Job Description

Mission Statement

Through excellence in education, Charlotte Country Day School develops the potential of each student by fostering intellectual curiosity, principled character, ethical leadership, and a responsibility to serve.

Overview

Charlotte Country Day School, a JK-12 independent school of over 1700 students in the heart of Charlotte, seeks an experienced and dedicated Upper School Head effective July 2024.

In 1941, Dr. Thomas Burton brought a new concept in education to the city of Charlotte. With a firm belief in the value of independent day schools, Burton founded and ran a newly-organized school that promoted his vision: a school that emphasized individual learning, diverse experience, and close parent-school relationships. In September of that year, Charlotte Country Day School opened its doors to 18 students in a leased home on Morehead Street.

Today, Charlotte Country Day School (Country Day) is one of the largest independent coeducational school in the Charlotte area and one of the 15 largest in the continental United States. Enrollment is very strong and the school is thriving. Highly regarded for the rigor of its academic program and the breadth of its offerings in the arts, athletics, community service, and leadership, Country Day is noteworthy for a long tradition of positioning itself at the forefront of curricular innovation.

A strong, forward-thinking institution, Country Day offers every child a chance to shine. The school is a diverse, inclusive community with strong academic and co-curricular programs, designed for students to learn to think critically, act respectfully, and show sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others. The unique curriculum offered by Country Day prepares and strengthens students for participation in their local and global communities. With its focus on diversity, service, global study, and technology, Country Day has positioned itself as a school of the 21st century. As a result, the current student enrollment has reached 1,747 (the highest in school history), and there is strong interest from around the area for admission to the school.

At Country Day, academic rigor is balanced by community service and athletic, artistic, and extracurricular endeavors. As partners in student success, Country Day's goal is to shape confident, healthy, well- rounded adults who are ready to make significant contributions to society.

The School occupies two superb, well-resourced campuses located four miles apart, covering approximately 117 acres. In addition, the 330-acre Weddington Farm, located less than 10 miles away offers students various opportunities for hands-on learning activities and experiences.

Country Day seeks an Upper School Head with excellent administrative, leadership, and collaborative skills for this exceptional opportunity. The school would appreciate a talented independent administrator with a strong vision who is eager to play a key role as a member of the senior leadership team at one of the largest and most respected independent school in the southeastern U.S.

Opportunities and Challenges

A large Upper School (550) with a talented, experienced faculty generally requires a seasoned administrator who is at once an adept leader of others and an informed and inspirational educator. Country Day seeks in its next Upper School Head a strong instructional leader with a penchant for adroit change management, innovation, and effective pedagogy. S/he will build both interpersonal and procedural trust while collaborating with faculty colleagues in the pursuit of unified and aspirational goals and vision for the Upper School that promotes growth, development, and achievement in support of all learners, students and faculty alike.

As a member of the Schools Leadership Team, the Head of Upper School reports directly to the Head of School and partners with other members of the leadership team to support Country Day School's mission and affirmation of community. The Head of Upper School leads all Upper School educators- faculty and staff-in building a growth-oriented, student-centered educational program which:

fosters a deep sense of community belonging,
supports and develops students and educators to their fullest potential,
promotes structures that encourage wellness throughout the school,
and engages on-campus and off-campus resources and

The Upper School Head manages a team that includes the Upper School Director of Studies, Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Students, Counselors, Director of College Counseling, and Department Chairs. S/he oversees the supervision of all administrative matters in the Upper School, including budget, scheduling, facilities usage, inter-divisional coordination, and intra-departmental coordination that includes admissions, communications, and development.

Qualifications and Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate will offer most or all of the following qualifications and qualities:
Professional Qualifications

Solid academic credentials, including an advanced degree, coupled with evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning.
A strong record of success in, and commitment to, the craft of teaching.
Knowledgeable about best practices in JK-12 curriculum and curriculum planning.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and its integration in Upper School curriculum.
Ability and eagerness to play an important school-wide role as a member of the senior leadership team in a JK-12 school.
Demonstrated skills in both leadership and administration of an Upper School faculty.
Experience with hiring, mentoring, and evaluating faculty.
An instructional leader, with familiarity with integration of technology as well as guiding faculty to the best uses of it.
Effective communicator.

