| January 2009 · Tevet 5769 |
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Day School Growth and Excellence: Head of School Transitions
The upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States provides an opportunity to examine your school's leadership transition policy. Politics aside, as President-Elect Obama has demonstrated over the last two months, transitions can be speedy, efficient, and relatively blunder-free at the presidential level .They can be so for day schools as well. The subject of leadership transition is quite expansive--this month's issue will focus on Heads of School. Look for an article on Board Chairs in the coming months.
The Head transition process consists of more than just the search. PEJE Senior Consultant Cheryl Finkel, a former Head of School herself, recommends that it begin well before there is any indication that the current Head might leave, as there are a host of reasons he or she could do so unexpectedly. Just as Obama began the early stages of planning for his presidential transition in late summer (before the election was even over), so too should schools prepare for the Head's departure. Maintain emergency succession and transition plans, and be prepared to call on a senior staff member to serve as an interim Head.
Jewish day schools can find a new Head in a number of places. Promoting from within is a common practice in the for-profit world, but tend not to do it. Paying attention to your own school's leadership pipeline can make any kind of transition less difficult. Stay in good contact with denomination network leaders and with those who train up-and-coming Jewish education leaders, like Yeshiva University and The Jewish Theological Seminary. Strong candidates could be working in private or public schools, and looking for a mid-career change. With the expected retirement of many non-profit executives and educators in the coming years, there may be opportunities to attract experienced leaders to day schools.
A poorly conducted Head search often results in the hiring of a less than suitable match, causing frequent turnover and instability--or aggravating it, if the previous Head is departing on such terms. Boards must proceed deliberately. Whether the current Head is leaving after a long, successful tenure or a brief, tumultuous one, the search process provides the Board the opportunity to refine their vision for the school and evaluate their relationship to the Head.
Head searches, even when well managed, can be costly, whether in lost productivity (without outside consultation, there will be even greater productivity lost); in lost time; in lost staff and institutional memory; or, if poorly managed, in lost credibility. The NAIS Head Search Handbook and BoardSource's Chief Executive Transitions list a ways to maintain efficiency, foremost among which is writing a clearly defined leadership statement (read the Epstein School's, of Atlanta, here).
One key to a successful search and transition, according to Finkel, is communication. Just as Obama held frequent press conferences since being elected, so you should keep your community abreast of goals, challenges, and deliberations. A good Head search should take between one and two years. A communications blackout between the announcement of the search and the unveiling of the new Head will only confuse and anger the community. It is important to be transparent while remaining within the bounds of confidentiality.
During the search itself, the search committee must look into the candidates closely; even though a prospective Head seems like a good fit after the interview, it is still imperative to follow up with references. Furthermore, it is equally important to interview all of the candidates, not just the first one who seems like a good fit--the next in line may be a better one. Also, just because a candidate is talented and experienced, does not mean he or she is a match for your school--a capable manager may not be a successful fundraiser, for example, or even might not fully align with the Board's vision. Make sure your most promising candidates meet the criteria delineated in your leadership statement.
When a new Head is hired, the transition process does not end. In fact, the search committee and the transition committee should be separate entities, the former charged with finding the new Head, the latter with seamlessly integrating him or her into the school and gracefully seeing off the departing Head. The new hire, particularly if he or she is inexperienced at running a school, should be provided with professional development opportunities like a coach or conference attendance. No one will have every skill--be sure to provide coaching in areas in which the new Head would like to become more successful. As the new Head takes over the reins--do not delay-set goals and provide a forum for confidential reflection and feedback through the Head Support and Evaluation Committee.
Boards can assess their relationship to the Head of School by using the NAIS Board Self-Assessment and Head Evaluation Tools, specially adapted for Jewish day schools. A Head of School is the biggest investment a day school has; by conducting a thoughtful, thorough search and a careful, seamless transition, Boards can ensure that their school's next Head-and the school under his or her leadership-has a fruitful tenure.
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