Stronger Consulting runs CEO and executive director searches for charter networks and charter schools, from the board’s first conversation to the new leader’s first months. We work for the board. The board owns the decision, and we run the process: the profile, the pipeline, the assessment, and the close.
We work only in education and mission-driven organizations. Our founders built and led the kinds of organizations we now serve, including charter networks.
How does a charter CEO search with Stronger work?
Every search follows the same six steps, and the board stays in the room for the decisions that matter.
- Set decision rights and the calendar. We agree with the board who leads, who decides, and the start date, then work the calendar backward.
- Write the success profile. We turn the board’s priorities into outcomes the next leader must deliver, before we post the role or call a candidate.
- Build a pipeline beyond the usual networks. We source widely, including leaders who are not looking, and we invite internal candidates in on the same terms.
- Assess every candidate the same way. One rubric tied to the profile is used at every stage, so the board compares people on equal terms.
- Give the board written summaries. Each finalist comes with a clear write-up, so a volunteer board can decide quickly and well.
- Support the close and the first months. We help the board negotiate within its approved range, plan the announcement, and set up the new leader’s first 90 days.
We work directly with the search committee on the candidate brief, slate review, and board interview design.
When does a charter board need a search firm?
Most charter boards are volunteers with full-time jobs. Running a search means sourcing candidates, screening them, scheduling interviews and keeping every member’s judgment on the same scale. Without dedicated capacity, those steps stretch out. Boards usually bring in a firm when:
- The CEO or executive director is leaving and the date will not move.
- The sitting leader will not enter an open search.
- The board does not have the capacity to run sourcing, screening and scheduling itself.
- The board wants a process it can explain clearly to its community.
What has Stronger done for charter networks and schools?
- DPAC, Las Vegas. An Executive Director search on a very short timeline as the school moved toward independence. The new leader accepted about a week after the final interview.
- Lighthouse Community Public Schools, Oakland. A Chief Academic Officer search that earned trust in East Oakland before asking it to change. About 150 applicants were reviewed.
- KIPP Foundation. Two Regional Superintendent seats filled without a gap, from 2,000 sourced applicants.
- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Los Angeles. A stronger leadership pipeline for hard-to-fill principal roles.
- Legacy Early College. A Chief Schools Officer who could protect the network’s model after its founding leader stepped back.
What should a charter board look for in a search firm?
Five questions separate firms quickly:
- Does the firm know the charter sector, or is charter one of many industries?
- Can you see the process, the rubric and the candidate summaries?
- Who will do the work day to day?
- Can the firm reach leaders who are not looking?
- What support continues after the offer?
Our answers: a practice built only for education and mission-driven organizations, a rubric and written summaries the board can see, and support that continues past the offer letter.
Frequently asked questions
How do we choose a charter CEO search firm?
Ask for the process in writing, ask who will run it day to day, and ask what support continues after the offer. Then talk to a board that has used the firm. Look for sector knowledge, a rubric and written candidate summaries you can see, and access to leaders who are not actively looking.
Should our board run the search ourselves?
A board can, if members have the time, a sourcing network and a shared way to evaluate candidates. Most charter boards are volunteers with full-time jobs, so searches stall without dedicated capacity. When the board lacks that capacity, a search partner runs the process and the board keeps the decision.
Does Stronger search for executive directors as well as CEOs?
Yes. We run CEO, executive director and C-suite searches for charter networks and charter schools, and we search for school leaders as well.
What happens when a founder CEO is leaving?
A founder transition adds questions about the founder's role, the board's role, and what the network has relied on the founder to do. We start with the board's decision rights and the success profile, and we plan the announcement and the new leader's first 90 days alongside the search.
How long does a charter CEO search take?
Timelines vary with the role and the candidate market, so we set the calendar backward from the start date the board needs. At DPAC, the new Executive Director accepted about a week after the final interview and started June 1.
Who makes the final decision?
The board does. We run the process and give the board what it needs to decide: a clear profile, a consistent rubric, and written summaries of each finalist.
Planning a CEO or executive director search for your charter network or school? Book a call and we will talk through the process, the calendar and the board’s role.
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