Head of Upper School at VAIS

The Potomac School’s Upper School is a vibrant and spirited section of the campus. It’s filled with the buzz of 9-12 graders who genuinely enjoy learning and being with one another. On any given day you will find diverse friend groups, engaged study groups, and casual conversations between adults and students occurring throughout the classrooms and common spaces. These interactions, along with routine practicing of the school’s core values, evidence a school that is equally devoted to community and character development as it is to teaching and learning.

Reporting directly to the Head of School and serving as a member of Potomac’s senior leadership team, the Head of Upper School will work closely with the Head of School as well as with the Associate Head of School and Assistant Head of School for Academics in order to continually ensure smooth operations and delivery of instruction and to further perpetuate the ethos that makes Potomac uniquely welcoming and dynamic. The Head of Upper School oversees a talented team of administrators and will be expected to cultivate the leadership and effectiveness of their direct reports, and to set a tone and foster a culture where balance, gratitude and “what’s best for the learner” are central. Additionally, the next Head of Upper School will work closely with the Assistant Head of School for Academics to ensure K-12 alignment and strength of pedagogy in the Upper School.

Potomac’s Upper School is the largest of the divisions (475 students) and enjoys an experienced faculty and staff who have a genuine passion for inspiring students to discover their potential. Through exploration of their interests—academic, athletic, artistic, personal—students find their voices and develop as leaders in a supportive and generous environment that rejects the notion of one defined version of success.

Job Responsibilities

Administrative:

• Assist in long-range institutional and divisional planning
• Screen, interview, and recommend potential candidates for hiring
• Assume shared responsibility in designing and implementing school-wide administrative, personnel, and curricular policies
• Work with faculty to evaluate, refine, and implement a coordinated, sequential, and articulated curriculum in the context of the total school program
• Supervise and evaluate faculty performance and support professional growth
• Plan regular faculty meetings
• Coordinate with the Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid in the review of candidates for the Upper School
• Serve as a member of the Admissions Committee and implement student admission and dismissal policies
• Prepare necessary handbooks and sections of external reports
• Manage calendar of events for the Upper School
• Teach a class in the Upper School division
• Support and attend co-curricular events involving Upper School Students
• Partner with a robust Upper School Parent Rep Committee
• All other duties as assigned

Student and Family:

• Provide an environment conducive to academic, moral, social, emotional, and physical growth
• Clarify, maintain, and enforce discipline procedures in coordination with the administration, faculty, and school-wide policies
• Monitor student academic and individual growth
• Support faculty in communicating personal and academic progress of students and oversee all correspondences relating to student life programs, discipline, and procedures

Leadership Profile

The ideal candidate will:

• Be a systems thinker
• Be an effective delegator
• Support a culture of accountability
• Be an excellent listener and a confident leader
• Communicate clearly and proactively
• Remember, relate to, understand, and appreciate adolescence and adolescents
• Be a skilled classroom teacher, with an excellent understanding of effective instructional practice
• Be an optimistic, steady and active partner with parents
• Have a sense of humor

The ideal candidate will have as part of their professional portfolio:

• An advanced degree
• 3-5 years of direct experience with 9-12 classroom instruction
• 3-5 years of senior administrative experience
• Proven track record in professional development and continuous learning

How to Apply

Educators Collaborative is assisting Potomac in the search for the next Head of Upper School. Interested candidates should submit the following materials in a single merged document, in the following order:

• Letter of interest addressed to the Search Committee
• Current resume
• Statement of educational leadership philosophy
• A list of five or more professional references, with contact information (including phone, email, and relationship to candidate)
• EC Candidate Summary Sheet (contact the consultants below for this document)

Please send any inquiries, nominations, referrals, or expressions of interest electronically and in confidence to:

Nat Conard, Partner, Educators Collaborative
nconard@educatorscollaborative.com

André Withers, Educators Collaborative
awithers@educatorscollaborative.com