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I just received an e-mail from my son's private high school, reminding me that they are in the process of searching for a new Head Master. At the same time, my daughters' public school system is also searching for a new leader -- the superintendent. Both school systems are looking for a replacement to take over for the 2008-09 school year. I thought it might be interesting to occasionally compare the processes and procedures and progress of the two searches.
I'm posting first an e-mail that I and several hundred other parents just received over the weekend, edited only to remove identifying information.
So far, I'm really liking the tone being set. There's some transparency, a sense that not only are they gathering input, but they are actually considering it as well.Dear Parent,
I would like to give you an update on our progress in the search for a new head of school.
By the end of June the Search Committee and our consultants (name deleted) completed an outreach program designed to contact our many constituencies to get their advice and input. That effort resulted in our having had personal contact with almost 300 individuals through one-on-one interviews and small group meetings with current trustees; key faculty and staff members; some student leaders; and selected former trustees, alumni and parents. It also included receptions for alumni and parents in six cities. In addition, we have been receiving useful input through the special "Head of School Search" section of the school website. We very much appreciate the thoughtful participation of so many individuals in this important process.
By the end of July we completed the job description which forms the foundation for our evaluation of candidates and which we have been using to market the position. [Consultant] has been leading our efforts to identify and develop a pool of candidates. Since early August the Search Committee and [consultant] have met formally three times to discuss the candidate pool and most recently to begin to make decisions about the specific individuals we plan to interview. We are pleased with the size, quality and diversity of the pool. The response to our search indicates that [the school] is held in high regard in the marketplace, and while there are a number of other boarding school searches in progress, we are satisfied that we will be able to engage the candidates we seek out.
We are on schedule to begin interviewing first-round candidates by the end of October and to meet our target of being able to select the new head of school early next year.
I recommend that you check the school website for timely updates on the process and the opportunity for you to provide input. But please do not hesitate to contact me directly at [e-mail deleted] if you have any questions or want to provide any constructive guidance.
As for the public school search, well, either they have taken no steps to begin the process, or they just aren't going to tell us about it. There's no indication on the website, the many communications home about everything else under the sun don't inform us of what is going on.
I'm not posting this to dump on the public schools, but I get frustrated by the lack of openness. The public district will be throwing money at the search and probably hiring a consultant (they hire consultants for everything, so this will be no exception). The public school arguably has an easier time of gathering input, as all the parents live here.
If there was one influence I could have at this point, it would be to get the schools far more transparent and more receptive to the opinions of the community.
