Article by Bill Hodgetts, Maret School
“I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.” These were my words to my wife a few weeks after I started my first job at an independent school. With a background in real estate development and neighborhood organizing in Baltimore, I was not familiar with the dynamics of an independent school, including the governance, school culture or decision
making process.
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Bill Hodgetts
Assistant Head, Finance and Operations, Maret School.
Two weeks in, the head gave me the news that she had accepted a position at another school. Although new, I understood this was probably not a good development. In addition, I had been pouring over past board minutes and financial statements and saw that things were not in good shape. I called my old job to see if it was still open. Fortunately, my wife talked me off the ledge, and I agreed to give the school a few months.
Something clearly clicked for me, since I stayed at that school for 27 years. Looking back, I think I stayed for two primary reasons. First, an interim head arrived who challenged me to work with him for just one year to help the school. Second, I started to appreciate the dedicated, passionate and talented people that work in independent schools.
Nearly thirty years after that adjustment, I was looking for a new opportunity. Why? What defines professional success and creates the optimal balance of challenge, recognition, satisfaction and opportunity differs for everyone. Possible variables that factor into a career move may include your relationship to the head of school, board tensions, lack of growth, insufficient compensation, better opportunities elsewhere, a bad fit. The calculus can include both negative factors and positive ones.
For me, I knew it was time. Board and head changes prompted me to think about other possibilities. Although closer to the end of my career, I wondered what more I might do, where else I might contribute and make a difference? Lengthy reflection generated some conclusions: I didn’t want to move physically, I wanted to continue using my knowledge of schools, and I would have to carefully consider my next step. While I was mindful to not go public with my search, I put the word out to my friends and colleagues.
Although closer to the end of my career, I wondered what more I might do, where else I might contribute and make a difference?
In truth, I was ambivalent. I didn’t entirely want to leave the school I had worked at for so long. The openings I heard about involved moving or taking on unwelcome challenges. And then a friend called. She knew about a recently announced retirement from a strong school with a long-term head. Because the school was close to home, I was able to attend several board committee meetings, some strategic planning sessions and a year-end administrative retreat as well as engage in many conversations with the head, board members and school administrators. In short, I was able to do my homework and was fortunate to have ample time to assess the fit. Very different from the school I left, my new school has offered many new, exciting dimensions to explore. I am now in my third year.
Change entails gains and losses. As Thomas Wolfe famously wrote, “you can’t go home again.” I wasn’t looking to go back home, however. I knew that I would simply not have the years to develop the long-term friendships I had at my old school, some of which spanned three decades. I could start new ones, however, with the truly dedicated, talented and compassionate people that tend to work in schools. I have found a number of these colleagues at my current school, and I haven’t looked back.
When making a career transition, if time allows, investigate critical relationships and develop a balance sheet that weighs the potential losses against the gains to truly assess where you are about to land. There are no guarantees.
Once you’ve made the decision to join a new school, these points of focus may help you transition smoothly:
- Determine key relationships and focus on people who are positive about the school and their work. Who will be your allies? Listen to them.
- Analyze the culture of the school and your biggest challenges. Be mindful of the timing of change.
- Start building trust with the head of school. If that doesn’t start well and build over time, it will be extremely difficult to succeed.
- Locate the sources of joy in your new school.
Bill Hodgetts is the assistant head, finance and operations, at Maret School, a 650-student K–12 day school in Washington, DC.
In Mission & Motivation, an independent school leader shares a core belief and/or source of guidance or inspiration. Interested in contributing? Please email netassets@nboa.org. In the subject line, type MISSION & MOTIVATION.
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