Charter school succession planning works best when a board builds its leadership bench before a transition, not during one. When Legacy Early College’s founding leader stepped back, the school created a new Chief Schools Officer role to protect its model across the network, and it kept that model intact through a major leadership change.
Legacy Early College is a public charter network in Greenville, South Carolina. It runs a model most schools don’t attempt: mastery-based learning, dual enrollment, daily physical education, and a deep commitment to scholars in Greenville’s most underserved communities. Dwight Ho-Sang joined as its Chief Schools Officer in 2023. In 2026, 17 Legacy scholars graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate degree, and a new 55-acre, $60 million campus is in development.
What is a leadership bench, and why does it matter for charter schools?
A leadership bench is the group of leaders inside an organization who could step into senior roles, including the top seat, without the school losing its direction. For charter schools, a strong bench protects three things: the school model, the relationships with the board and authorizer, and the results families count on. Without one, a single departure can put all three at risk.
What did Legacy Early College need when its founder stepped back?
Legacy needed a senior leader who could protect its model at the network level. The founder and the school’s chief philanthropic partner decided to build a long-term, sustainable leadership bench, starting with a new Chief Schools Officer role.
The main risk was a generic hire. A leader without direct experience in equity-focused, high-performing charter schools could have slowly worn away what made Legacy different, and the outcomes it had spent years building.
How did the search find the right Chief Schools Officer?
Stronger Consulting ran the search in three parts:
- Targeted sourcing. We reached out directly to Dwight Ho-Sang, a Pahara Fellow who spent a decade at KIPP Metro Atlanta. He led KIPP WAYS Academy to Georgia Charter School of the Year, ranking in the top 10 percent statewide for academic growth.
- Evidence over impressions. A performance task, scenario-based interviews and roleplays showed how he leads under real conditions.
- Mission fit as evidence. We treated his personal reasons for doing the work as core evidence of fit, not as background.
“The right school leader brings two things: a record of results and a personal reason for doing the work. Dwight had both.”
Mike Montoya, Founder & CEO, Stronger Consulting
What happened after the hire?
Dwight Ho-Sang joined Legacy Early College as Chief Schools Officer in 2023. The network sustained its model through a major leadership transition. In 2026, 17 Legacy scholars graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate degree, and a new 55-acre, $60 million campus is in development.
How can a board test its leadership bench?
Answer these five questions yes or no:
- If your top leader left tomorrow, could your board name who would lead next month?
- Is there at least one leader on your team who could step into the top role within 90 days?
- Are your top leader’s key relationships with the board, funders and authorizer shared with at least one other leader?
- Is your board’s role in a leadership transition written down?
- Has your board discussed succession in the last 12 months?
Four or five yeses means your bench is strong. Two or three means you have gaps, and they are fixable. Zero or one means start now. See what your score means.
How do you start a succession plan before you need one?
Start while your current leader is still in the seat and can help build what comes next:
- Put succession on the board agenda once a year, not only when a leader announces a departure.
- Name who would lead for the first 30 days if your top leader left unexpectedly.
- Share key relationships. Make sure the board, funders and authorizer know at least one other senior leader.
- Write down the board’s role in a transition, including who decides what, and when.
- Add senior roles before you need them. Legacy’s new Chief Schools Officer role protected its model before the transition tested it.
Our free checklist for hiring leaders who stay covers the hiring side in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
What is charter school succession planning?
Charter school succession planning is how a board prepares for a change in top leadership. It includes building internal leaders, sharing key relationships, defining the board’s role and deciding how a search will run, ideally before any leader announces a departure.
When should a charter school board start succession planning?
Start while your current leader is still in the role. At Legacy Early College, the founder and the school’s chief philanthropic partner built a leadership bench as the founding leader stepped back, which let the school keep its model through the transition.
What does a Chief Schools Officer do?
A Chief Schools Officer typically oversees instructional quality and school performance across a network and reports to the CEO. At Legacy Early College, the role was created to protect the school’s model at the network level.
What is the biggest risk in a founder transition?
The biggest risk is often a generic hire: a capable leader without experience in the school’s specific model, who slowly erodes what made the school distinctive. A structured search that tests both performance and mission fit reduces that risk.
How does an executive search firm help with succession?
An executive search firm sources candidates beyond the board’s network, tests how they lead under real conditions and gives the board clear evidence to decide. For Legacy Early College, Stronger Consulting ran targeted sourcing, a performance task, scenario-based interviews and roleplays.
Read the full story
See the full Legacy Early College case study. If your board is thinking about succession, talk with us. Complimentary consultations. No pitch, no pressure.
For succession planning on a smaller team, read why small nonprofits can’t skip succession planning.
Stronger Consulting runs Chief Schools Officer, Executive Director and CEO searches for charter networks, school systems and mission-driven nonprofits. Book a call and we will talk through the process with you.
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