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Appointed - Jim Laney
Feb 6, 2020
Mar 6, 2020
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MOZAMBIQUE
MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
Seeks a Interim Director
Effective August 2020
This leadership vacancy represents an exciting opportunity to lead one of the premier international schools in Africa. The search for a talented, experienced, and forward-looking leader to join a diverse and growing school community that is committed to excellence will conclude this spring to allow for a thoughtfully orchestrated transition in advance of the Interim Director joining the school in August..
The AISM Mission
AISM pursues excellence by empowering learners to achieve mastery of self, advance their communities, and flourish in an ever-changing world.
THE AISM CORE VALUES
Celebrate Humanity: Welcoming learners as they are, embracing diversity, and nurturing relationships.
Cultivate Grit: Fostering learners’ resilience, perseverance, and commitment to achieve.
Inspire Curiosity: Challenging learners to imagine, create, and innovate with passion, inspiration, and purpose.
Embody Integrity: Living ethically through honesty, respect, and stewardship.
THE SCHOOL
From humble beginnings, the American International School of Mozambique has grown and flourished. In the 29 years since the US Embassy and its staff founded the school to provide an American-style education for the children of those who worked at embassies, NGOs, and multinational corporations, the student population has grown from 60 to more than 640. In the early years, the school was housed in a small building in the heart of the city. Today the school occupies 10 acres about 500 meters from the Indian Ocean just north of the downtown area.
In 2000 the school adopted the International Baccalaureate framework, and since 2003 AISM has been a full IB school. The school was reauthorized for the Middle Years and Diploma Programs (MYP and DP) in 2019. The Primary Years Program was reviewed and re-authorized in 2018. Additionally, AISM underwent the re-accreditation process from the Middle States Association in March 2019 and has been reaccredited.
THE STUDENTS
AISM currently educates 640 students, ranging from the Early Years (ELC 3 and 4) through Grade 12. The current expectation is that this number will exceed 700 by 2022 if not sooner. The students represent more than 53 different countries and thus create a rich and truly diverse international school community. Many families carry multiple passports and have lived all over the world. Approximately 20% of the student population are Mozambique citizens, and 22% are US citizens. Turnover in the student population is relatively common due to the temporary nature of jobs/assignments of AISM parents. For example, during the 2018-2019 school year, 58% of students had been at the school less than two years, and 84% had been at the school less than five years.
Outside of the classroom, AISM students are actively engaged with after-school activities. More than 90% of the student body participated in the After-School Activities (ASA) program this past year. Additionally, all students from grades six through twelve participate in service-learning projects in the local community through the “Community Connections” program. AISM is also a member of ISSEA, the International Schools of Southern and Eastern Africa, and students participate in athletics in addition to science, art, theatre, and music programs. AISM hosts its own Model UN conference and participates in larger conferences in Africa and Europe.
The recent pass rate of IB diploma candidates was 90% with 35 out of 40 in the graduating class sitting for the IB examinations and seeking the IB certificate. The average score in 2019 was 34 (higher than the world average). Graduates of AISM attend universities throughout the world. The majority (50%) pursue degrees in Europe, with others choosing to study in the US (30%), Canada (10%), and Africa, Australasia, and the Middle East (10%).
THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATION
AISM employs a faculty of 122 academic personnel: 70 classroom teachers; 18 academic personnel (coaches, counselors, SEN teachers, EAL teachers, librarian, etc.); 11 academic administrators (Director, Director of Learning, Principals, Vice Principals, IB Coordinators, etc.); and 23 teaching assistants. Robust and tightly integrated teams of learning support specialists, counselors, learning coaches, and teaching assistants further support learning for both students and faculty alike. All told, the academic team numbers more than 80 individuals dedicated to achieving the AISM mission.
The school has an abiding commitment to on-going professional development. The staff regularly attends conferences throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to improve their craft. Additionally, the school regularly hosts workshops with highly regarded educational researchers and trainers as well as teachers from other international schools. The interaction with coaches also serves to create job-embedded professional development on a daily basis.
The Executive Leadership Team includes the Director, Deputy Director, Director of Learning, High School Principal, and Primary School Principal. The Director of Communications and Advancement, the Director of Community Partnerships, and the Director of Integrated Learning also have important leadership roles in the life of the school.
THE AISM PARENTS
AISM enjoys an active, engaged, and supportive parent community. The PTA organizes activities to welcome and orient new families as well as orchestrating important holiday events throughout the year. Parents serve as their children’s “first teachers” and the importance of the home-school partnership in the learning progression of each student is a key to each student achieving mastery of self, advancing their communities, and flourishing in an ever-changing world.
THE AISM FACILITIES
The school sits on 10 acres in a neighborhood that also serves as home to the Portuguese and French schools. Over the years, the school has added buildings as the student population has grown. This year the school embarked on a new Facilities Master Plan to assist in the decision-making about how to most effectively respond to the potential for further student growth.
THE GOVERNANCE
AISM is an independent nonprofit school governed by a seven-member Board of Directors, six of whom are elected for two-year terms by the AISM Association and one of whom serves as the appointed representative of the U.S. Embassy. Association membership is automatically conferred on all parents and guardians who have children attending AISM.
The role of AISM’s board is to:
- Appoint the Director.
