Head of Middle School

The Buckley School•Los Angeles, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Buckley School is seeking a Head of Middle School to create a dynamic and nurturing environment for Middle School students, faculty, and families. This role is at a 93-year-old, all-gender K-12 school in Los Angeles, committed to being both true to its roots and relevant for the times. The school is a nationally recognized college preparatory school nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, with a bold mission, a clear vision, and forward momentum.

Requirements

A. or other advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of five years' experience in an academic environment, preferably with experience as a middle school teacher and administrator in independent schools.
Model high standards of professionalism and create warm, uplifting, and trusting working relationships marked by humor, optimism, humility, excellent emotional intelligence, extraordinary interpersonal skills, and collaboration.
Relish the joys and challenges of working with students ages 9-15, and possess a deep understanding of human development, including a particularly strong understanding of the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of Middle School students.
Possess deep appreciation and passion for education, particularly in an independent school environment conveyed by a solid understanding of educational practice and philosophy, and the ability to share the school's philosophy and practice to prospective families.
Model a growth mindset and believe in the capacity for adult growth.
Demonstrate strong communication skills in person, in writing, by phone and through other electronic means (such as Zoom).
Demonstrate great individual integrity, initiative, self-awareness, commitment to personal and professional growth, ability to receive and apply feedback, and the ability to advance multiple strategic and operational priorities simultaneously.
Possess and utilize leadership skills, specifically the ability to motivate, educate and excite faculty.
Think and act strategically.
Organize and lead routine and special events.
Offer evidence of a successful track record in meeting or exceeding stated goals.
Possess knowledge of Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Blackbaud/Education Edge, and the ability to learn new and evolving technology.
This position requires adaptability, analyzing, assessing, calculating, decision making, dependability, good judgment, reading, memorizing, social skills, speaking, multitasking, and writing.

Responsibilities

Lead the Middle School faculty, staff, and administrators in modeling strong, collaborative teamwork and creating a warm, uplifting, and affirmational culture for students and families that creates belonging for all.
Oversee all aspects of the academic program, ensuring that curriculum and instruction spark intellectual curiosity and skill development, and are experienced by students as engaging, culturally responsive, and relevant for the times.
Design and implement programs to retain current students and families (e.g. the Griffin Family Open House events for current third, fourth, and fifth grade students and families, parent education, systems for communicating with individual families, etc.) and collaborate with the admission team to design and implement programs and materials to attract and yield new students and families.
Support the Director of DEI, deans, and other relevant adults to create and implement a robust co-curricular program, including advisory, assemblies, community times, service learning, clubs, internships, cross-divisional buddies, after-school programming for Lower and Middle School, Outdoor Ed, G-Term, trips and travel, and public-private partnerships to create belonging and engagement, and ensure students are developing the skills and attributes in Buckley's Portrait of a Graduate.
Collaborate with the Chief of Strategic Initiatives to develop systems to collect and analyze relevant data in order to inform ongoing program growth.
Collaborate with the heads of Lower School and Upper School to facilitate K-12 alignment in program, practice, and culture while honoring the developmental needs of each age group.
Lead the Middle School faculty, staff, and administrators in fostering an educational program that fulfills the school's mission, vision and values.
Observe, evaluate, support, coach, and assign responsibilities and duties to Middle School instructional and non-instructional faculty, staff, and administrators, in conjunction, as applicable, with department chairs and other senior administrators.
Lead, with support from department chairs and other senior administrators, retention, recruitment, hiring, and managing faculty and staff.
Design, with other senior administrators and department chairs, professional development experiences for faculty and staff.
Support faculty in their communication with families in their role as advisor, teacher, coach, etc.
Create supportive relationships with parents, helping them navigate the joys and challenges of raising middle school students.
Provide timely communication about school operations/schedules, and issues related to adolescence and parenting.
Create supportive relationships with students, helping them develop the skills needed as scholars, athletes, artists, and community members.
Set and maintain clear expectations for behaviors, oversee investigations, and manage discipline.
Organize the Middle School academic advising process.
Serve on the admission committee and assist in the admission process for the testing, interviewing, and evaluation of Middle School applicants.
Lead student retention efforts and take a key role in yield efforts.