Frequently Asked Questions

Is Educators’ Collaborative a national firm?

Yes. EC has Partners in California, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Our firm has served schools in all areas of the United States as well as several different countries. See the list of schools where we have conducted a search. Read more about our consulting services and clients here.

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What are the hallmarks of an EC search?

We believe the uniqueness of our services flows from the depth and breadth of our backgrounds as school leaders. Our commitment is to responsibly represent and coordinate the needs of both clients and candidates. Working with us means choosing consultants who:

• Know through experience what it takes to run a successful school
• Know through experience how to work effectively with boards of trustees
• Routinely double team assignments to ensure breadth of experience and service
• Understand school communities and can quickly and comfortably deal with all the constituents involved in the selection of a new head: faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and members of the board of trustees
• Seek to develop a flexible schedule and process that fits the unique ethos of each school but also understand the equal importance of deadlines within the overall search calendar
• Provide candidates with extensive and detailed information about the school; candidates repeatedly praise the EC Information for Candidates Reports
• Recognize the importance of thorough, personal reference checking in order to recommend only candidates fully qualified to meet the school’s expectations and needs
• Are committed to a search process that not only identifies the right candidate for a school but also positions the head-elect and the school for a smooth and successful transition.

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Do you assist schools with searches for positions other than Head searches?

Our major focus is on Head of School searches but we do assist schools with searches for senior administrators such as Associate/Assistant Head; Directors of Lower, Middle and Upper Schools; Academic Dean; College Counselor/Placement Director; Business Manager/Director of Finance; Director of Development and Alumni Affairs; Director of Communications; Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

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What is the typical timetable for a Head of School search?

Many schools are able to devote 12-18 months to the search for a new Head of School.  A typical search process follows the timetable.  Educators’ Collaborative works closely with clients to adopt a timetable that fits their needs.

In the year prior to new Head’s effective start date:

• Winter/Spring:  School selects search consultants, consultants visit school, draft position statement, and advertise position
• Spring/Early Summer: consultants recruit, interview, and vet candidates
• Late Summer/Early September:  Search Committee evaluates dossiers submitted by consultant and selects candidates to interview and advance to the semi-finalist round
• Mid-September:  Semi-finalists make campus visits and meet school constituencies
• Late September:  Search Committee selects finalists for return campus visits with spouse or partner, if relevant
• October:  Search Committee selects new Head of School to nominate to the Board for approval
• November –June:  Consultants assist the school with transition plans
• New Head of School commences his/her appointment July 1 of the year following the start of the search process.

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Is it possible to conduct a more streamlined search?

Yes, EC has assisted schools with searches that have been completed in as few as 2-6 months.  The impact of the compressed timeframe is primarily on the candidate pool, allowing less time for recruitment and conducting the search “out-of-sync” with the typical cycle.

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What is the ideal size and composition of the Search Committee?

The ideal size of a Search Committee ranges from 8-12, but can be as few as 6 and as many as 15.  The Committee’s composition should reflect the culture of the school and take into account any special circumstances.  For some schools this means a Search Committee composed of Board members only.  For others, faculty and/or parent and alumnae/i and, in the case of secondary schools, student representation is important.  Educators’ Collaborative is able to assist the Board in determining the most appropriate course to take.

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How can an inclusive search process be ensured?

An Advisory Committee of twelve to twenty members, specifically appointed by the Board Chair and/or the Search Committee, can be drawn from key constituents of the schools such as faculty, parents, alums, and, in the case of secondary schools, students.  Another approach is to form Constituent Committees representing these groups.  In either case, the Committee(s) interview semi-finalist and finalist candidates and submit their feedback to the Search Committee.  Educators’ Collaborative advises a Search Committee on this important aspect of the search and conducts training for the Committee(s) prior to the interviewing of candidates.

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How is a candidate pool developed?

Educators’ Collaborative prides itself on building a robust pool of candidates for a school.  The consultants draft an Information for Candidates position statement that provides a comprehensive overview of the school and a leadership profile for the new Head of School.  The position is listed on appropriate on-line and print sites and EC uses its extensive data base and professional network to recruit sitting Heads, “rising stars,” and “out-of-the-box” candidates.

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How are candidates vetted?

EC partners personally conduct all candidate interviews and reference checking which results in thorough knowledge and vetting of candidates.  The extensive contacts that EC has within the educational and non-profit world contribute to the wealth of information we are able to gather regarding candidates.

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When should a school select an interim Head rather than undertaking a search for a permanent Head?

There can be three cases for hiring an interim head. Firstly, and the most common occasion is when there is a sudden or untimely departure of the head. If there is insufficient time to conduct a search, then the school has little choice but to hire an interim. A second circumstance for hiring an interim is when a school has enjoyed a lengthy tenure with its head and feels that the school will adjust best to a new permanent head after it has had an interim head who will serve as a transition figure. Finally, a school may feel that it needs to make significant and difficult changes to critical aspects of the school such as personnel or programs. An interim head in this circumstance will be a change agent who by definition has a brief tenure. In all cases, schools should expect interims to address a set of short term goals that will help the school continue to develop and move forward. EC works closely with clients to adopt a timetable that fits their needs.

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What do you charge for your services?

EC establishes a set fee for the search regardless of the eventual compensation package negotiated by the school. Part of our service is to provide schools with benchmark data on compensation packages for administrators, and we feel that it could be a conflict of interest to advise schools on compensation and then charge a fee based on the compensation.

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