Associate Head of School Job Description 2017-18
West End School (WES) is a tuition-free, independent, PK-8 school with a mission to provide a safe, disciplined environment for boys in which academic rigor, character development, and responsible action establish the foundation for a purposeful life. It offers low-income students, who are capable of attaining grade-level proficiency, a quality education with individualized instruction. WES’s mission is to eliminate the barriers that prevent low-income students from achieving academic success by providing a highly structured, academically challenging school that supports its students and families, and prioritizes education in our students’ often complicated lives.
To fulfill our mission, we offer a Pre-K through Grade 5 day school and a middle school (Grades 6 through 8) boarding program. The boarding program ensures that our students have a safe, structured place during the week to focus on their studies.
WES is currently seeking an Associate Head of School to work in close partnership with the Head of School to advance the school’s mission and achieve educational and operational goals. This is a new position for WES, and one that is offered at an important juncture in the school’s history, as the school’s founders retire and the school aims to grow into the future.
Reporting to the Head of School, the Associate Head of School will play a major role in the life of the school and is expected to be deeply involved in the day-to-day work of faculty and students. The Associate Head of School will work to create our safe, joyful, and respectful school culture, push the rigor of our teaching and curriculum, and provide the tools and support our teachers and students need to grow and develop. We seek an Associate Head of School who thrives in a mission-driven environment and is passionate about working directly with students and teachers.
In addition, there is a strong preference that the Associate Head of School live on campus and oversee our boarding program for middle school students. S/he will reside in an apartment within the WES dormitory and model for the team of Dorm Parents what it looks like to take on a parent-like role, or ‘in loco parentis.’ S/he will supervise a team of Dorm Parents to ensure the smooth operation of the dormitory, including meals, study hall, wake-up and bedtime routines, laundry, and other chores.
This is a very rewarding role, but also a very busy one, involving long hours, and requiring a genuine commitment to our boarding community and school as a whole. It involves a lifestyle decision and commitment on the part of one’s entire family.
Associate Head of School Job Description:
The responsibilities for the Associate Head of School of WES will be, although not limited to, as follows:
Strategic Leadership
Instructional Leadership
Leadership of Boarding Program
Strategic Leadership
Qualifications and Experience:
An ideal candidate for West End School’s Associate Head of School will possess:
Education and Experience:
Skills and Qualifications:
Statement of Non-Discrimination:
West End School is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment at our school. West End School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
To Apply: Please forward résumé and cover letter to Please use subject line: Associate Head of School— YOUR NAME.
West End School (WES) is a tuition-free, independent, PK-8 school with a mission to provide a safe, disciplined environment for boys in which academic rigor, character development, and responsible action establish the foundation for a purposeful life. It offers low-income students, who are capable of attaining grade-level proficiency, a quality education with individualized instruction. WES’s mission is to eliminate the barriers that prevent low-income students from achieving academic success by providing a highly structured, academically challenging school that supports its students and families, and prioritizes education in our students’ often complicated lives.
To fulfill our mission, we offer a Pre-K through Grade 5 day school and a middle school (Grades 6 through 8) boarding program. The boarding program ensures that our students have a safe, structured place during the week to focus on their studies.
WES is currently seeking an Associate Head of School to work in close partnership with the Head of School to advance the school’s mission and achieve educational and operational goals. This is a new position for WES, and one that is offered at an important juncture in the school’s history, as the school’s founders retire and the school aims to grow into the future.
Reporting to the Head of School, the Associate Head of School will play a major role in the life of the school and is expected to be deeply involved in the day-to-day work of faculty and students. The Associate Head of School will work to create our safe, joyful, and respectful school culture, push the rigor of our teaching and curriculum, and provide the tools and support our teachers and students need to grow and develop. We seek an Associate Head of School who thrives in a mission-driven environment and is passionate about working directly with students and teachers.
In addition, there is a strong preference that the Associate Head of School live on campus and oversee our boarding program for middle school students. S/he will reside in an apartment within the WES dormitory and model for the team of Dorm Parents what it looks like to take on a parent-like role, or ‘in loco parentis.’ S/he will supervise a team of Dorm Parents to ensure the smooth operation of the dormitory, including meals, study hall, wake-up and bedtime routines, laundry, and other chores.
This is a very rewarding role, but also a very busy one, involving long hours, and requiring a genuine commitment to our boarding community and school as a whole. It involves a lifestyle decision and commitment on the part of one’s entire family.
