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K-12 Education Executive Search

Extensive track record in recruiting high-performing K-12 executives

Industry-leading executive search firm for K-12 education

The tools and teaching formats in K-12 education have seen tremendous changes. Technology integration into classrooms has never been more widespread, with remote classes, learning management systems, and online resources becoming essential to modern teaching. However, an aging workforce, growing workloads, and insufficient support have created significant teacher recruitment and retention challenges. Educational equity is also a pressing issue, disproportionately affecting children from underserved communities, resulting in considerable achievement gaps and perpetuating cycles of disadvantage. To tackle these challenges, K-12 education businesses are seeking innovative and inspirational executive leaders who understand the importance of education technology and services to support all children to reach their full potential.

Deep-rooted K-12 education expertise

As a top executive recruiting firm, our team’s deep industry expertise and executive network can help clients recruit transformational executives across K-12 education businesses. At JM Search, we understand this increasingly complex landscape and have a proven track record of partnering with clients to identify and recruit top-tier K-12 education executives.

Sample executive positions recruited

Our team is comprised of former C-level executives and deeply experienced executive recruiting experts that know how to assess top talent across the following key roles:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Board & President
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Finance
• Chief Operating Officer (COO) & Operations
• Chief Information Officer (CIO) & Technology
• Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) & DE&I
• Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) & Sales
• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) & Risk
• General Counsel (GC) & Compliance
• Chief Product Officer (CPO)
• Customer Success & Sales Leaders

K-12 executive recruiting experts

Unlike many other firms, our partners are immersed and involved in your search every step of the way, supported by a passionate, highly experienced, and deeply connected team of search experts focused on the K-12 sector.

Elba Pillion

Renee Forcey

Featured k-12 clients.

One firm, focused on you . Contact us today to get started.

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Leadership Search for Education and Social Impact

Since 1991 Spelman Johnson has identified and recruited talented leaders across education, advocacy associations, and nonprofit organizations through an inclusive and equitable search process.

Get to Know Us

Our success is driven by the relationships and leadership pipeline we have developed for over three decades.

We view every engagement as a long-term partnership. We consistently deliver exceptional results, helping organizations find outstanding talent that aligns with their mission, vision, and strategic priorities. Our track record of successful placements speaks for itself, instilling confidence in our clients that we will deliver the same level of excellence with each engagement.

Spelman Johnson Understands Industry Trends and Imperatives

Clients choose Spelman Johnson for their search needs because we offer proven results, excel in identifying top talent, provide a personalized approach, prioritize diversity, and possess a deep understanding of industry trends and requirements. We are attuned to the changing demands and expectations for executive and senior-level leaders. This knowledge equips us to offer valuable guidance and support in defining roles and responsibilities, ultimately paving the way for effective hiring practices.

Top 5 leadership trends in NCAA Division III Athletics

• Leaders in athletics must have meaningful partnerships with enrollment management colleagues and incorporate dynamic athletics enrollment strategies into the institutional enrollment plan.
• Leaders in athletics must develop an athletics vision with corresponding strategic outcomes that reinforce athletics’ role in supporting institutional strategic priorities, particularly those related to student retention and persistence.
• Leaders in athletics are increasingly expected to articulate how athletics supports a holistic student experience, including student athlete mental health and wellbeing.
• Leaders in athletics must develop thoughtful and meaningful mechanisms for communicating and engaging with alumni, parents, and community partners. 
• Leaders in athletics must be able to demonstrate an ability to support, manage, and lead staff through change.

How we do it

Our Steps for a Successful Search

Spelman Johnson completes an inclusive discovery process to discuss the role with stakeholders.

Spelman Johnson develops and implements a customized recruitment plan.

Spelman Johnson conducts a comprehensive vetting of the applicants for the position.

Spelman Johnson works with search committees to thoroughly review and assess applicants.

Spelman Johnson provides decision support for identifying and onboarding the successful candidate.

Applying for a Leadership Role

Steps to Becoming a Successful Applicant

Landing the next leadership role requires a plan for assessing opportunities and a strategy for managing the search process.

Curate the elements of your professional brand including your resume or curriculum vitae, online profiles, and social media.

Research the organization, geographic area, and the position.

Customize your letter of interest, develop questions for the interview process.

Consider who could serve as appropriate references to speak on your behalf.

Identify any impediments to accepting the role and address those impediments early in the process.

More Tips for Candidates

Our Commitment to Excellence is Inseparable From Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Spelman Johnson understands that organizational excellence is the result of a commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice and we unambiguously embrace diversity as a fundamental value. We believe that each leadership search we undertake presents an opportunity to advance leaders who will bring passion, extraordinary talent, and diverse experiences and perspectives to their roles. 

