Details
Posted: 20-Dec-21
Location: San Francisco, California
Type: Full Time
SAN FRANCISCO DAY SCHOOL
Upper School Head (Grades 5-8)
Leadership Opportunity
July 1, 2022
San Francisco, California
Coeducational, 420 Students in grades K-8
www.sfday.org
San Francisco Day School (SF Day) seeks an Upper School Head to lead a community of 190 fifth-eighth grade students and 35 faculty members. SF Day is among the finest K-8 independent schools in the nation and continues to advance the goals articulated by its founders: to educate its students in the fullest sense, within an atmosphere in which children enjoy learning and receive the best preparation for the future. SF Day looks forward to welcoming an inspired leader ready to fully engage with faculty, students, and parents/guardians, and embrace the vibrant spirit and culture of the School. The position opens as a result of the six-year incumbent, Dr. Ruth Bissell, accepting a Head of School position in the Pacific Northwest.
Who We Are
For 40 years, San Francisco Day School has remained committed to providing young children with a dynamic, supportive co-educational experience in which to learn and grow. In partnership with our parents/guardians, children are challenged and nurtured in a diverse and inclusive community.
Today the school enrolls 420 students in grades K-8, with 190 of those students in grades 5-8, the upper school. Through thoughtful design and planning, an SF Day education engages heart, mind, and body with a curriculum aimed to support each learner from kindergarten through eighth grade. SF Day is committed to teaching children of all genders and embraces the unique qualities of every child. The school strives to help children discover their passions, pursue their interests, and develop their gifts and talents.
San Francisco Day School is located in the heart of the city across the street from the University of San Francisco. The urban campus includes 65,000 square feet of indoor space, including a recently completed 15,000 square foot building which will support expanded programs in visual and performing arts, environmental sustainability, and innovation and design. The campus provides spacious classrooms, art and music studios, science and math laboratories, a 21,000 volume library and media center, a state-of-the art theater, a rooftop garden, a gymnasium, a cafeteria and activities room, an after-school program center, and several outdoor play areas.
As a city school, SF Day takes every opportunity to connect students with the resources of San Francisco as well as the outdoors. The city provides a rich learning laboratory with diverse cultural resources that support and enhance the curriculum. Service learning plays a key role, with upper school focusing on city programs such as the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, The Tenderloin Community Center, and Glide Memorial Church to learn from and give back to the community. Our campus also hosts Breakthrough San Francisco, which provides academic enrichment and support for students with limited educational opportunities grades 5 - 12.
Fully accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Independent School Data Exchange (INDEX), People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS) and Seeking Equity and Excellence in Education (SEED).
The 420 San Francisco Day School students (from 307 families) are primarily from San Francisco, though some students commute from outside the city.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to SF Day’s values and identity. The School recruits, welcomes, and celebrates children, families, faculty, and staff who reflect the broad range of diversity in the Bay Area. SF Day believes that diversity of thought and opinion is a precondition for critical thinking; without a diverse collection of viewpoints and experiences, students cannot have a rich and reflective level of discourse. This is a school community that puts great passion and effort into working together to celebrate and foster empathy, humility, and collaboration across all differences. Through its curriculum and within its community, SF Day offers “windows and mirrors” for students to learn about the experiences of others and to see themselves and their heritages affirmed in school curriculum.
Mission
At SF Day, we ignite curiosity. We cultivate a diverse, nurturing community that encourages learners to expand their perspectives and become their true selves. Students develop as compassionate, creative problem-solvers, prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Beliefs and Values
At San Francisco Day School we believe that when intellect and imagination are intertwined, students delight in the discovery of connection: in their academic and creative pursuits, in their relationships, and in all that they experience here. Every day, we help our students emerge as flexible, resourceful learners. Because when we do, our students light up with the call and capacity to take on the complexities of their day and of a diverse world.
Values
- Experiences that bridge intellect and imagination
- Mindsets that encourage and empower growth
- Community relationships that inspire and connect
- Diversity that is broad, evolving, and enriches everyone
- Responsibility to ourselves, each other, and society
The Upper School (5-8)
At SF Day, academic excellence is defined not only by what is learned but also by how it is learned. SF Day prides itself as a community of learners in which intellectual curiosity and diversity of thought are valued and celebrated.
The school utilizes Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as both a framework to guide curriculum development and a structure to help ensure all students have maximum access to learning. Teachers get to know their students and design learning experiences that provide opportunities for each one to engage in learning that maximizes their understanding and development. Each student develops an understanding of who they are as learners so that they may self-advocate as they advance their own experience and knowledge.
Upper school builds on the core instruction of the Lower School and is characterized by a purposeful, engaging, and rigorous academic program that challenges students to approach every situation with a critical eye and open mind. In grade 5, students remain in a homeroom class and, starting in sixth grade, transition to departmentalized subject areas and morning advisories. Each advisory consists of 10 to 12 students and is led by a faculty member for 20 minutes each day. Students use advisory each day to formulate academic and personal goals, and the small groups allow students to learn more about each other. Each grade also has an assigned grade-level coordinator; a faculty member who oversees the work on that grade and communicates regularly to parents.
