products and servicesOfferings for governance teams, school districts and county offices of education

The program

If you’re faced with a superintendent vacancy in your district, you’ll want to be certain you’re getting the best possible candidate. After all, high-quality education is dependent on high-quality leadership. Our California-based consultants are experienced in the state’s educational landscape and understand the needs of local districts. Our team of consultants, working in conjunction with the board and stakeholder groups the district identifies, will implement a systematic, comprehensive process culminating in the hiring of the most qualified candidate for your district.

Success is ensured through a five-phase, comprehensive process:

Phase I

• Identify the desirable characteristics of the future superintendent
• Establish appropriate timelines
• Determine advertising venues

Phase II

• Meet with designated stakeholder groups
• Advertise the vacancy and develop promotional materials
• Send out, receive, and catalog all application materials
• Actively recruit applicants

Phase III

• Read and evaluate all completed applicant files
• Conduct complete reference checks
• Assist the board members in selecting final candidates to be interviewed

Phase IV

• Prepare the board for the interview process
• Schedule and coordinate interviews
• Keep all candidates informed of their status in the selection process

Phase V

• Establish performance objectives for the superintendent
• Provide a GUARANTEE

Testimonials

• "I am very happy that we chose your firm to perform our search. It was helpful to have a local consultant who understands our unique needs and if familiar with the districts in our county." — Lisa Jarvis, Board President Grass Valley Elementary School District, CA
• "We were really impressed with the interview process. This was my third time in my twenty years to select a superintendent and this was the best! We had an opportunity to meet informally and formally in a quiet setting and really get to know the candidates better." — Priscilla Cox, Board Member Elk Grove Unified School District

• "They provided qualified candidates, a thorough process, professional demeanor, and quick answers to questions." — Jeanie E. Smith, Sonora Union High School District

• "Throughout the process, team offered us advice that helped us make better decisions. I feel they went above and beyond their job description." — Jen Miller, Cold Spring School District, Santa Barbara
• "It went so smoothly and with very little to worry about. A huge relief off our  shoulders. Very impressed with the Superintendent candidates we got to choose from. I know we would not have gotten the same highly qualified candidates if we had done the search on our own." — Amber Lynn, Johnstonville Elementary School District, Susanville
• "Vetting perspective candidates was vital to the selection process. The team from McPherson & Jacobson did a wonderful job in ensuring the candidates were thoroughly screened." — Sausalito Marin City School District, Marin City

Contact

McPherson & Jacobson has been conducting national searches for boards of education since 1991, placing more than 815 superintendents and public officials in non-profit and public organizations nationwide. Seventy percent of the superintendents, hired by its clients in the past five years, are still in those positions.

Find out how we can help you pick the best candidate by matching the expectations of your district and community with those of a skilled leader.