School consultants may come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may have spent considerable time in the educational sector, serving as principals, school administrators or even teachers. Others might be academics, holding Masters or Ph.D. degrees in education-related disciplines. Others might come from more of a business background and have experience working with private schools on their business models. All these backgrounds give people valuable insight into the problems that schools face.
School consultants are very valuable for groups that are looking to start a new school. This includes everyone from a company looking to start a private school for profit to a local government hoping to open a new public school. The right consultant helps plan and organize the launch of a new school so that all the details align to make the project a success. Funding, staffing, facilities, organization and scheduling all get very complex on a project the size of a new school, and a consultant helps make sure that everything is in order.
School consultants also serve in the role of coaches. They bring experience from the educational world at large and help administrators, policy makers, board members and other educational professionals be more successful in their positions. A consultant evaluates the performance of any of these people and helps them to see where they could make improvements to their policies and practices.
School consultants might also have expertise in specific areas. Schools or school governing bodies bring in school consultants that specialize in areas such as technology. Those consultants offer insight into what types of hardware and software the school could use to improve school operations. Others might specialize in feasibility studies and help organizations decide whether to go through with school building or expansions. Specialization allows schools to find a consultant that can provide them with the exact answers they require.