High School Principal
Cairo American College (Egypt)

Cairo American College

 seeks

 High School Principal

 August 2021

 CAIRO AMERICAN COLLEGE

Cairo American College (CAC) enrolls approximately 800 students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.  The school is located in Maadi, a residential suburb about six miles from Cairo in an area near the Nile River marked by an abundance of gardens and trees. 

A nonprofit organization, Cairo American College is governed by a 11-member Board of Trustees, primarily United States citizens residing in Cairo.  The school is accredited by both the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) and the Council of International Schools (CIS).  CAC is a member of the Near East-South Asia Council for Overseas Schools (NESA), the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

The school is located on eleven acres which includes the elementary, middle and high school buildings.  The instructional program takes place in nine buildings as well as in outdoor spaces including two athletic fields, several playgrounds, an all-weather track, a heated swimming pool, and a multipurpose basketball/volleyball court.  The theater facility seats 550 and houses the drama and dance programs.  Separate buildings support music and art classes.  Two indoor physical education facilities include gymnasiums, an exercise room, classrooms, and PE offices.  The Middle/High school library and the Elementary School library provide state of the art library/media services.

The High School

The High School serves 277 students representing 28 countries.  Students are supported by an exceptional, committed and caring faculty and staff.  There are 34 faculty, 3 counselors and 7 support staff members working under the leadership of the High School Principal with the support of an Assistant Principal.

The high school students are offered an outstanding and rich curricular program. In 1993, the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum became an important element of the high school program.  In the IB program, students may work towards the full IB diploma or certificates in selected disciplines.  Over 60 percent of CAC juniors and seniors are presently candidates for the full IB diploma.  All IB courses are available to non-IB diploma eleventh and twelfth grade students.  Over the past five years the majority of curriculum development work in the HS has focused on developing the IB Diploma Program.   

An active and extensive co-curricular program complements the curricular offerings at the school and includes activities such as National Honor Society and Student Council.  The school hosts a Model United Nations (MUN) conference and participates in the International MUN conference in The Hague.  The school also sponsors fine arts trips, including an international dance trip, a speech and debate tournament, and a choir competition in Europe.  Varsity athletic teams compete in the International Schools Athletic Association in Europe (ISAA) as well as with local schools and clubs in basketball, baseball, cross-country, soccer, wrestling, tennis, track and field, swimming, and water polo. 

In addition to the rich curricular and extra-curricular offerings, students in the high school participate in a Week Without Walls (WWW) program through which they explore curricular trips in Cairo and all over the world. 

Both the Middle and High School present musicals and plays each year.  Traditional events on the school calendar may include Back-to-School Nights for parents, Egypt Day, Fine Arts Festival, and Spirit Week.

From enrollment through graduation, counselors and teachers support students in their preparation for life.

The Position

Cairo American College is seeking an outstanding experienced educational leader who will lead the High School in achieving the next level of excellence, embrace the school’s mission and core values, and focus the school’s academic and co-curricular programs. The ideal candidate will have a proven record as a dynamic, approachable, student-centered leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and will further enhance the outstanding programs that the high school enjoys.

The duties and responsibilities include:

Supervision:

• Demonstrate traits that enable others to recognize the Principal as a divisional educational leader and mentor.
• Ensure that all teachers and support staff have a clear understanding of their performance expectations.
• Supervise and evaluate the HS professional staff with the assistance of the Assistant Principal.
• Oversee individual and divisional professional development and coordinate such efforts in conjunction with the Head of School and other Principals.

Instruction and Curriculum:

• Have deep understanding and extensive working knowledge of the International Baccalaureate program.
• Set divisional curricular programs and policies collaboratively with the administration and faculty.
• Continuously examine and assess the instructional program, in conjunction with the faculty, administrative team and the IB coordinator, to ensure the appropriateness of the curriculum, standards and benchmarks for the student body.
• Observe classes, ensuring that effective teaching methods consistent with evidence-based best practices are utilized by the professional staff.
• Develop the leadership capabilities of teachers.

Communication:

• Communicate effectively with students, faculty, parents, colleagues, and the broader community.
• Exhibit effective listening skills.
• Seek faculty, student and parent input, when appropriate, in making decisions.
• Seek the involvement of faculty, students and parents in a wide variety of school activities.

Recruitment:

• Assist with the recruitment and selection of High School faculty and staff.
• Provide input to the Head of School for the selection of overseas hire candidates.

Student Life:

• Oversee the High School curricular and co-curricular programs and guidelines.
• Be an active participant and supporter of the after-school student activity programs and parent events with high visibility.

Management:

•  Create an efficient, productive, professional and caring atmosphere where all students and faculty have the opportunity to be recognized for their best efforts.
• Assume responsibility for sound financial management including accurate program budget planning and fiscal accountability.
• Demonstrate the willingness to seek constant professional learning and professional growth as a committed life-long learner.
• Establish annual goals and work plans that are consistent with the school's Strategic Plan and accepted program direction.
• Serve as a contributing member to the school's administrative team.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as delegated by the Head of School.

The successful candidate will:

• Have successful IB teaching experience at the High School level.
• Possess appropriate degrees and have or be pursuing certification in the area of High School Administration.
• Have at least two years of full-time experience as a High School Administrator.
• Have overseas international school experience and demonstrated success in a multicultural school environment with the ability to foster trust in his or her leadership.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication (listening, written and oral) skills as well as strong analytical, decision-making and planning skills.
• Be student-centered, open, approachable, positive, and of strong moral character.
• Work with the curriculum office in leading the curriculum development process.
• Commit to and foster community involvement and support for students, programs and committees.
• Have demonstrated excellent organizational and managerial skills and the ability to work collaboratively with faculty and the administrative team to ensure the mission of Cairo American College is achieved.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is highly competitive and will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.  Benefits include housing, use of a school car, health insurance, life insurance, home leave, shipping in and shipping out allowance, retirement contributions and professional development funds.

Application Procedures:

CAC has appointed Search Associates to facilitate the search with Dr. Brent Mutsch and Dr. Eric Sands serving as the consultants.  The deadline for applications is October 30, 2020. However, candidates should note that the search committee will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received from Search Associates. In the event an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, CAC reserves the right to make an appointment before the deadline. For this reason, it is essential that interested candidates apply as soon as possible. For further information about CAC, please visit the website at http://www.cacegypt.org

Candidates who wish to apply should submit the information requested below in the form and manner requested.

• A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidacy and why you are interested in the High School Principal role at Cairo American College.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages.
• A one or two-page statement outlining your philosophy of education.
• A one-page list of at least four references who have directly supervised the performance of the candidate with the current phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
• A maximum of four letters of recommendation which you may already have in your possession.

Candidates should send the requested information in a single PDF attachment.

Please send all materials to Dr. Brent Mutsch at: bmutsch@searchassociates.com and Dr. Eric Sands at: esands@searchassociates.com