By Tim Viands · October 2026
In the first 30 days after a Head of School announces a departure, the board should do five things, in this order: confirm the departure terms and timeline; agree on a communication plan and announce the news to the community; decide whether the school needs an interim Head; form a search committee and choose a search partner; and begin search-readiness work before anyone posts the job. Boards that rush to post the position in week one usually pay for it later. Boards that take 30 deliberate days usually run a faster, better search.
This is not a rare event. NAIS reports a median Head of School tenure of five years, and ISC's weekly scan of independent and international schools recorded 665 Head of School job postings in the 12 months to October 2026. Most board chairs will face this moment at least once.
Week 1: Confirm the facts and steady the leadership team
Confirm the terms. The board chair and the Head agree in writing on the departure date, the Head's role until then, and any contract or transition terms.
Convene the executive committee. The chair leads, with a small group of trusted trustees. Keep the circle small until the announcement.
Talk with the senior team. Reassure the administrators who will carry the school through the transition, and ask what they need.
Thank the Head. However the departure came about, how the board treats the departing Head sends a strong signal to the community and to future candidates.
Week 2: Announce the news with one clear message
Agree on one message and, if possible, announce it jointly with the Head.
Sequence the announcement: full board, then senior team, then faculty and staff, then families, then alumni and the wider community, as close together as possible so no group hears it secondhand.
Say what happens next: who leads the school in the meantime, that the board is planning a thoughtful search, and when the community will hear more.
Don't speculate about candidates, internal successors or timelines you haven't confirmed.
Week 3: Decide on an interim and choose your search approach
Search now if the departure was expected, the calendar allows a full hiring cycle, the board agrees on what the school needs next, and the school is stable.
Appoint an interim Head if the seat opens mid-year or with less than six months' notice, the board isn't yet aligned, the community needs steadying, or the role itself may need redesigning. A good interim buys time for a better search; a rushed search forces the board to choose from whoever happens to be available.
This is also the week to talk with search firms. Ask how they would approach your situation, who would run your search, what the fee includes, and how they assess readiness.
Week 4: Form the search committee and start readiness work
Form the committee. Most have 7 to 12 members, led by a trustee chair, often including faculty, staff, parents or alumni. The board, not the committee, makes the final appointment.
Set confidentiality expectations in writing.
Begin search readiness. Before writing a job description, agree on what the school needs in its next Head, what success looks like in the first three years, and whether the role is sustainable as designed. Listening sessions or an institutional assessment help here.
Set a realistic timeline. Most Head of School searches take four to six months once launched.
What mistakes should boards avoid?
Posting the job before the board agrees on what the school needs
Letting the news leak before the community announcement
Promising an internal candidate the role, or ruling them out, before the process begins
Choosing an interim by default rather than for the role the school needs them to play
Forming a committee too large to keep confidential or make decisions
What if the departure is sudden?
If the Head leaves immediately, through illness, a crisis or a board decision, compress weeks one and two into days. Name an acting leader at once, usually a senior administrator, communicate quickly and calmly, and begin looking for an experienced interim. ISC places interim Heads from a pre-vetted bench, on average within 15 days of the first call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a board do first when a Head of School resigns?
Confirm the departure terms and timeline in writing, convene a small executive group led by the board chair, and steady the senior leadership team before making any public announcement.
Who should announce a Head of School's departure?
Ideally the board chair and the Head together, with one agreed message, shared with faculty and staff first and then families, alumni and the wider community as close together as possible.
Do we need an interim Head of School?
You likely do if the seat opens mid-year or with less than six months' notice, the board is not yet aligned on what the school needs, or the community needs steadying before a search.
How soon should we start the search for a new Head?
Within about a month of the announcement, once the board has agreed on its communication plan, its interim decision and its search committee. Launching readiness work before posting the job leads to a faster, stronger search.
If your Head has just announced a departure, I would be glad to talk through your first steps, confidentially and with no obligation. Reach out here, or call (440) 361-9880 if you need an interim leader quickly.
Tim Viands is the founder and President of IndySchool Consultancy. He served as a Head of School for 12 years and has worked in independent schools for 25 years.
Related reading: Interim Leadership · What Is a Head of School Succession Plan? · Head of School Search