Job description Are you a person with a degree and experience in educational leadership, special education, or someone with counseling experience in the field of education? If so, the Head of School Position at Headlands Preparatory School may be a good fit for you. We have found that the ideal Head of School at Headlands has a strong knowledge of emotional intelligence, a love of teens, familiarity with high-school curriculum, the skills to foster team players, attention to detail, comfort juggling many different tasks, and the ability to work as an active and collaborative manager.
Headlands Preparatory School is a small, innovative, WASC-accredited middle and high school based in Sausalito, California. Headlands Preparatory School provides a unique one-to-one educational environment focused on individualized learning, academic mastery, personal growth, and community engagement. This model leads to transformative changes in our students as they become successful in their courses and gain self-confidence and self-esteem. Our school culture is warm and supportive, a true community of students, teachers, administrators, and parents. We seek a Head of School with expertise in education who can foster a positive and supportive environment for our students, faculty, and staff. Headlands Prep is WASC accredited, with an extensive list of UC-approved and AP courses, and has a reputation for educational excellence.
OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The Head of School drives the daily operations of the school and ensures alignment with the school's mission and student learner outcomes. The Head of School will lead the administrative team in working directly with teachers, students, and parents. The ideal person for this role is a team builder, critical thinker, and creative problem solver, with the vision to continue to build our community and create a sense of belonging for all students, staff, and families. The Head of School should have a proactive, positive, and encouraging leadership style and be energized by supporting teachers, students, and families. The Head of School will work with the leadership team to create an engaging, accommodating, and welcoming school culture. The Head of School reports to the Executive Director and collaborates extensively with the rest of the administrative team. This position is full-time during school hours, with some evenings and weekends. The anticipated start date for this position is July 15, 2024.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizational Leadership
Collaborates with the Leadership Team to define long-term strategic planning and ensure appropriate execution of plans with the team.
Provides visible leadership for faculty, staff, students, and overall school community.
Ensures best practices are achieved in all aspects of the daily operation, instruction, and other activities of the school
With the Executive Director, leads the WASC accreditation process; serves on WASC committees as needed.
Executive Administration
Oversees the daily overall operation of the school.
Fosters communication between and among stakeholders: faculty, administrative staff, parents, and students.
Creates the school calendar and schedule in collaboration with the Leadership Team.
Works with all appropriate parties to ensure the safety of the school environment and facilities.
Supports enrollment outreach by leading school tours, conducting open houses, meeting with prospective students and parents, and assessing student readiness.
Represents to school and interacts with professional colleagues, including therapists, educational consultants, and public/private school personnel.
Educational Leadership
Implements high-quality, rigorous middle and high school programs consistent with the school's mission and student-learner outcomes.
Sets goals for student achievement and performance and holds faculty accountable for achieving results; monitors student progress and pacing; leads Student Success Team meetings.
Frequently evaluates the current curriculum and programs with department heads; provides leadership and support for the development and implementation of new curricular components and programs as necessary; supports teachers in differentiating or modifying existing curriculum to meet individual student needs
Chairs regular meetings with department heads; meets with individual department heads regularly to discuss departmental needs and concerns.
Articulates and helps enforce school-wide student behavioral expectations.
Assess each student's academic needs and works to design a custom and personalized learning plan and class schedule; adjust the plan and schedule as needed.
Provides support for students with learning differences and/or social-emotional needs.
Faculty Development
Assists in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified and capable faculty; works in conjunction with the Leadership Team to develop and implement comprehensive onboarding and training for new faculty members.
Creates and sustains an environment of mutual respect, high standards, safety, and support for learning.
Designs and leads professional development opportunities.
Leads yearly faculty performance evaluations; participates in 30-60-90 day check-ins with new teachers.
Provides coaching and counseling as needed for violation of policies or procedures; participates in other forms of progressive discipline when appropriate.
Complies with all provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in all aspects of employee relations.
School Community Involvement
Reinforces school culture, mission, and student-learner outcomes at parent meetings to strengthen community understanding.
Promotes positive relationships school-wide through consensus-building and maintains a culture of respect
Encourages, counsels, and teaches parents in topics related to pertinent aspects of their children's growth and development.
Provides a sounding board for parents to voice ideas, questions, and concerns through both an open-door policy and scheduled opportunities (ie. parent coffees); discreetly helps to mitigate any conflict that arises between parents/teachers and parent/students.
Engages in the daily life of the school and community; participates in activities during break and lunch when practicable; attends evening and weekend events; builds relationships with students outside of academic support.
Works with the Administrative Team to plan and promote school events.
Maintains regular and effective communication with the school community through Head of School emails, the Headlands Herald bi-weekly newsletter, and school-wide assemblies.
IDEAL EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Master's Degree or higher - Special Education, Counseling/Psychology in the field of education, Educational Leadership - strongly preferred; other disciplines considered
Leadership experience, or demonstrated leadership potential
5+ years experience working with adolescents (High School)
Experience working directly with parents
Experience working with students with learning differences, ASD, and social/emotional challenges (ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, anxiety, depression, etc.)
SKILLS AND QUALITIES
Dedicated to the cultivation of children's intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development.
Ability to effectively instruct, inspire, and assess children in a variety of areas through creative, purposeful, and age-appropriate methods.
Leads with transparency and is receptive to an appropriate level of accountability; welcomes and implements constructive feedback.
Appreciates and nurtures existing strengths at Headlands Preparatory School while being open to new, innovative ideas that may lead to positive change.
Possesses strong written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrates ability to build relationships with students, employees, parents, leaders of area schools, and other educational professionals.
Possesses strong administrative and organizational skills and demonstrates a facility with managing multiple tasks and parties through effective use of time and resources.
Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office products a plus.
SALARY: In the spirit of pay transparency we share the base salary range for this position for the 2024-2025 academic year. The full pay range, which encompasses all experience levels is $95,000 - $135,000. Within this broad range, we pay in what could be reasonably expected based on an individual's experience level. Pay ranges at Headlands Prep are reasonable estimates of what the School anticipates paying for a role but are not guaranteed. If hired at Headlands Prep, your final base salary will be determined by your skills, education, and experience.
TO APPLY: Please send a resume and cover letter to indicating why you think you would be a good fit for the Head of School position at Headlands Preparatory School.