The upper school faculty is highly experienced in the developmental traits of middle school adolescents, and they create caring, respectful relationships with their students. Teachers work closely to develop curriculum supporting the school’s mission by teaching students to think both critically and creatively.
- In language arts, upper schoolers continue progressing toward more advanced comprehension and analytical thinking. Students read a wide selection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and dramatic literature, and are given several outlets for self-expression through creative and analytical reading and writing.
- In the social studies program, upper school students study great ancient, classical, and modern civilizations. In eighth grade, students survey American history, from the pre-colonial period to present day. The students demonstrate their knowledge of democracy and advocacy in an end-of-year “Mock Congress” project.
- The mathematics program emphasizes conceptual understanding, problem solving, and algorithmic mastery. The program aims to encourage students to reason clearly, communicate effectively, and recognize mathematical applications in the world around them.
- The science program culminates with the adoption of the Investigative Colloquium Method, in which students collaborate to observe phenomena, raise questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, analyze data, communicate observations, and form consensus statements.
- Spanish is studied in all middle school grades, and Latin is taught as an option in sixth through eighth grades.
Art, music, physical education, athletics, drama, outdoor education, service learning, innovation/maker lab, and media literacy also have important roles in the education of an SF Day student. These subjects reaffirm the School’s commitment to developing engaged, thoughtful, and well-rounded students. The SF Day school experience culminates in Investig8, the innovative eighth grade project in which students demonstrate the leadership and complex-problem solving skills they have been developing while enrolled at SF Day. The School prepares students for successful entry into not only the top secondary schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, but also into highly competitive boarding schools across the country. Annually, over 90% of SF Day graduates are admitted to their first or second choice high schools, with extensive individualized counseling to ensure the right fit.
The Position
The Upper School Head reports directly to the Head of School and is a member of the Head’s senior administrative team. They are charged with overseeing all aspects of the division’s operations; working collaboratively with the Lower School Head and the Upper School Leadership Team and faculty to guide program and operations.
As the divisional leader of four developmentally distinct grades, the Upper School Head must provide consummate leadership for children and adults alike. The new US Head should be a teacher’s teacher and value the journey of middle-school learners; SF Day seeks a person with deep knowledge of how to teach early adolescents and experience with inquiry-based curriculum design that includes critical thinking, skill proficiency, a focus on diversity, and mastery of important content. The successful candidate will also have an authentic appreciation of professional growth and development, and a commitment to collaborative teacher mentorship. The new US Head will have excellent organizational and management skills, and the ability to work well with teams of dedicated professionals.
Eager to be both skilled and inspiring in their teaching, this faculty wants to do their very best in their work with students and colleagues, and make the Upper School experience truly incomparable. Through mentorship and advocacy for professional development, the new US Head will fully join and support the faculty in this shared endeavor.
Opportunities and Challenges
- Partner with the Head of School, Lower School Head, and Leadership Team to lead curricular initiatives and keep SF Day education at the forefront of academic excellence and 21st century learning.
- Be an active, visible, and engaged presence with the students in the life of the School.
- Collaborate actively with the Director of Diversity and the community to maintain and strengthen the school’s approach to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion/Belonging, and Justice.
- Mentor and advocate for faculty and provide leadership on professional development for faculty.
- Build strong relationships between and among parents and faculty, fostering trust, rapport, and collegiality in the school culture.
- Understand and manage the dynamic nature of the school year with an eye towards sustaining a spirited and joyful learning environment.
Qualities and Skills Expected of the Next Upper School Head
(We expect this to be refined following input from faculty and parents in January)
- A Bachelor’s and Master’s degree.
- A genuine and dedicated middle school teacher/educator who has deep knowledge of instruction, curriculum improvement, DEI, project-based learning Outdoor education, and adolescent development.
- A highly capable decision-maker who seeks broad input and whose hallmarks are transparency, collaboration, and communication.
- An educator whose experience, background, and passion is centered in supporting and developing a diverse and inclusive community.
- A high-energy role model with high character, impeccable integrity, strategic vision, and a great sense of humor.
- A person willing and eager to learn, grow, and be mentored, a person whose own personal and professional growth is ongoing and whose leadership of change begins from within.
- An excellent recruiter of professional talent.
- A person with experience as a teacher and teacher leader: Prior experience as an instructional coach, Dean, Assistant, or Division Head is preferred but not required.
- A personal style that inspires and builds strong relationships.
SF Day actively supports equal opportunity for all people and encourages BIPOC and LGBTQ+ candidates to apply. SF Day is strongly committed to deepening our collective understanding of cultural competency and justice in all interactions and programs.
Anticipated Timeline
December through January: acceptance and consideration of applications.
February: initial interviews.
March: semi-finalist and finalist interviews (the latter on campus, pandemic permitting).
March 31: appointment announced.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one email:
- Current resume;
- Cover letter expressing interest in the San Francisco Day School position;
- Statement of educational philosophy and practice.
Apply To Role Here
San Francisco Day School
350 Masonic Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
www.sfday.org
