By Rosalind Hamar,
Consultant, Executive Coach
Bob Kirkpatrick,
Executive Coach, Search Consultant
Hiring a quality interim head of school is extremely important. An effective interim head is key to the success of the leadership transition and that of the next permanent head, so the school should spare no effort and take great care in its search for someone who is the most appropriate match for this role.
The board of trustees need to give the same attention to the school’s needs and the thoroughness of the search and selection process in recruiting and retaining an interim head as it does in its search for the permanent head. There are, though, unique considerations when choosing to hire an interim head.
Determine if the Interim Head can be a Permanent Head of School Candidate.
With the guidance of the search firm experienced in conducting interim head searches, the board should first determine if the interim head can be a candidate for the permanent head of school position. Making this decision early will simplify the experience.
A cautionary note: In most cases, the interim head should not become a candidate for the permanent position. Remember that the interim role is a short-term commitment for one or two years, during which full time and energy must be devoted to meeting the needs of the school during this period of leadership transition. This is a potentially anxious time and one in need of clarity, transparency, and guidance from the board and from the interim head.
Interim heads who become candidates as the search for the permanent head is beginning have often not spent enough time on the job to fairly assess their effectiveness. Their sudden appointment as head or entry into the search can cause confusion in the community and a loss of focus on the defined goals and task of the interim headship. This is especially true if the board and interim head agree early on that this person will not be eligible for the permanent role and then change their minds.
When the interim head, who is initially charged with bringing calm, healing, or unity, starts campaigning for the permanent position, it can sow discord or division. There can also be a negative effect on the head of school candidate pool if they learn that the interim head is now a candidate. The school community may doubt the quality of the pool or the effectiveness of a search that requires adding the interim head as a candidate.
Some schools can make this shift in the motivation and status of the interim work if the interim head is viewed as especially qualified and is extremely well-received. In this case, it is almost always important for the interim head (whether declared as a candidate from the start or not) to go through the same selection process as the rest of the candidates. This advice applies to any internal candidate since their credibility rests on their being subjected to the same level of scrutiny as all others.
Consider the Timing of the Permanent Head Search.
Schools that are facing the choice of whether to hire an interim or a permanent head should first consider the timing of their search. Schools conducting a search for a permanent head that begins less than 10-12 months prior to the start date (usually July 1) should consider hiring an interim head.
Timing is everything when hiring a permanent head. Most head searches, typically 7-9 months in duration, end by late fall of the year they begin. For example, they often begin in February-to-April and conclude by November. Search firms will receive requests for proposals from schools as early as one calendar year prior to the anticipated end of the search.
It’s essential to get an early start on identifying permanent candidates, ideally to give those candidates plenty of time to consider the opportunity and to make and convey succession plans at their current schools. Also, more and more schools are getting an early-enough start that some searches will end in September, not long after the school year has begun. Even schools ending their searches in late-November or early December (for a July-of-next-year start) can begin to feel behind in the competition for the best candidates.
Be very careful about fast tracking a search for a permanent head. A school community and the search consultants need and deserve the time to find the right permanent head. Rushing this can result in a potentially smaller pool of desirable candidates and the stressful feeling of a compressed search – all at a time when what the school community most needs is a sense of calm, confidence, and optimism.
Recently, the National Independent School Association (NAIS) supported a survey of longtime permanent heads and why they’ve remained at their schools. The lessons gleaned on what factors influence retention underscore the need for schools to allow the needed time to select a permanent head and not rush the process.
Tread Lightly with Internal Interim Appointments.
Schools with an immediate need for an interim head will sometimes appoint from within. This is especially true if the former head’s departure is sudden and unexpected, and the school needs a new head in a matter of days or just a few weeks. But should the school select an interim head from among its leadership staff? The short answer is no.
Elevating a senior administrator to this role is not unheard of, but there are disadvantages to this approach. In most cases, internal interim heads should disavow interest in the permanent position to allow them to focus squarely on the shorter term needs of the school and the charge given to them by the board during this period of transition.
The last thing that an interim head should want is for anything to interfere with the smooth transition to new leadership. While appointing from within might be a good short-term fix, it may not be in the best long-term interest of the school. If a school senses an immediate need to fill the void left by the departing head, though, sometimes the best use of an internal interim is as someone who is appointed to mind the store in an “acting head” capacity while a search for the interim head is undertaken.
Internal interim heads often come under intense pressure from within as they move out of one role and into another and as personal and professional relationships change. Pressure is also brought to bear on members of the school’s administrative team as duties among them are often shuffled to compensate for the loss of a valued member of the team who has become the interim head.
Finally, it is not always easy for the internal interim to return to his/her administrative role once the headship has ended. This can have negative implications for the administrative team and for the permanent head.
Create an Interim Head Search Process.
Once a decision has been made to hire an interim head from outside the school community, a formal search for candidates can begin. Sometimes, schools will have a short list of candidates from their network of contacts or from inquiries they receive once word of the head’s departure is made known. Typically, though, schools can use professional help in assembling a pool of qualified candidates.
Upon learning about the head’s departure – intended or unintended, planned, or sudden – board leadership should contact search firms to solicit proposals. TEG can help with the search for an interim head, either in advance of the launch of the search for a permanent head, when there is plenty of advance notice, or in tandem with the start of the search for the next head in situations where the head has left suddenly and the need is immediate. Using TEG for both searches can be a real advantage since the firm gets an early start at being able to represent the school accurately and knowledgeably, and the school’s search leadership can get a head start on defining the role of the head and learning the ins and outs of search work. Firms like TEG can also help the school set up an abbreviated search process that can produce an interim head in a matter of weeks.
Selecting an Interim Head
The search for an interim head should be done thoughtfully and thoroughly. It’s very similar to the search for a permanent head, only on a smaller scale:
Likely to be shorter in duration (4-6 weeks vs. 6-8 months)
Might involve a more targeted recruitment effort and produce fewer candidates
Could enlist the help of the same search committee or decision-making team as with the full search, or this group might be constituted differently just for the interim search
Same search and selection elements and stages are likely present
Just as with the full search, the board would need to define the role of the interim head and the qualities sought. The search firm recruits and screens candidates, who are evaluated by a search committee and recommended to the board for approval. It is possible that there would even be an opportunity for constituent involvement in this process, as is also critical in a full search.
Learn more about how an interim head can position a permanent head and school for success.
The Education Group can assist boards in articulating qualifications and responsibilities of interim and permanent heads and in conducting searches. We have a national and international network of highly qualified candidates and create each candidate pool from scratch based on each school’s unique needs. We maintain lists of prospective interim heads, either retired, former school heads, or former heads who have had interim experience and have expressed an interest in this work.
TEG can assist with screening applicants, conducting preliminary interviews, and assisting the board as they select semifinalists, finalists, and ultimately the interim head of school. Contact Katherine Moncure Stuart, TEG President, at katherine@educationgroup.com to get started on your school’s search. And good luck!
At The Education Group, we are experts in leading and guiding schools through searches for interim heads and permanent heads. Our consultants have held positions both as heads of schools and as interim heads – and understand the nature and needs of both positions. We tailor our searches, executive coaching for new heads and board chairs, and consulting services to your school’s needs to promote a smooth and effective leadership transition.
Learn how we can help your school.