I appreciate that Steve asked that specific, factual answers go directly to
him, and not the whole group, but I am GLAD that some are directing to the
list their opinions on the topic.
Five opinions so far have been expressed, four reporting they have had
faculty participation on the Head Search Committee, and one seeming to
express disappointment that at her school there is none.
So, I want to take the opportunity to offer an alternate point of view, at
the risk of being unpopular with some of the very many very fine teachers
active on this list. I write as a veteran head who has very recently been
through a series of head searches and accepted an appointment at a school
where the search committee itself was restricted to trustees.
Now, my new school *did*, and I would argue and agree that nearly every
school *should*, have faculty participation in the *process*. Teachers
should be interviewed and surveyed by the consultant in shaping the
description, and a good search has a faculty advisory committee which
interviews, at a minimum, all finalists, and gives strong voice to the
search committee itself, voice which is respected by that search committee.
I value very much the learning I received about the school and its culture
from the teachers who served on the faculty advisory committee, and I
believe they feel they were genuinely "a part of the process."
But, let me share two reasons for why I think it might be better sometimes *
not* to have faculty members on the *committee itself*. First, some
boards, or influential board members, have strong agendas for the work of
the next head, agendas they may not be willing to share with the faculty or
even select faculty representatives. You could argue for the value of
sharing, for the transparency of it, and I would agree there is such value,
but it is too idealistic a position. In reality, most of the time board
members won't, but if they have such an agenda, head candidates will be much
better matched for the priorities of the board and much more successful for
the school if the process can improve the odds that those agendas are put on
the table in the search process. Heads work for boards; we can sometimes
wish it weren't so, but it is.
Second, search committees should be able to have frank conversations about
each Head candidate's qualities and qualifications; they should be able to
debate freely the pros and cons of each candidate. If faculty members are
present, board members may not feel they can be frank, AND if they go ahead
and are frank, it can compromise a Head's effectiveness if faculty members
have heard at length influential board members discuss the weaknesses of the
candidate who will be the new Head. If, for example, a board member has
expressed on the search committee strong reservations about the new Head's
decisiveness, faculty members may view their new "boss" as indecisive and
know that certain board members agree, and that perception can be hard to
overcome.
Now, every school culture is unique, something we celebrate at our
"independent" schools, and there most certainly are schools where it would
be essential that faculty members participate on the committee, and I
respect that. But I would be wary of not recognizing that there are
competing values here, and that there might be good reasons to not include
faculty members on the search committee (though, to reiterate, *always in
the process*).
Jonathan
--
Jonathan E. Martin
www.21k12blog.net
Head-Elect, St. Gregory College Prep (AZ)
www.stgregoryschool.org
On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 12:02 PM, Tracey <traceson@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I've been at two different independent schools during a search for a head.
> BOth involved faculty on the search team. Since faculty work closely with
> the head and understand the "culture" of the school in ways that board
> members don't I believe it is important for them to have a voice (even if a
> non-voting one) in the search.
>
> Tracey Muise
> St. George's Episcopal School
> Milner GA
>
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