Head of Upper School (Grades 5-8) - EdSurge

Town School for Boys - San Francisco, California - Full time

SUMMARY

Located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, Town School for Boys is a K-8 independent day school. Since its founding in 1939, Town School has been committed to providing a dynamic and engaging environment that suits the developmental learning needs of boys. Town School values academic excellence, respect for self and others, diversity and inclusivity, community service, and social-emotional development. There is also an expectation of continuous growth and improvement for all faculty and robust support for a wide range of professional development opportunities.

Town School is seeking a head of upper school (HUS) to begin in summer of 2025. In addition to supervising all grades 5-8 faculty, the HUS oversees two student-facing deans that also have some teaching responsibilities. An ideal candidate for the HUS will be a steady but warm leader–someone who can foster a positive and collaborative environment, but not shy away from holding both students and faculty accountable to high expectations. The HUS should have experience fostering educational improvements through effective systems that are robust yet adaptable, and above all else be comfortable with a leadership model of highly-engaged and interconnected deans, administrators, and head of school. The HUS reports directly to the head of school and will begin July 1, 2025.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Priority Deadline: December 23, 2024

Remote Semifinal Round: Mid-January

On-site Final Round: Late January

Decision Announced: February 14, 2025

Start Date: July 1, 2025

Salary Range: $200,000–$220,000

Reports To: Head of School

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Divisional Leadership

1. Serve as the intellectual leader of the upper school, overseeing all programmatic and academic operations for the division.
2. Lead the hiring, onboarding, and retention of all upper school faculty.
3. Nurture and maintain positive and collaborative faculty morale, encouraging professional development opportunities focused on hands-on, experiential learning.
4. Evaluate faculty in the performance of their duties through classroom observation, training, and coaching.
5. Collaborate with the dean of character and culture to support faculty growth with respect to implementing new systems and implementing executive functioning and emotional intelligence curricula through classes and advisory settings.
6. As a member of the senior administrative team, participate in all-school administrative decisions and serve as an effective partner with multiple areas of the school including admissions, library, technology, and athletics.
7. Collaborate with teachers and administrators to promote continuity, coherence, and curricular alignment of the academic program.
8. Develop and implement curriculum and instruction in partnership with the lower school head, director of teaching, learning & innovation, and director of teacher development and strategic initiatives.
9. Support the collection of student data to align with the school's broader goals for increased transparency, data-driven decision making, and streamlined behavioral reporting.
10. Oversee student life and community expectations in collaboration with the dean of students, including integrating new students into the upper school division and resolving student issues with restorative practices as necessary.

School Culture & Community

1. Foster inclusivity and belonging amongst the community of upper school faculty and the student body.
2. Partner with divisional deans to cultivate and support a healthy and safe school culture based on mutual respect and recognition of individual differences.
3. Serve as a partner to parents, articulating the school's vision and programmatic changes warmly and proactively.
4. Participate in the life of the school by teaching occasional classes, supervising student activities, attending school-wide events, and attending outdoor education trips and other field trips.
5. Report directly to the head of school and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES

Qualifications

1. 5+ years classroom teaching experience, preferably in grades 5-8.
2. Experience in middle school as a classroom teacher and/or administrator.
3. Demonstrated understanding of current education pedagogy including competency-based learning, project-based learning, and SEL.
4. Proven success working within a dispersed, collaborative educational leadership model.
5. Experience guiding parents and guardians on sensitive student-related matters.
6. Successful track record leading academic initiatives and programs.

Leadership Qualities

1. A personal and professional commitment to fostering diversity and equity, and the interest and skill set to partner with leadership around this work.
2. Ability to architect and implement organizational systems, educational models, and operational protocols in support of all aspects of the academic program.
3. A warm and proactive approach to interacting with all school constituents including students, parents, faculty, staff and board members.
4. Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
5. Excellent organizational and presentation skills.
6. An eagerness to participate in the life of the school, which may include attending occasional schoolwide special events in the evenings and/or weekends.

TO APPLY

For more information please visit the following link, which contains the job opportunity statement and complete application instructions.