- Uphold the Mission of the School.
- Serve as the legal representative of the School.
- Approve annual tuition, budget and Board policies.
- Provide the Association with annual reports on the progress of the School.
- Ensure that AISM progresses in support of Mission achievement.
MAPUTO, THE CAPITAL OF MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique is a young country, but its history stretches back many centuries. It’s a long coastal country that touches South Africa at its southernmost border and Tanzania and Malawi on its north. In between are 30 million people of many nationalities and cultures who find common ground in enjoying Mozambique’s natural and cultural riches.
Maputo is the capital city, where AISM calls home. Nearly 1.8 million people live in Maputo, including the greater metropolitan area. The fine architecture includes distinctive late-19th-century buildings and a significant number of buildings from the 1930s Art Deco era. Maputo is a city undergoing positive and significant changes as it attracts new businesses and widespread investments in infrastructure.
The impact of increased investment in the city is readily evident. The largest suspension bridge in Africa opened last year and provides easy access to the southernmost area of the country as well as the southeast border with South Africa. A new toll road has also been completed that improves access to the closest border to South Africa where one can easily access Kruger National Park. The Maputo airport is also well served with non-stop flights to Johannesburg, Lisbon, Doha, Addis Ababa and Nairobi.
THE POSITION OF INTERIM DIRECTOR
The Interim Director reports to the Board of Directors and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the American International School of Mozambique with the day-to-day operational responsibilities of the school.
THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE INTERIM DIRECTOR
- Graduate degree in education/educational leadership.
- Proven record of successful school leadership in other senior level leadership positions.
- Demonstrated experience in successful change management.
- Evidence of improving the quality of education provided to students in other educational settings.
- Demonstrated knowledge of best governance practices and the ability to work effectively with a Board of Directors.
The AISM Interim Director is an effective leader who:
- Carries a U.S. passport and is well prepared to lead AISM as a school founded by the U.S. Embassy to educate U.S. citizens working and living in Mozambique but today has developed into an extremely diverse and wonderful multi-cultural school community.
- Easily develops positive relationships with all members of the AISM community as a result of being approachable, being an excellent listener and being an effective communicator.
- Demonstrates a clear commitment to providing the best possible education to AISM students through both articulating and building support for the progressive and innovative changes in education that will prepare students for successful and fulfilled lives in a rapidly changing 21st century world.
- Has an understanding of and a commitment to the International Baccalaureate program.
- Prioritizes the development of relationships with all stakeholder groups that communicates a commitment to furthering the strong sense of community that exists at AISM while also seeking to build consensus around opportunities to improve the school in all aspects of its operation.
- Has a demonstrated history of success in recruiting, retaining and further developing outstanding faculty, staff and administrators in support of the school’s mission.
- Embraces, respects, understands and values the culture of Mozambique and the phenomenal diversity represented across the AISM learning community and systematically seeks to further extend the nature of the diversity represented within AISM.
- Possesses a strong background in finance and has a proven record of translating available financial resources into creating outstanding learning opportunities for students.
- Possesses the ability to creatively solve problems and consistently brings a solution-oriented approach to her/his work with members of the school community.
- Has the capacity to provide visionary leadership which capitalizes on the progress of recent years, focuses further on both consolidating and embedding the initiatives that faculty and administrators have dedicated recent time, effort and energy to developing and who honors the work of those who have brought the school to where it is at the current time.
- Is committed to developing a collaborative working relationship with the Board which is based on mutual respect and trust, timely and proactive communication and on-going education focused on the best practices of Board governance.
THE SALARY AND BENEFITS
AISM will provide a competitive salary and benefits package to the selected Interim Director. The salary for the Interim Director position will be commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience. Benefits include base salary, retirement, relocation allowance, medical insurance, annual home leave, furnished housing with utilities, use of a school vehicle, tuition remission for dependent school-age children and appropriate leave provisions (sick leave, bereavement leave, recruitment leave, etc.).
THE PROCEDURE FOR COMPLETING AN APPLICATION
The American International School of Mozambique has appointed Search Associates to act as the consultant in the search for the Interim Director with Brent Mutsch serving as the lead consultant. The deadline for application for the position is March 6, 2020. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials as early as possible, as the Search Committee reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is found.
The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. Finalists will be selected by the Search Committee by mid-March. These candidates, along with their spouses, will be invited to the AISM campus for a multi-day campus visit most likely in mid-late March/early April. The Interim Director will be selected after the conclusion of the school visits and most likely appointed in April of 2020 to take up the leadership position in August of 2020.
Candidates should send the information listed below as a single PDF file attached to an email:
- A letter of application, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Interim Director position at the American International School of Mozambique.
- A statement describing your management and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.
- A current resume not to exceed two pages.
- A one-page list of references who have served as an immediate supervisor with a current address, phone number and email address.
- A maximum of three letters of reference that may already be in your possession
Total document size should be kept to less than 5MB if possible. Applications should be sent to: bmutsch@searchassociates.com
Additional information about the American International School of Mozambique can be found on the school’s website at: www.aism.co.mz
Dr. Brent Mutsch
Email : bmutsch@searchassociates.com
Telephone: 970-368-6879 USA (Mountain Time Zone)
Skype: brentmutsch
