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Middle School Principal
Walworth Barbour American International School (Israel)

 

Middle School Principal

2021-2022

 

Introduction

 

Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS) is currently seeking a new Middle School Principal for 2021-2022. 

 

WBAIS faculty, staff and administrators are dedicated to student success, concerned about the physical and emotional well-being of their students, passionate about student learning and excited daily by the opportunity to work within a dynamic, diverse community.  Classroom practices emphasize active, collaborative learning; team-building activities; the application of technology to authentic learning experiences; differentiated instruction and student achievement.

 

Walworth Barbour American International School

 

Established under the auspices of the American Embassy in 1958, WBAIS is a Middle States Association accredited, fully independent, co-educational Pre-K – 12^th grade international school offering an American program leading to a US high school diploma.  With a current PK – 12^th grade enrollment of approximately 600 students representing over 40 nationalities, WBAIS is a diverse and vibrant community. Approximately 40% of WBAIS students are American, 20% from Israel and 40% from countries all over the world.

 

In 2008 WBAIS moved to its current state-of-the-art 19-acre campus located in the town of Even Yehuda, a residential community approximately 20 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. The purpose-built campus includes spaces dedicated to the operation of the divisions, a performing arts building with a 400-seat auditorium, a full gymnasium, cafeteria, library and media center, athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

 

Middle School Principal reports to;   Head of School

 

Start Date:  Estimated start date is the end of July 2021

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

 

The Middle School Principal is responsible for all activities involving students and faculty in the Middle School.  S/he serves on the senior leadership team and collaborates with the principal group, as well as other leadership bodies, as needed.

 

His/her specific responsibilities include the following:

• Maintaining congruence between the WBAIS mission and all activities of the middle school division.
• Acting as the educational leader of the middle school division, responsible for the day-today operation, directing the activities of the members of the instructional team and the non-instructional staff in the performance of their duties.
• Serving as chief articulator of the middle school program, associated expectations for behavior, and all other information necessary to ensure that all constituencies are fully informed in a manner that is consistent with their individual roles.
• Observing, supervising, and evaluating faculty in the development and implementation of the curriculum while also reviewing and evaluating the academic programs.
• Providing an orderly and safe learning environment within a school culture that is supportive and reflects high morale.
• Ensuring compliance with legal requirements of government regulations and those agencies that examine and accredit the school.
• Making recommendations to the Head of School regarding the hiring and assignment of faculty.
• Establishing programs for the orientation of new teachers, for in-service training of all middle school teachers, and for the evaluation of middle school faculty and staff.
• Conducting regular meetings with faculty that deal both with routine school matters and with the exchange of ideas on issues of educational/philosophical import.
• Overseeing the coordination of the co-curricular and extracurricular activity programs of the middle school; assisting in the planning and the presentation of school assemblies and programs; assisting in maintaining a comprehensive calendar of school events and keeping all constituents informed of various school programs and activities.
• Providing for the academic guidance of students; ensuring the maintenance of comprehensive academic records for all students and overseeing the grading and the reporting of learning in alignment with curriculum standards.
• Establishing expectations for proper student conduct and maintaining student discipline consistent with school policies that nurture and support these expectations.
• Being a visible presence in all areas of the school; keeping the Head of School informed of the general programs and activities of the school.
• Preparing a master school class schedule and assigning teachers and students to classes and other duties.
• Serving as a consultant to teachers in matters of classroom management, teaching methods, and general operational procedures.
• Assisting in the admission process for the testing, interviewing, and evaluating of applicants for enrollment.
• Supporting the school and its leadership.
• Performing other duties as assigned by the Head of School.

 

Qualifications

 

The ideal candidate should possess a minimum of three years of successful experience as either an Associate Principal or Principal and preferably at the middle school level. The ideal candidate will also have completed a graduate degree in educational leadership or educational administration with current certification for this particular leadership role.  He or she should also demonstrate successful experience in the following areas:

• Building consensus and managing change in a complex cultural environment.
• Effectively using data or feedback for school improvement.
• Promoting of best practices for supporting special-needs students.
• Promoting of best practices in supporting the needs of English Language Learners.
• Helping students, teachers and parents to discuss challenging or sensitive issues.
• Promoting a compelling and informed vision of middle school education with an emphasis upon inquiry and deep learning.
• Promoting student voice, engagement, motivation, and leadership.
• Effectively and consistently enforcing policies or rules and making clear decisions.
• Promoting adult development, including staff mentoring and supervision, professional development, and parent education.
• Successfully recruiting and retaining teachers in an international environment.
• Working with a faculty consisting of both locally hired and international teachers.

Knowledge Base and Attributes

 

The successful candidate will also possess a deep range of knowledge and attributes related to effective school leadership, including:

• Exemplary communications skills, including written, spoken, presentational and social media skills and the ability to promote transparency in presenting the decision-making process.
• Ability to frame and communicate a clear and compelling instructional vision.
• Deep and up-to-date knowledge of effective leadership and instructional practices, including standards-based grading to include both formative and summative assessment.
• Commitment to working as part of a K-12 administrative team, and to help build connections between school divisions.
• Open-mindedness and flexibility, as well as an ability to foster creative solutions to problems.
• Willingness to collaborate.
• Self-confidence coupled with humility.
• Sensitivity coupled with emotional resilience.
• High social and emotional intelligence, ability to listen and empathize.
• A student-centered outlook, with a demonstrated capacity to honor and celebrate student work and achievements.

 

Collaborates with

 

Collaborates with students, parents, faculty, staff, other members of the administration and the broader WBAIS community.

 

Salary and Benefits

 

The salary and benefits package are competitive and will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

 

Application Process

 

Search Associates  has been appointed to serve as a partner with WBAIS in its search for the Middle School Principal with Dr. Brent Mutsch serving as the lead consultant. The deadline for applications for the position is Friday, March 20, 2020. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials listed below as early as possible as the administration reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is identified.

The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. The finalists will be selected through a process of further interviews. The finalist candidates, together with their spouse (if applicable) will be invited to WBAIS to visit the school and interview with a variety of constituent groups. The Middle School Principal will be appointed at the conclusion of the successful school visit, final interviews, and reference checks. The Middle School Principal will assume his/her professional responsibilities in July 2021.

 

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 Middle School Principal position at WBAIS.
• A statement describing your management and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.
• A current résumé not to exceed two pages.
• A one-page list of references with current addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
• A maximum of four letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession.

Total document size should be kept to less than four (4) MB if possible. Applications should be sent to: bmutsch@searchassociates.com. Additional information about Walworth Barbour American International School can be found on the school’s web site: www.wbais.net

                                

Telephone: (970) 368-6879 (Mountain Standard Time)

 

Skype: brentmutsch