Spelman Johnson has left an indelible mark on the world of executive search, and our impact continues to reverberate. With over three decades of experience, our innovative and personalized approach to executive search has resulted in the placement of countless visionary leaders who have shaped the landscape of higher education, independent schools, athletics, advocacy associations, and nonprofit organizations.

Recent Placements

Spelman Johnson’s recent placements stand as a testament to our dedication to positioning accomplished leaders who share a genuine passion for making positive impacts within their new roles. These leaders exhibit a remarkable blend of strategic vision, adaptability, and a collaborative spirit, all of which are instrumental in driving organizations forward.

Bacardi Jackson

Prince Botchway

Angela Chong

View More Recent Placements

K-12 Recruitment Group is the Leading K-12 Executive Search Firm in the USA

K-12 Recruitment Group is capable of recruiting and staffing any full-time position at a school or school district throughout the USA. To achieve consistent success, we leverage our huge education database, use over two dozen sophisticated recruiting technologies, and roll-up our sleeves to do some old-school recruiting techniques.

Current Openings

New PreK-12 Teacher and Administration positions come in regularly, so be sure to check our Current Opportunities page frequently.  If you don’t see a position that is a good fit for you,  send us your resume, geographical preferences, and job titles of interest.  We will keep you posted as new positions come into our office.

Have a Question?

We welcome client inquiries.  If you are struggling to fill a critical teacher or administrator vacancy and want some free recruiting advice or you prefer a conversation about potentially using our K-12 staffing recruiting services, please select a time for our Founder, John Meurer, to call you.

At K-12 Recruitment Group we are committed to finding and recruiting the best candidates for our client schools and school districts throughout the country.

K-12 Recruitment Group is an Executive Search Firm and Staffing Agency. We have a unique outlook and a special way of serving our K-12 clients. We are committed to serving private, charter, and public schools in a way that makes a real impact on the quality of teachers and administrators that are hired to lead the schools of today and tomorrow.

Our mission is to strive for excellence through serving our client schools.  We accomplish this by utilizing the latest technology, proven recruiting processes, and leveraging our database & social network of over 155,000 K-12 educators and academic administrators. We can fill School Superintendent, Chief Learning Officer, Chief Academic Officer, School Principal, Headmaster, Head of School, Vice Principal. Dean, Special Education Teacher, Speech-Language Pathologist, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, School Nurse, School Psychologist, ESL Teacher, STEM Teacher, and many other PreK-12 positions.

“I want to offer my sincere thanks for the assistance you provided in our recent search for a Principal. You attracted an outstanding set of candidates. You applied the highest standards of service to ensure the credentials and quality of the candidate pool.”

Board of Directors , Private, College-Prep High School, Missouri

“This was the best search process I’ve ever been involved with because of the outstanding connections K-12 Recruitment Group has in the educational field. The pool of candidates provided was deeper and richer than we had expected.   The support we received through the process was top-notch and we could not be more pleased with the outcome.”

Board of Directors , Charter School, Oklahoma

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Many of the world’s best and most admired organizations trust CarterBaldwin with their most critical leadership needs.

Carterbaldwin | search done better, request a consultation with carterbaldwin, search done better tm.

In a competitive world, many search firms strive to be “different.” Since our inception, we’ve just focused on being  better .

The thing we love about better  is that it focuses us on clients and candidates … not competition. Better keeps us pushing for performance gains for those that entrust their key leadership needs to us. We have strong opinions about what makes a better search firm and have been relentless about building our firm around a  better  …

Too small undermines key infrastructure and “muscle” to put behind searches. A committed partner without sufficient research and recruiting support is a formula for missed client expectations.

We manage our firm’s size to make us better. While we’re in the top 1% of retained search firms by size, our partner team is focused on delivering great search outcomes, and they have the resources behind them to deliver the goods.

We train hard and have a continuous improvement mentality. We measure everything and keep trying to beat our records on speed and quality. We love competing with ourselves.

Performance Retainer

Most searches require fees to be paid long before the conclusion of the engagement. Not ours. It makes us better to have our financial success tied to our client’s success.

Search done right is hard work, requiring hustle, inquisitiveness and a “never rest” mentality. People content with “good” don’t like it here.  View our values .

We expect a lot from our team because our clients expect a lot from us. In return, we work hard to make CarterBaldwin a better place to work. We have a fun, collaborative, team-oriented yet heavily performance-driven culture. This yields better outcomes for our clients and candidates.

Candidate Approach

A core value of our firm is to treat candidates the way we would want to be treated. We work hard to communicate candidly, openly and honestly with candidates throughout and after a search.

Not surprising, a significant number of our new clients come from executives we treated well when they were candidates on one of our searches … even when they didn’t get the job. We consistently hear “you guys treated me better.”

