When our son was applying, Ed Shanahan was Choate’s HOS, and our brief knowledge of and interaction with him gave us a very warm feeling about the school. However, by the time ChoatieKid matriculated, Ed had retired and Alex Curtis was installed. Neither the students nor (most) parents found him to be very personable, but I agree with the comment that the HOS is as important as the board of director’s wants. Though Curtis never filled Ed’s warm shoes, he has transformed the physical plant and built the school’s reputation for being at the intersection of arts, science, and sustainability. The current campus is almost nothing like the one our son stepped onto in 2011, and that was by design. The board got what it wanted, and the students have benefitted tremendously from spectacular new spaces, cutting-edge technologies, and a healthy endowment increase. Curtis was not hired for rhetoric but for transformation. I’m sure the board considers him a great success.
@gardenstategal : Yep… it’s all about balance. In order to be an effective leader (and preferably liked and respected by the students), they have to have quite a skill set: being able to interact with the students, the faculty, the trustees, the donors, and (sometimes the most challenging of all…) the parents… the endowment, on and on. Keeping everybody happy is a major challenge. It’s no wonder that it is not easy to find a good one… and a very tall order to find one who can step into the shoes of a greatly esteemed HOS who is ready to retire.
I agree with the comments about what the board wants. It is like CEOs, if the corporation need to evolve or change, there are leaders who are better suited to that. Whatever the board wants, the HOS reflects those priorities. Fundraising, public outreach, campus culture, whatever.
I only have experience with one HOS, he has been at Cate a long time, and I cannot tell if he bent to the culture of the school or the school bent to him. But they are definitely deeply intertwined.
IMO he strikes a difficult balance of being outward-facing (Public relations) and inward-facing (knowing the kids personally and re-enforcing values).
I think the size of the school matters in terms of you/your child getting to know the HOS. At larger schools you might not see/interact with the HOS but at smaller schools, you likely will. Small schools have smaller communities and the HOS is often involved in a number of things from fundraising, to arts and sports events to major events. I agree the HOS needs to be able to get to know parents and kids and to be able to fundraise as well. At one school, the HOS often sends nice emails about specific things. IMO, having an approachable HOS is a major positive.
One thing that turned us off at one school was the obvious fundraising efforts but lack of social efforts. Seemed the HOS was friendlier to some than others. Not a good look. It felt like being invited to that party where you know it’s a social clique and even though you are included, you know others may not be. Not my scene at all.
Really liked HOS Hirschfeld at St. Paul’s, but were appalled at how Board President Archibald Cox Jr. and fellow Trustees handled the Labrie/Prout criminal matter, dealt with her and her family, and in repeated instances seemed to choose protection of the school’s reputation over transparency.
Helpful to consider both the HOS and a school’s Board, if possible.
Wishing Hirschfeld well at Kent, where I suspect he will have a freer hand to do the right thing.
Agree with @cinnamon1212 and @cameo43 about the HOS of Millbrook. Really great communication skills with parents and puts parents at ease. When our friends dropped their child off at Millbrook several years ago, he gave them his cell phone number and told them to never hesitate to call.
We are living in a different world and with different expectations than a decade ago - even a year ago! I think the effort made by any HOS during this time of virtual visits and virtual fund raising will be an important test of one’s communication ability and leadership style.
I believe the demands placed on any HOS has changed over the past decade, and will continue to change. There are huge issues related to finance, legal issues, equity, and long term sustainability. As @Publisher mentioned, sometime avoidance by the HOS may be what the Trustees had dictated. For example, if your school has a new HOS and must travel the country to meet & greet. Another scenario, is BOTs using the HOS to fund raise for a new initiative or building.
To add onto what @cameo43 posted above, there are some HOS that seem to hang out (hide?) in their offices a lot - or are just not engaged with students. Maybe they are financial experts or concerned with hands-on management issues, rather than engagement with students.
If you have an active - “working the room” - engaging Assistant Head of School or Academic Dean on campus who is genuinely involved with student life on campus and/or teaching , then an important need is fulfilled. Some parents seek that out in a school.
In listening to conversations between my kiddo and students from other schools over the past several months, it seems that they want a HOS with strong leadership qualities and who is engaging. This COVID crisis has been a difficult test in management, communication, vision, and leadership for any HOS. Leadership is very much needed during this time of uncertainty.
We ultimately chose our daughter’s school because we were so impressed with its new head. She hasn’t started school yet, but we continue to be very impressed with the new Head’s vision for the school and the changes she is making.
My husband has served on the board of two different schools that were going through searches for new heads, so it is something we paid a lot of attention to. We have found that a good head is essential.