Author Archive
Odds and Ends
It’s been a busy time here, with most of our Head of School searches now in the semifinalist or finalist stages. We anticipate announcements regarding some of these searches shortly, so stay tuned!
Other news of interest:
I’m delighted to welcome as our newest Senior Associate experienced independent and charter school leader Peter Thorp. Based on the [...]
More News from the Head Search Front
We’re delighted to announce that we have just been retained to assist Lakeview Academy, a PK-12 day school of 523 students in Gainesville, GA, with its Head of School search for July 2010. My colleague Sue Walters and I will be visiting the school next week to collect information for our Opportunity Statement. Prospective candidates should visit [...]
The 2010 Headship Sweepstakes Begins
Summer is drawing to a close, and the Head of School search season is heating up. Our first application deadlines for July 2010 headship positions are right around the corner:
Tuesday, August 11, is the application deadline for the Head of School position at St. John’s School in Houston, which ranks among the nation’s preeminent independent [...]
Independent School Strategic Planning: The Times They Are A-Changin’
Among the many victims of our current economic malaise may well be the standard strategic planning process in independent schools. I can’t say that I will be sorry to see it go.
Having facilitated the strategic planning process for several schools and reviewed the plans of many others, I know how often these plans have included [...]
No Need To Fear the Appointment of an Interim Head
Trustees are sometimes unaware that a typical Head of School search process now extends over six to nine months, a timeframe that allows for an inclusive process and broad outreach to prospective candidates. These days, Heads who initiate their own departures routinely give a year’s notice or more to permit an orderly and successful search [...]
Interesting Findings on Teaching and Learning
I’ve just finished Richard E. Nisbett’s most recent book, Intelligence and How To Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count. While the larger purpose of the book is to explore the controversy surrounding the relationship between genes and intelligence, I was most interested in his chapter on “Improving the Schools.” Through a careful analysis of [...]
Setting an Example
In this time of tight budgets, independent schools are responding with significant financial adjustments. Many are postponing the launch of major building projects or putting capital campaigns on hold. Some Heads are announcing their intention not to fill vacancies, and many schools have instituted salary freezes or granted only very modest raises to staff.
Most independent [...]
Leadership Logjam: Why Heads Are Staying Put
Among the myriad repercussions of the current economic downturn is one of particular interest to us: a steep decline in the number of Head of School searches being launched this spring (about 50 so far, compared to 90 or more in previous years). Predictions that the graying Head of School corps would translate into a [...]
