A Conversation with:
Jay Philpott, TEG Consultant
Recently, The Education Group (TEG) expanded its services to independent schools with a robust, comprehensive consulting program to address customized needs for schools beyond head searches and coaching to heads. To ring in 2022, we asked Jay Philpott, TEG Consultant and seasoned school advancement pro, for his expert insight on how schools can benefit from wide counsel on everything from board governance to fundraising.
Q: Why did you join TEG?
JP: I saw that TEG was a group of subject-matter experts who are exceptionally positioned to do three things very well. First, TEG searches for and recruits outstanding leaders for schools and unearths new school leaders and takes them to the next level for schools that we know well. Second, unlike corporate-type consulting firms, we pair new school leaders with the most amazing coaches who are retired heads of school. Finally, we know independent schools deeply because we are not distracted by other industries.
Our 25+ consultants gain knowledge about a school and its needs from the school itself, candidates, and our consultants’ experience leading independent schools. We give a school good counsel and actionable items. We highlight barriers and shine light on blind spots. Our consultants have almost two centuries of collective experience leading independent schools. We are in a great position to speak honestly to a school’s future and how to prepare for it. Because of our deep bench, we can cherry-pick ad-hoc consultants for governance, tuition modeling, enrollment modeling, accreditation, and more. We’re that trusted coach, friend, and confidant.
Q: How does the TEG consulting relationship work with a school?
JP: Depending on the project, the majority of these consulting relationships are either for half a year or a full year. For the former, we understand, diagnose, and begin treatment of the issue or challenge. For a yearlong project, we would focus on the treatment of the issue. Beyond that, we can recommend a siloed firm specifically for marketing or fundraising, for example, for the school. We’re great at data-finding and solid recommendations.
We work one-on-one with the school and customize the consulting to a school’s needs. Typically, the cost for TEG consulting is up to $5,000, so schools can get wonderful recommendations and modeling for the cost of, say, an annual fund mailing.
In the short time we’ve offered this, there are so many success stories. Linda Talton has done outstanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting and training for schools, and our consultants like Dave Davies conducted great board governance training. One of my colleagues is an expert at creating financial models to get a school to predictable returns – the list is endless.
The time to engage in these consultation relationships with TEG is when a school is transitioning from a search contract. That’s the time to talk about blindspots and opportunities to prepare for the future. Adding a coaching relationship for a head of school and some limited consulting to work on opportunities better positions a school for successful chapter changes or a pending accreditation visit.
Q: It’s New Year’s resolution time. Do you make resolutions?
JP: Absolutely! And I follow through on them. Being from Kentucky and its tradition of thoroughbred racing, I love to know where the finish line is and run for it. I am a road cyclist. Cycling is such a metaphor for life. Albert Einstein famously said that “Life is like riding a bicycle to keep your balance you must keep moving.” My goal is to ride, but I also want to ride for tomorrow. I push myself as much as possible, but I make sure I am safe. Pre-ride, I study the weather and wind speed. In 2021, I rode 7,000 asphalt miles, and my goal for this year is 10,000. I typically ride up to 30 miles a day.
Q: Do you have any suggested resolutions for school advancement professionals?
JP: In this time of the pandemic, creating, and sustaining a community is critical when so many are disconnected physically and emotionally from our communities. Make sure that you are making personal connections at the school and bringing everyone closer to the path forward.
I also think school leaders should resolve to add some time before giving knee-jerk, minute-to-minute responses to parents and constituents. Making a decision about a comment on social media is not a strategy for success. Take a deep breath before you course check and make sure you are being smart and thoughtful about your decisions. Advancement professionals and heads need to be the adults we want our students to be. Having good counsel and people to bounce off ideas who are not in a school’s immediate bloodstream is so important now. TEG is not just about searches. We can help people find smoother asphalt, to use cycling terminology, and get a school ready to be stronger tomorrow.
To learn more about TEG consulting services, contact Jay Philpott at jay@educationgroup.com.
Read about Jay’s independent school leadership.
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.