Independent Schools through Leadership Transition

At DovetailED, we believe that every school is distinctive and should have the opportunity to find a leader who shares the school’s unique culture, values, and objectives. Our team leverages in-depth knowledge of independent schools to create an individualized search process tailored to finding the perfect fit for your community. Together we engage in a comprehensive process of discovery to assemble your internal committee, survey various stakeholders, and create a compelling position statement that accurately captures the specific needs and objectives of your institution - ensuring that only those candidates who match your requirements are selected for consideration.

The best talent is often hidden in unexpected places, which is why DovetailED uses both traditional and non-traditional sourcing methods to create a robust and diverse candidate pool for your institution. Our experienced team sources, vets, and prepares each applicant before passing them along for review by the search committee – confirming every candidate has been thoroughly considered with personalized attention. Schools choose DovetailED not only to fill positions with qualified applicants, but also to diversify their teams to create an effective learning community where tomorrow's leaders can thrive.

DovetailED understands that finding qualified heads with the right skills and passion to lead independent schools is an ongoing and daunting challenge. Our primary goal is to present a pool of talented and inspirational leaders who understand what makes your school special and have the desire and ability to advance your school. To select ideal candidates, our thorough vetting process identifies prospective leaders’ strengths and skill sets while simultaneously helping them understand your organization’s goals. DovetailED goes beyond traditional practices by coaching candidates so they arrive prepared when meeting with the search committee and school community.

A campus visit is an invaluable opportunity for everyone to learn and discover. These pivotal moments can spark dreams, transform careers, and positively shape the future of your organization. DovetailED partners with you to design a truly meaningful experience - from advising stakeholders seeking to further understand candidates’ goals and visions, to equipping applicants with tools to assess and explore. Our all-encompassing campus visit template ensures a winning first impression for your school while candidates gain insight on whether this is truly their dream job.

With a new leader comes an exciting wave of opportunity; it is critical, however, to ensure that everyone involved has what they need for an effective and successful transition. Change is difficult and can be disruptive. In addition to providing a detailed transition plan, DovetailED offers extensive mentoring and coaching assistance through the end of the first year of headship so teams at all levels – Board of Trustees, incoming head of school, internal search committee members, senior staff, faculty, students, alumni, and parents – have transparent communication tools in place to help minimize disruption. Together DovetailED will help you foster collaboration and enthusiasm throughout every step of the process to safeguard morale and performance, simultaneously setting you and the next head up for success.

Unlike other search firms, DovetailED simplifies the search process with a reasonable flat-fee structure corresponding to each school’s enrollment size and annual operating budget associated with the search process. There is no need for initiation fees, annual memberships, or commissions - just a straightforward 50% deposit at the start of the partnership contract. The remaining balance and all outstanding expenses are due when the candidate is selected by the search committee.