Associate Head of School Job Description:
The responsibilities for the Associate Head of School of WES will be, although not limited to, as follows:
Strategic Leadership
- Support development of school-wide vision and take an active role in investing faculty and staff to achieve the collective goals of the school; own the implementation of select school priorities in support of the school-wide vision
- With guidance from the Head of School, lead the planning and goal-setting for the grades/departments that he/she manages and ensure alignment with school-wide goals
- Collaborate closely with the Head of School on special project work (e.g., strategic and long-term planning, accreditation processes, school initiative work, etc)
Instructional Leadership
- Support the development of our school’s aligned PreK-8 curriculum, carefully balancing what our students need to know and be able to do to succeed in high school with teacher autonomy and aligned curricular implementation across our school • Provide leadership and management of specific subject and/or grade levels
- Supervise, coach and evaluate a team of teachers, holding them accountable for WES’ instructional vision, celebrating successes, while also helping teachers grow in their profession and craft
- Regularly coach and develop teachers through observation, modeling, analyzing data, and co-teaching
- Oversee the development and implementation of a school-wide comprehensive assessment program
- Collect and analyze student achievement data (including samples of student work) and use data to drive recommendations and decision-making
- Support the design and implementation of faculty orientation, professional development, mentoring, and teacher evaluation
- Help create an intentional school culture based on high expectations, responsibility, respect, and strong character development
- Support teachers in implementing strong classroom management practices, understanding their roles in student support and intervention, and developing systems and structures to ensure that limited time is spent on reactive student discipline
- Manage and resolve student discipline issues, bringing in family members as necessary, that are escalated beyond the classroom
- Serve as a liaison for parent concerns and communication
Leadership of Boarding Program
Strategic Leadership
- Plan strategically, in collaboration with Head of School and other leaders, for how to continue to strengthen our boarding component (which contributes to the special character of WES) and how to integrate our incoming students and families, in a manner that supports the mission and goals of our school
- Set clear admission expectations for new students and play an active, leadership role in the admissions process for the Middle School
- Ensure that boarding staff, parents, and students understand the goals and objectives of boarding at WES and the principles upon which community life is based
- Create a family-like culture where faculty and students share mutual respect, care, trust, and individual and collective responsibility
- Set high expectations for student behavior and responsibility, while also negotiating the delicate balance between setting clear boundaries, student independence, and having fun
- Cultivate and encourage good decision-making and leadership in students
- Develop policies and procedures for boarding at WES and ensure their consistent implementation (including dress, behavior, cleanliness, academic honesty, homework, sportsmanship, etc)
- Oversee the consistent application of boarding expectations and rules
- Supervise students by being highly visible and active in the dormitory mornings, afternoons and evenings
- Model excellent personal housekeeping and monitor the physical condition of the dorm, ensuring that student rooms, commons rooms and hallways are impeccably clean
- Plan and lead orientation for each new class of boarders and their families
- Create fun, social events for students to build a sense of community among our young men
- Enforce consequences, and provide rewards, that students may receive in other areas of the school’s program
- Inform the Head of School of any severe cases of misbehavior or misconduct
- Lead and manage a team of four to five Dorm Parents who also live in the dormitory, setting expectations, outlining clear responsibilities, and contributing to their professional development and growth
- Assign responsibilities, to the extent possible, to Dorm Parents based on their expertise, experiences, and talents; these responsibilities will include meal preparation and clean-up, gym supervision, trash and recycling, evening lock down procedures, night walk-throughs, study hall, etc.
- Keep staff motivated and enthusiastic through ongoing communication, recognition, and feedback
- Ensure that the individual circumstances, needs, strengths, and weaknesses of each student are identified and known by staff as needed, so that individual opportunities, talents, and potential are developed and maximized
- Ensure that all members of the Dorm Faculty team are familiar with the school’s policies and procedures for child protection, countering bullying, and health and safety
- Be familiar with, plan for, and effectively implement emergency protocols in the event of fire, assault, or medical emergency
- Develop trusting and close relationships with others in the WES community, including staff and faculty of both the Middle School and Lower School
- Maintain regular communication with parents/guardians of students living in the dormitory, using every opportunity to cultivate relationships with them to ensure that they are fully informed about their child’s progress and welfare and that family incidents or challenges are brought, in turn, to the attention of those who need to know
- Participate in the public promotion of our boarding school opportunity to the wider community
- Model the tone, values, and mission of West End School through all actions and decision-making
- Other responsibilities as assigned by the Head of School, or as needed due to circumstance, which may include a teaching or coaching assignment
Qualifications and Experience:
An ideal candidate for West End School’s Associate Head of School will possess:
Education and Experience:
- A Bachelor’s degree (required); Master’s degree (preferred)
- At least two years school leadership experience
- At least three years of classroom teaching experience with high student academic achievement (preferably in an urban school setting)
Skills and Qualifications:
- A deeply held belief that all students are capable of achieving at high levels
- Successful experience coaching and managing adults and providing effective feedback
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, across a wide variety of stakeholders
- Outstanding organizational skills, planning, professionalism, and attention to detail
- A collaborative mindset and effective consensus-building skills
- Experience taking initiative and using data to creatively solve problems
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment • Strong work ethic, perseverance. and willingness to go above and beyond for our students
- Exceptional leadership and flexibility
- An undeniable level of integrity and excellent judgment and decision-making skills
- Proven ability to model the values and expectations of West End School
Statement of Non-Discrimination:
West End School is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment at our school. West End School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
To Apply: Please forward résumé and cover letter to Please use subject line: Associate Head of School— YOUR NAME.