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Primary School Principal
American International School of Mozambique (Mozambique)

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of Mr. Russ Menard, the Director of the American International School of Mozambique (AISM), I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Eloise Engel as the next Primary School Principal at AISM.

Eloise holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Education, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany and a Master of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies, Buffalo State University, U.S.A.

Eloise is committed to the advancement of international education in Africa. She is currently the Primary School Principal at Bishop Mackenzie International School in Lilongwe, Malawi. Eloise also currently serves as the leader of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) Elementary Principal Group. Eloise has taught at Harare International School in Zimbabwe, the American International School of Lusaka in Zambia and served as an Educational Consultant to the International Community School of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. In addition to her experience in Africa she has taught at ABA in Oman and Atlanta International School, USA.

Eloise will be joining AISM in August with her husband Charlie and their two sons.  

Search Associates would like to thank all of the candidates who applied for this position and to everyone who assisted and supported the successful Primary School Principal search process for AISM. 

Kind regards,

Caroline

 

 

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MOZAMBIQUE (AISM)

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

Seeks a Primary School Principal

Effective August 2024

THE OPPORTUNITY

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.

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 (AISM) has grown and flourished. In the 33 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 520. 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 an IB Continuum School. It was re-authorized to offer the PYP, MYP, and DP in 2023. Additionally, AISM underwent the re-accreditation process from the Middle States Association (MSA) in March 2019 and has been reaccredited.

 

THE STUDENTS

AISM currently educates about 520 students, ranging from the Early Years (ELC 3 and 4) through Grade 12.  The students represent more than 70 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 17% of the student population are Mozambique citizens, and 20% are US citizens.

Outside of the classroom, AISM students are actively engaged with a wide range of before-school and after-school activities. AISM is a member of the International Schools of Southern and Eastern Africa (ISSEA) association through which our students participate in eleven international sports, arts, and STEAM events each year. AISM hosts its own Model UN conference and participates in larger conferences abroad.

The recent pass rate of IB diploma candidates was 85% with 20 out of 22 students in the graduating class sitting for the IB examinations and seeking the IB certificate.  The average score in 2023 was 31.4, which was above 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

The Primary School team includes a faculty of 29 teachers, one Social/Emotional counselor, one PYP Coordinator, one Vice Principal, 18 teaching assistants, and an Administrative Assistant.   

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 Primary School Principal will serve on the schoolwide Educational Leadership and Operations Teams.

THE AISM PARENTS

AISM enjoys an active and engaged parent community.  The PTA organizes activities to welcome and orient new families as well as orchestrating a range of celebrations 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 expanded its infrastructure as the student population has grown. The AISM facilities have grown in accordance with our learners' needs, in order to ensure that students, and all community members have a multi-dimensional experience academically and holistically.  

 

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 borders South Africa at its southernmost border and Tanzania and Malawi on its north. In between are over 30 million people of many nationalities and cultures who find common ground in enjoying Mozambique’s natural and cultural riches.

Mozambique is often dubbed “the pearl of the Indian Ocean,” due to its breathtaking beaches, tropical climate and the warm hospitality of the Mozambican people. The pristine landscapes, scattered throughout the length of the country, serve as idyllic locations for surfing, scuba-diving, kite-surfing, sailing, and more.

Maputo is the capital city that AISM calls home. Nearly 1.1 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 budding city undergoing positive and significant changes as it attracts new businesses and widespread investments in infrastructure.  The city boasts a vibrant arts culture with many public murals and live performances.  People enjoy fresh seafood and a wide range of restaurants along the bay and throughout the city.

The impact of increased investment in the city is readily evident.  The largest suspension bridge in Africa, the Katembe Bridge, 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 improving access to the closest border to South Africa where one can easily access Kruger National Park, a mere three hours away.  The Maputo airport is also well served with non-stop flights to Johannesburg, Lisbon, Doha, and Addis Ababa.

Applicants may like to compare the cost of living in Maputo to where they are currently living using this comparison tool.

THE POSITION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

The Primary School Principal reports to the Director (Head of School). The principal is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the Primary School and for working with schoolwide teams on larger, strategic projects.

THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

• 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.

 

The AISM Principal of the Primary School must be an effective leader who:

•  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 21^st century world.
• Understands, and is committed 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 and staff 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 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 team, which is based on mutual respect and trust, timely and proactive communication, and on-going education focused on the best practices of international education.

  

WHAT AISM IS LOOKING FOR

AISM’s Next Primary School Principal Should Be:

• Collaborative
• Open-minded
• A good listener and communicator
• Empathetic and compassionate
• Authentic
• Well-organized
• A person with a positive mindset

Priorities in the Primary School:

• Maintain a positive school culture by clearly articulating school values and ensuring these are modeled by all stakeholders.
• Strengthen the social and emotional learning program, including the implementation of the RULER program.
• Continue to foster a culture of Professional Learning Communities at Work
• Support the development and implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support
• Promote and ensure the successful implementation of Universal Design for Learning principles and guidelines
• Lead a shift from a balanced literacy to a structured literacy approach based on the Science of Reading (SOR)
• Advance the shift from traditional classrooms to Flexible Learning Communities (FLC’s)

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

AISM will provide a competitive salary and benefits package to the selected Primary School Principal, which 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, tuition remission for up to two dependent school-age children, and appropriate leave provisions (sick leave, bereavement leave, recruitment leave, etc.).

 

THE PROCEDURE FOR COMPLETING AN APPLICATION

AISM has appointed Search Associates to work with them to recruit AISM’s next Primary School Principal. The deadline for applications for the position is November 11, 2023, GMT. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials as early as possible, as the school 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 late-November. These candidates will be invited to the AISM campus for a multi-day campus visit most likely in early December. The Primary School Principal will be selected after the conclusion of the school visits.

Please note that we will not forward-on candidates for further consideration by the hiring school/organization if a candidate is under contract or otherwise encumbered in such a way that would preclude them from freely entering into a new employment contract, if offered, and being available for the start date stipulated by the hiring organization.  Search Associates will contact the current employer/supervisor to request completion of a Search Associates Confidential Leadership Reference Form for all applicants who emerge in the search as a Finalist.

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 Primary School Principal position at AISM.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages.
• A statement describing your management and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.
• A one-page list of referees who have served as an immediate supervisor with a current address, phone number and email address.

The total document size should be less than 5MB. Applications should be sent to: cjacoby@searchassociates.com.

Additional information about the American International School of Mozambique can be found on the school’s website at: www.aism.co.mz