Leadership Style

A collaborative, consensus-building leader who actively solicits input; listens well; communicates with inspiration and clarity; and effectively delegates and empowers staff.
A team-builder who will invigorate the Upper School, demonstrating a commitment to setting and maintaining a high academic standard.
A proponent of thoughtful innovation who skillfully moderates the pace of change.
Visible, communicative, approachable, and responsive

Personal Qualities

Puts the best interests of students first and enjoys working with secondary students.
Intelligent, reflective, well spoken, and upholds the highest levels of integrity and impartiality.
Warm, supportive, and consistent.
Eager to engage actively with students and parents; committed to reinforcing the sense of the Upper School as a community of students, teachers, and parents.
Appreciative of diversity and committed to the goal of maintaining an authentic, inclusive community.
A sense of humor.

Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents

A cover letter expressing their interest in the particular position;
A current and comprehensive resume of no more than four pages.
A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (refernces will not be contacted without the candidate's permission).

This job was posted on Sun Dec 24 2023 and expired on Tue Jan 16 2024.

Minimum $77K /yr

$85K /yr Average

Maximum $94K /yr

Tasks

Evaluate curricula, teaching methods, and programs to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and use, and to ensure that school activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations.

Observe teaching methods and examine learning materials to evaluate and standardize curricula and teaching techniques, and to determine areas where improvement is needed.

Counsel and provide guidance to students regarding personal, academic, vocational, or behavioral issues.

Collaborate with teachers to develop and maintain curriculum standards, develop mission statements, and set performance goals and objectives.

Direct and coordinate activities of teachers, administrators, and support staff at schools, public agencies, and institutions.

Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff.

Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavioral or learning problems.

Enforce discipline and attendance rules.

Create school improvement plans by using student performance data.

Set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and procedures to carry them out.

Plan and lead professional development activities for teachers, administrators, and support staff.

Participate in special education-related activities, such as attending meetings and providing support to special educators throughout the district.

Plan and develop instructional methods and content for educational, vocational, or student activity programs.

Determine the scope of educational program offerings, and prepare drafts of course schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.

Prepare and submit budget requests and recommendations, or grant proposals to solicit program funding.

Recommend personnel actions related to programs and services.

Review and approve new programs, or recommend modifications to existing programs, submitting program proposals for school board approval as necessary.

Develop partnerships with businesses, communities, and other organizations to help meet identified educational needs and to provide school-to-work programs.

Review and interpret government codes, and develop programs to ensure adherence to codes and facility safety, security, and maintenance.

Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment, and authorize purchases.

Direct and coordinate school maintenance services and the use of school facilities.

Organize and direct committees of specialists, volunteers, and staff to provide technical and advisory assistance for programs.

Prepare, maintain, or oversee the preparation and maintenance of attendance, activity, planning, or personnel reports and records.

Mentor and support administrative staff members, such as superintendents and principals.

Establish, coordinate, and oversee particular programs across school districts, such as programs to evaluate student academic achievement.

Coordinate and direct extracurricular activities and programs, such as after-school events and athletic contests.

Advocate for new schools to be built, or for existing facilities to be repaired or remodeled.

Plan, coordinate, and oversee school logistics programs, such as bus and food services.

Teach classes or courses to students.

Meet with federal, state, and local agencies to keep updated on policies and to discuss improvements for education programs.

Write articles, manuals, and other publications, and assist in the distribution of promotional literature about facilities and programs.

Collect and analyze survey data, regulatory information, and data on demographic and employment trends to forecast enrollment patterns and curriculum change needs.

Skills

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Management of Financial Resources - Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.

Management of Material Resources - Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Knowledge

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.