In a conversation with a head of school recently, he said, “When I was a division director, I was sure that I knew exactly what a head of school did. Then, I became a head, and I quickly realized how mistaken I was! I had no idea of the breadth and complexity of the issues I now face daily.”
This is where the Strategic School Leadership advantage begins. The only person who truly understands the life of a head of school is another head of school – and we are a group of former heads who collectively led our schools for 168 years. We know the work because we have lived it: stewarding the school’s financial health through budgeting, long-term forecasting, and tuition-setting; ensuring that admissions strategy, enrollment management, and program decisions remain mission-aligned; navigating facilities planning and deferred maintenance; and managing up to a board of trustees while building a productive partnership with the board chair. We have recruited, developed, and at times restructured leadership teams; led strategic planning processes; cultivated a healthy and inclusive school culture; responded to crises; communicated difficult decisions with clarity and compassion; and inspired all constituencies – faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni – to stay grounded in the mission, especially in moments of challenge or change. We have done the myriad visible and invisible tasks that come before a head of school – the ones you cannot fully understand until you sit in the chair yourself.
We work with many different types of schools – boarding and day, single-sex and coed, elementary and pre-K-12 – from all across the country. And along with heads of school, we work with other school leaders – deans of faculty, deans of students, directors of admission – and with boards of trustees. This breadth of experience gives us a comprehensive understanding of the priorities, pressures, and aspirations of independent schools today.
We are a team. When working with one of us, you benefit from our collective experience and accumulated wisdom. We meet twice per month. We talk about any complex and difficult situations our clients may be facing. We discuss issues and trends that may be emerging among the many schools we serve and with independent schools in general. When appropriate, we utilize our extensive resources and contacts in the field. We look ahead. With all of this, our goal is to serve our clients in the ways they need it most.
We have served and continue to serve as board members of independent schools and other not-for-profit organizations. Thus, we see things from the other side of the table as well. Through all of this we strive to serve our mission: “To serve school leaders so their schools may thrive.”