Second firm presents 2‑year guarantee and broad recruiting network to Glenrock board

At the March 12 special meeting, the Glenrock Board of Education interviewed Strategic Exemplary Alliance (SEA). Michael Kuchar and Judy Ratner explained SEA’s recruiting network, vetting procedures and the firm’s placement guarantee.

Kuchar said SEA has conducted dozens of searches in New Jersey and nearby states and cited past pools ranging from dozens to more than 100 applicants depending on district configuration. He described partnerships with NJASA and higher‑education networks and said those relationships help the firm recruit qualified and diverse candidates.

On vetting and confidentiality, the presenters said they interview every applicant and perform careful checks of prior employment, certifications and references. Ratner stressed the importance of protecting candidates from premature disclosure and described a process that provides the board with resumes and screening reports while keeping identities confidential until finalists are confirmed.

SEA told the board it offers a two‑year guarantee: "We offer a 2 year guarantee that if it doesn't work out, the person leaves or the board terminates, we come back and do the search for free," Kuchar said. The firm also said it can help districts secure interim leaders if there is an unexpected vacancy, but the interim would be a paid position.

SEA recommended that the board not rush hiring for the sake of a calendar deadline and described typical interview sequencing (first round of roughly 8–12 candidates, narrowing to 2–3 finalists) and optional evaluation tools (site visits, performance tasks, candidate artifacts).

The board thanked SEA and said it would follow up with additional questions and reference checks; no procurement or contract award took place at the meeting.