You have most likely arrived at this page because your school is in need of a new leader at the senior level. It might be a Head, Associate Head, Assistant Head, Division Head, Business Manager, Director of Development, Director of Admissions, or one of many other senior level leadership positions. What comes next?

Searching for a Head of School

The search for a new Head of School often takes six to eighteen months. Once a decision has been made to search for a new Head, the Board of Trustees must decide how to go about finding the ideal person for the position.

In most independent schools, in order to insure a thorough and smooth process, the search for a Head of School warrants forming a search committee and engagement of a search consultant or professional recruiting firm. While every search is different, these are general considerations which often apply.

If the Board decides that a search committee is needed, the next steps are:

• Identify key school constituents to form the search committee. The committee may be comprised of Board members, parents, faculty, and/or administrators. Five to eight members is a suggested size. The committee members should be willing to devote a good deal of time to the project over the course of many months, and must understand the importance of confidentiality throughout the process. It is very important that they also be willing to work collegially and have an open mind and a positive attitude.
• The search committee chair should be a respected, strong representative of the spirit and community of the school, and have the time and commitment to coordinate the search. The school’s Board Chair usually is not the search committee chair, but rather a neutral, supportive presence. Often the incoming Board Chair serves as the search committee chair.
• In addition to a chairperson, it is helpful to designate a second individual to serve as a co-chair or vice chair of the search committee. This person can interface with the committee members and search firm if the chair is not available and can help keep the process on schedule.
• After the committee is formed, it needs to decide if its members have the time and expertise to conduct a search on their own, or whether to retain a search firm. Although it is less costly to conduct a search alone, successful searches are demanding and time consuming and professional guidance can be very valuable.
• The evaluation and choice of a professional search firm is usually done by a small sub-set of the search committee. Be sure to consult with references who have used the firm for similar searches, and to speak personally with the person who will be heading your search if you select that firm. The fees charged by a search firm may seem high, but you should think of them as a long-term investment in the future of the school.
• After the committee decides on a search firm, the next step is to work together to build the search strategy. For an outline of the various steps see the Cal/West Retained Leadership Search Process.

Searching for a Senior Leader

For positions at the senior leadership level (meaning leaders other than Head of School), the hiring process is often the responsibility of the Head. The decision whether to retain a professional firm to assist with recruiting includes consideration of the size and finances of the school, importance of the position to be filled, reasons for the hire, requirements of the position, challenges and opportunities surrounding the position, difficulty finding candidates, and whether there are internal candidates to be considered.
We welcome your inquiry into what type of senior leadership search would best meet your school’s needs. We will advise you about these choices and how a search can be customized to fit your situation. Please call Lee Miller, Cal/West’s President, at (818)906-2972, or e-mail search@CalWestEducators.com.