Annually, CarterBaldwin commits to contribute a portion of its profits to charitable organizations. These organizations are represented below and span causes that support our children, our veterans and the underprivileged.

Insight from our Partners

The Head of School Interview: Navigating Key Questions

2024-04-03T14:56:57-04:00 By CarterBaldwin |

The Head of School search process has been described as a delicate dance, with both prospective candidates and boards or search committees putting their best foot forward in hopes of making a strong match. The search committee comes to the interview with carefully crafted questions, which the candidate answers with thoughtful, well-prepared responses. Both the committee [...]

Transforming Education: Unveiling the Power of Retained Search Firms in K-12 Leadership

2024-01-23T19:01:13-05:00 By CarterBaldwin |

Partners Chris Hornsby and Jack Hall explore how retained search firms like CarterBaldwin play a pivotal role in shaping K-12 education leadership. Discover their expertise in finding the right leaders, emphasizing cultural alignment, and building lasting connections between candidates and schools. Gain insights into how their approach goes beyond recruitment, fostering relationships that deliver board [...]

Why Culture Matters

2022-07-22T18:28:52-04:00 By CarterBaldwin |

Partner Chris Guiney shares the importance of culture and its impact on organizations in a new podcast, "How Culture Impacts an Organization," hosted by Rob Adams and Hunt Scanlon. Chris leads the firm's energy and infrastructure practice and has more than 30 years of executive search experience spanning corporate, PE-backed and nonprofit sectors. In this [...]

Find out why the world’s best and most admired organizations trust CarterBaldwin with their critical leadership needs.

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• Higher Education Recruiting
• PreK-12 Education Recruiting
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RETAINED EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Recruiting searches for the most qualified candidates.

Over 30 years of recruiting expertise, specializing in Retained Executive Search. Our global reach and tailored experience can find you the most qualified prospective matches for any open positions.

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Looking for an Education Search Firm for your organization? It starts with our application.

Interested in opening the door to new options in your career or location?

Strategic Planning

Our recruitment process is a 25 step collaboration to find ideal candidates.

Compare Search Firms

What you should know before choosing a search agency.

We set high standards for Education Recruitment!

Nearly 30 years of expertise, guidance, and solid recruiting results provides our clients with only the most qualified candidates from around the globe to match even the most unique of position requirements.

Satisfied Clients

We've advised and recruited for 100's of repeat clients through decades of changes in Education and Technology

Our Specialties

We have dedicated our skills to select industries of recruitment to stand out in our understanding of your detailed requirements. We find the potential candidates who can improve your institute, exceed your expectations, and hold the values of your teams and institutions.

Higher Education

Tailored executive searches for post-secondary institutes: College, Universities, and Graduate schools.

Recruiting for private and public education facilities as well as local and regional school boards

Career Leaning

Internal Education Recruitment to improve staff and administration knowledge and processes.

Recruitment with technology experts who are well versed in your specific industry and trends.

Senior leadership recruiting, venture capital, and investment or limited partnerships

Not for Profit

Recruit for the management and leadership of grown and emerging non-profits

How The Hudson Group became a Recruitment Leader

Our team dives deep to find the right person with the right skills for you to consider. There may only be a handful of people who really fit your needs, and they may not have even been looking to make a move, but that's were our experience and industry knowledge really allows us to open the door to introduce a perfect candidate. To us, it's never a matter of the number of potential recruits, it's a matter identifying only the qualified recruits who will improve on your needs and goals.

We specialize in your industry and can understand your requirements better than any one else, as well as the concerns and interests of your prospects.

We have a reputation for finding ideal prospects who match, and often exceed, your unique requirements., we narrow down results and deeply research prospects, simplifying candidate consideration., results that make a meaningful difference.

Our consistent high success rate of finding and conferring with appropriate prospects, leading to the successful placement of an ideal candidate, is the reputation our clients rely on.

THE MEMBERS

Our amazing team.

Our team specializes in planning, research, and recruitment. Many of our representatives have a background rooted in education or similar structured industries, are fluent in the latest technology and trends, and are experts at collaborating to find ideal candidates for any position.

John Assunto

Jayanne Sindt

Rachel Surdel

Vanessa Barros

Get in touch, send us a message and learn more about our services.

If you are looking to fill a position, or are inquiring about a position, please use the appropriate forms. Request a Proposal || Submit your Resume

TESTIMONIALS

What people say, quad partners.

Quad Partners has been working with the Hudson Group for many years and John has provided us with good qualified applicants and we have hired numerous employees from John’s group. I would highly recommend you call John for your next search.

Keiser University

Working with John has always been a pleasure. He is very knowledgeable in the field and has years of connections that helps place people in the right fit for them and for the company using his expertise. He knows the trends and is great at forecasting where the industry is headed. I rely on John’s judgment because he’s always on target.

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