Case Study

Rigor and equity at the network level.

Legacy Early College·Executive Search·Greenville, SC·2023
17
Scholars graduated in 2026 with a diploma and an associate degree
$60M
New 55-acre campus in development
Top 10%
Statewide academic growth at KIPP WAYS under his leadership

The right school leader brings two things: a record of results and a personal reason for doing the work. Dwight had both. Identifying that combination, and building a search process rigorous enough to confirm it, is exactly what Stronger Consulting is designed to do.

Mike Montoya, Founder and CEO, Stronger Consulting
The Challenge

Rigor and equity at the network level

When Legacy Early College's founding leader stepped back, the network needed a Chief Schools Officer who could protect its model and keep raising the bar.

Legacy Early College 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. The founder and chief philanthropic partner decided to build a long-term, sustainable leadership bench. Legacy created a new Chief Schools Officer role to protect that model at the network level.

A leader without direct experience in equity-focused, high-performing charter environments risked making Legacy's approach generic, and eroding the outcomes it had spent years building.

The Approach

The Stronger approach

First
Targeted sourcing

Proactively sourced Dwight Ho-Sang through targeted outreach, identifying him as a Pahara Fellow whose decade at KIPP Metro Atlanta included leading KIPP WAYS Academy to Georgia Charter School of the Year, ranking in the top 10% statewide for academic growth.

Then
Evidence over impressions

Evaluated both performance and mission alignment through a structured process: performance task, scenario-based interviews, and roleplays designed to surface how Dwight leads under real conditions.

Next
Mission fit as evidence

Treated Dwight's personal story, first-generation college graduate, son of Jamaican immigrants, career devoted to historically marginalized scholars, as core evidence of mission fit, not just background.

The Result

What Legacy Early College gained

A model protected
Dwight joined Legacy as Chief Schools Officer in 2023. The network has continued its legacy of high-quality education in a low-opportunity neighborhood, sustaining its model through a major leadership transition.
Scholars delivering
In 2026, 17 scholars graduated with both a high school diploma and an associate degree.
Momentum continuing
A new 55-acre, $60M campus is in development, reflecting the network's continued momentum.
Stronger Insight
When the outgoing leader builds something worth protecting, the search process has to find someone capable of taking it further. That's what Stronger Consulting is built to do.
Stronger Consulting, Executive Search for Mission-Driven Organizations

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