Head Of School

Position Available: Head of School

Fairville Friends School

Chadds Ford, PA

Salary and Benefits: Competitive

Full Time, twelve month contract

Start Date: TBD/July 1, 2020

Fairville Friends School (FFS) seeks an experienced and passionate leader to become our next Head of School to begin July 1, 2020. FFS is a not for profit Quaker School serving preschool and kindergarten. We are located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, within a diverse and growing community.

Fairville Friends School nurtures and creatively educates young children in the Friends tradition. We are committed to being a peaceful community of learners who seek spiritual and intellectual growth by fostering an appreciation of nature, celebrating diversity, and encouraging self-expression through the arts. The school embraces the Quaker vision of education through simplicity, kindness, respect for all living things, and a deep concern for the whole child. By allowing each child’s Inner Light to shine, the school reflects the core belief of the Religious Society of Friends: that there is that of God in everyone.

FFS seeks a Head of School who possesses a deep understanding of child development and an appreciation of Quakerism and Quaker values. The successful candidate is devoted to the School’s mission and program and possesses vision and imagination to advance the School’s program and curriculum.

The next Head of School will possess: a collegial and supportive management style with a commitment to collaborative decision making; an appreciation for Quaker education, a commitment to fostering lifelong learning for students, faculty, families and themselves; and a joyful approach to learning and life.

The Head of School reports to the Board of Trustees and is charged with the oversight of curricular activities involving students, the supervision of instructional and support personnel, and the day-to-day operation of the preschool and full day kindergarten.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain congruence between the school’s mission statement and strategic goals.
• Articulate programs, instructional and learning expectations, behavioral guidelines, and other information necessary to all constituencies.
• Review and evaluate the academic program, including horizontal and vertical alignment.
• Observe, supervise, and evaluate the faculty.
• Stay current with research related to play and child development.
• Monitor the educational, physical, social, and psychological needs of students and develop plans for meeting those needs.
• Maintain hiring, retention, and assignment of faculty.
• Ensure that teachers are familiar with and adhere to school policies in all areas of the school’s operation.
• Conduct regular meetings with faculty that both address routine school matters and stimulate an exchange of ideas on issues of educational/philosophical interest and concern.
• Build and foster a diverse, caring, and accepting community that continually seeks knowledge, supports learning and commits to an academic environment dedicated to universal Quaker values.
• Work within the budget and financial goals of the Board.
• Facilitate operational interests of the school (including program, buildings, grounds, etc.)
• Develop and nurture a culture of philanthropy among the school community and the broader community that supports the mission of the school and student learning.
• Create and implement a broad-based plan to thoughtfully build student enrollment towards optimum capacity.
• Keep the Board of Trustees informed of the general program, activities, and events.
• Maintain a comprehensive calendar of school events and keep the entire school community informed of various programs and activities.

Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree in education or school administration preferred
• A minimum of 5 years of experience as an early childhood or elementary classroom teacher
• Appreciation for Quaker education, practices and values
• Proven success at working collaboratively in educational leadership
• Strong listening skills
• Dynamic instructional leader with a solid understanding of the developmental and curricular needs of children
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational and presentation skills
• A joyful approach, a growth mindset, and a sense of humor
• Financial judgment and the ability to partner with staff and governance leaders in establishing solutions to financial challenges
• The Search Committee will maintain candidate confidentiality. Current employers and references will only be contacted late in the selection process and only with the full knowledge of the candidate.

Job Type: Full-time

Experience:

• early childhood or elementary classroom teacher: 5 years (Preferred)

Education:

• Master’s (Preferred)

Work Location:

• One location

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance