position.

A retained search can often take six to eighteen months; in some cases an Interim Head is appointed while the search is in progress.

Retained Senior Leadership Searches
A retained search is often used to find senior leaders such as Associate Heads, Assistant Heads, Division Heads, Development Directors, Admissions Directors, Department Chairs, and Business Managers. These searches are similar in many ways to the retained Head search, except that hiring decisions are usually made by the Head of School rather than by a search committee.

As with a retained head search, the school works exclusively with one professional firm or consultant, and the search is paid through an inclusive fee that is paid over the course of the search. Usually these leadership searches can be concluded in four to eight months.

Hybrid Retained Searches
In appropriate situations, Cal/West offers a “hybrid” search consulting option. In these cases we advise school representatives on the steps necessary to conduct a search, and serve as consultants. Members of the school community place the advertising, do the outreach, and interview applicants. The school pays Cal/West a consulting fee, and we may also submit candidates on a contingent fee basis.

The hybrid search works in some cases where the school is relatively small, funds for recruiting are limited, and there are people available to perform the various tasks necessary to complete a successful search.


Lee Miller, President of Cal/West Educators Placement, personally leads and conducts all retained searches. View other members of our leadership search team. For a further description of our retained search process, please view the typical elements of the process.


Contingent Searches
A contingent search is typically conducted by Cal/West to fill openings for teachers, administrators, and some school leaders. In response to requests from schools, Cal/West provides portfolios of pre-screened and qualified candidates. Because Cal/West has an extensive pool of candidates whom we have interviewed and assessed, we save school representatives the time and trouble of advertising for open positions, reading resumes, and screening applicants. Cal/West does not charge a fee to list open positions with us and to receive portfolios. The school pays a placement fee, which is a percentage of the first-year’s salary, only after hiring one of our candidates.

Some schools prefer to conduct senior leadership searches on a contingency basis. We are available to discuss all options and to create a search plan that is customized for specific needs.

To discuss whether a retained or contingency search is best suited to your situation, and/or to receive files for a specific teacher or administrative need, please contact us at  (818) 906-2972 or email Search@CalWestEducators.com.