Laura joined The Education Group in the summer of 2020 after serving as an educator, administrator and head of school in independent schools for over 30 years. Laura served as Head of St. Catherine’s School, an all-girls Episcopal school in Richmond, Virginia, and finalized her career as the Head of University School of Milwaukee, a large, co-educational day school.
Describe your career in education.
After graduating from The University of Wisconsin at Madison with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a chemistry minor, I soon recognized that while my love for science had defined my college degree, my love for school and learning was just as powerful a motivator in my life. One master’s degree in Educational Leadership later, found me launching a 15-year stint as an educator of science, predominantly spent as an instructor and department chair at The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. All-school involvement in strategizing, programming, mentoring, and developing professional development opportunities, led to my decision to make a move into educational leadership as the upper school division head at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida. My administrative trajectory eventually provided opportunities for me to lead as the head of school at St. Catherine’s School, an all-girls Episcopal school in Richmond, VA, and to finalize my career as the head of University School of Milwaukee, a large, co-educational day school. The diversity of my experiences at each of these very unique schools substantially contributed to my growth as a teacher, administrator, and eventual school head. Upon reflection, each situation presented challenges and opportunities that contributed to my decision to continue to share as an educational consultant the myriad lessons learned and wisdom provided, as I begin my retirement after more than 30-years as an independent school educator.
What do you consider to be the most important information and experience you would like to share as a consultant for independent schools as they search for new heads of school?
I unequivocally believe there is no more important decision made by independent schools than the selection of a new head of school and the subsequent strategic planning and oversight of his/her introduction and acclimation to the new school community. The search process needs to begin with a thorough and authentic articulation of the ethos, opportunities, and challenges of the specific school. Finding a new leader whose values aligns with the school mission, vision, and educational standards is crucial to the long-term success of the new head of school, and paramount to the short and long term positive growth and successful sustainability of a healthy school. Secondly, a strategic process identifying the specific needs of the school at the point in time of the search, the characteristics the board and senior administration believe are important in a new head of school, and the communication of the school needs to the potential talent pool, requires the guidance and experience of an organized, networked, and energized consulting team. The selection of the best consultant to oversee and guide the search process is the most important decision made prior to the actual selection of the next head of school. The relationship established between search committee chairs and the members of the search committee with the consultants over the course of the important search months requires precise and timely communication. Complex networking required to establish a strong candidate pool is also crucial. Trust in the experience and wisdom of the consultants to understand the needs of the school and establish a search process that will not only find the best candidate to help the school meet their goals, but also recognize the importance of the strategic introduction of the new head to the school community, is paramount. This includes continued coaching and mentoring of the new head for a minimum of the first year, and preferably longer, after he or she steps to the helm as the head of school.
What unique competencies do you believe are required by the consultants in the head of school search process?
As the head of school for two large and, therefore, quite complex schools, the search process was the first exposure to both of these professional experiences and in hindsight I realize the extreme value the role of the search consultants play in identifying a strong pool of candidates, ensuring each candidate is well-vetted and understands the needs of the school, and presenting to the school only candidates who have the potential to be successful heads of school at this specific institution. As a veteran of several searches while identifying the schools I ultimately led, I know the importance of networking on a large scale to ensure a diverse and talented group of candidates, as well as timely and informative communication both with the search committee and the many potential candidates. The first impression made by the consultants can dramatically influence the quality of the potential pool of possible new heads a school will have to consider. Finally, understanding the role as liaison between the school and the candidates is nuanced and important as the search for an effective and successful head of school spans a time frame of more than a year and requires ongoing attention to meet the needs of both.
What do you consider to be the most important information and experience you would like to share as a consultant for independent schools as they look to provide important coaching/mentoring for their current new or experienced head and/or senior administrators?
Now more than ever before, as the pressure to develop a workable, safe opening of school plan so vital to the sustainability of independent schools, coupled with the tensions of recent actions to highlight racial inequities specific to our schools, the head of school needs a confidante, resource, guide, and mentor to assist in the unparalleled need to navigate this treacherous educational landscape. While the board chair and other board members play an important advisory role for both new and experienced heads, there is no other person in the school community possessing experience in running a school and managing all of the often-competing interests and diverse opinions. Put simply: school heads are without an equivalent peer in independent schools. The value of an executive coach with experience as a head of school is immeasurable. This member of the heads inner advisory circle inevitably offers both support as well as challenging the head to strategize and view situations and issues from varying vantage points. The executive coach is the head’s only ally who does not have a personal investment in the school or an agenda specific to the school. She/he is solely available for the head to call upon in all matters large and small that challenge the head and require solid, balanced evaluation and decision-making.
What unique competencies do you believe you bring to the role as consultant/mentor for heads of school or senior administrators?
Serving as a school head in two competitive independent schools – one co-educational and secular, the other an all-girls’ religiously affiliated school, as well as holding teaching and administrative positions in boarding and day schools – has provided me with a broad perspective of what it takes to be successful as a new head of school, regardless of former experience. Having personally entered new communities in varying regions of the country; each with their own culture, ethos, and sensitivities; required me to carefully examine this complicated and often confusing transition as I developed a sense of the role of the new school head; the board as the support system for the head; and the need for the head to engage widely differing constituents often with very different viewpoints about the needs of the school. I believe my depth of experience would allow me to share advice with a new school head vital to not mis-stepping in the early, crucial months and years when so many heads of school seem to stumble and experience difficulties.
I also learned as an experienced head of school the value of executive coaching for senior administrators who can stray into situations that are detrimental to the school or their own careers, even when they are talented and skilled professionals. As a school head, it has been remarkably valuable for me to hire an outside executive coach for my administrators who were new to their administrative roles after stepping out of the classroom or those who simply required a redirection. In my opinion, there is no greater leap than the one from classroom teacher to administrator as the skill sets required for each position are vastly different. Having an experienced executive coach, unconnected to the school and not in an evaluative role, a person specifically focused on the administrator’s success, has been invaluable.
What drew you to consulting and, specifically, working with The Education Group?
The many years I spent in the field of education inspired my enthusiasm for continuously examining the art and science of school administration. The conversations that result from the study of schools, school communities, students, and faculty, are ones I have been drawn to throughout my personal and professional life. I quickly recognized that this dedication to educational excellence and the development of professional educators who can lead inspirationally was at the heart of The Education Group’s mission and vision for their own work as mentors and coaches. Their personal commitment to each school is rooted in the belief that, although commonalities certainly exist between independent schools and school administrators, each has its own ethos, challenges, motivations, and opportunities. This is what I have learned throughout my career in widely-varying school communities and I felt a connection with The Education Group as I learned about their dedication to respecting the individual needs at the heart of each positive search or coaching experience. This is where I believe The Education Group differentiates itself from other firms. Ours is a personal, well-researched approach developed through the shared collaboration of several experienced former school heads. Being a part of this group of sage school administrators seems the perfect next step as I retire from my head of school position and begin the next phase of my educational career.