“We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in our work with schools and the educators that serve them. That is the starting point for all that follows, because we understand that our reputation must be earned with every encounter and every successful appointment.”

Aggie Underwood, Vice President of the Search & Consulting Group

A search for a new leader is likely to be one of the major legacies of a school board. While a good search can take you from point A to B in an expedient fashion, a great search travels from status quo—through reflection, assessment, and discovery—to affirmation, renewal, and even transformation. The Head of School Practice of the Search & Consulting Group has a long record of partnering successfully with institutions of learning all over the world to find the right leader.

Here are few ways in which we provide compelling value:

Just the Right Size – Our size provides our clients with the intimacy and immediacy of a small bespoke experience, while offering the resources, technology, market insight, and network of a globally-connected firm.

Stakeholders in Independent and Like-kind Education – We are stakeholders in independent schools, and as such, our searches do not compete for resources among hundreds of much larger organizations. Likewise, our firm possesses resources that independent school-focused firms cannot match.

Flexible Approach – During our years serving independent and like-kind schools we have learned that a flexible approach to a search–that takes into account the unique qualities of the school, the specifics of the departing leader’s tenure, and the sentiments of the wider community–is the best way to work.

Consultants as Well as Recruiters – We embrace that we are consultants as well as recruiters. We bring to bear our experience and understanding as life-long educators to all matters pertaining to a search. We understand the various constituencies at play, and we appreciate how challenging it can be to run an independent school.

The End of the Search is Just the Start of a Successful Appointment – CS&A understands that the appointment is just the beginning of the hard work for a successful transition. That’s why our consultants remain a resource for schools well beyond the hire. We commit not only to consulting actively during the transition, but also to coming back to campus 100 days into the headship to meet with stakeholders and keep the transition on track.

Committed Allies – CS&A hosts the annual FORUM/Diversity in Philadelphia. The two-day conference, attended by over 1,200 educators, provides professional development to aspiring leaders of color and facilitates increased diversity hiring among PK-12 schools. We also hold an annual Women’s Institute, bringing together women educators from all over the country, and world, to provide discussion, panels, coaching, and lasting mentorship.

Building Inclusive Communities – To support schools and organizations in creating hiring processes that support a more diverse talent pool, all head of school searches include the option of engaging in implicit bias training for search committees at no extra cost.

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