Director of Middle School International School of Brooklyn International School of Brooklyn is seeking a dynamic and inspirational leader to become the next Director of Middle School for our innovative Nursery through 8th Grade school. We are looking for a committed and experienced leader who will embody, manifest, and advocate for the mission and core values of ISB. The ideal candidate will be able to leverage the strengths of our faculty, students, and parents to continue to build on our culture of progressive education and excellence. The Director of Middle School is responsible for all activities in the Middle School and supervises the Middle School faculty and administrative staff. He or she reports to the Head of School and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. This position has a start date of August 1, 2018 and includes teaching one Middle School class per year. Our Mission Statement We develop adventurers. Creative collaborators and intellectual risk takers who are inspired to think critically and seek answers. We create advocates. Passionate communicators actively connected to their community and the world. We shape leaders. Eager innovators dedicated to taking on challenges and exploring new ideas. 477 Court Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231 Main Entrance & Admissions Reception at 192 Luquer Street +1 718-369-3023 isbrooklyn.org
Our School International School of Brooklyn is an independent N-8 school in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn that delivers a French and Spanish language immersion and International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Students in both French and Spanish tracks acquire language in all academic subjects from teachers who are native speakers, allowing them to develop both linguistic and cultural fluency while pursuing a rigorous and inquiry-based curriculum. Founded in 2005, ISB has enjoyed continued growth over the past twelve years. After its launch with sixteen preschool children and two teachers, ISB grew by one grade a year until reaching its full N-8 complement in 2014. Currently, ISB has 340 students in Nursery through 8th Grade, with more than 80 faculty and staff members. We are graduating our fourth cohort of 8th graders this spring and sending them to New York City s desirable independent, public, charter, and parochial schools. ISB has consistently been a mission-driven school grounded in a language immersion environment within a globally focused curricular framework. ISB is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School authorized for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). Additionally, Nursery through 3rd Grade are accredited by the French Ministry of Education, and the Lower School and Middle School are accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Education. ISB is also accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). During its 13-year history, ISB has been located in three Brooklyn neighborhoods: Park Slope, Prospect Heights and, currently, Carroll Gardens. Each move was spurred by the need for more space for our growing school, and one result of that movement is that the ISB community represents a wide swath of Brooklyn neighborhoods. ISB now occupies 45,000 square feet in a Carroll Gardens campus that comprises three buildings. Facilities additions and improvements within the last two years include a new gymnasium and cafeteria, new art and music rooms, and a redesigned Learning Commons featuring a fully-equipped library, meeting spaces, and administrative offices. ISB is committed to educating its students in an environment where diversity and inclusion are embraced and celebrated. ISB is purposeful about attracting students from a wide variety of backgrounds and offers tuition assistance to one-third of its families.
Our Core principles The ISB learning environment is driven by six principles, which enable ISB students to become well-rounded, multilingual leaders: Language Immersion Acquiring by embracing. Our students acquire language mastery by learning in a language through authentic contexts, with native-speaking teachers who enable them to develop true linguistic and cultural literacy. Inquiry-based Learning Discovering by seeking. By pushing the limits of their critical thinking, we enable students to build the skills to become independent, enthusiastic, and self-motivated learners. Global Curriculum Developing by investigating. Through a framework that blends educational approaches from around the globe, students achieve academic excellence by exploring concepts and issues affecting their community, country and world. International Mindedness Growing by experiencing. Exposing students to new cultures and experiences enriches their educational journeys and prepares them to be global citizens. Diversity Learning by celebrating. Our differences create more opportunities to share our experiences and promote inclusion and awareness in our community. Community Strengthening by participating. The best role models for our students are highly active and engaged community members who elevate our students experiences through their involvement with the school.
Our Curriculum Middle School ISB s Middle School features a challenging and inspiring curriculum, grounded in an inquiry-based program that incorporates math, science, humanities, languages, the arts, and social studies. Following the IB s Middle Years Program, teachers use real world contexts within core subjects to encourage students to experiment and seek deeper answers. Students can enroll in either of two tracks, French or Spanish, each of which offers a balanced and intellectually demanding academic curriculum. Students who entered ISB in Lower School or who are already bilingual when they join ISB will continue to build mastery in their target language in Middle School, while also beginning to study a third language. Monolingual students who enter ISB in 6th Grade benefit from the school s immersion environment as well: they spend eight periods per week (more than 20% of instruction time) in French or Spanish language instruction, supported by an educational environment in which they are surrounded by native-speaking and bilingual peers.
Our Community Ask any ISB parent what he or she values most about our school, and one of the first words he or she will say is community. ISB has nurtured an exceptionally friendly and close community of students, parents, faculty, staff, and recent graduates who make it a priority to interact regularly and support each other in important ways. ISB families value coming together for school events such as the Fall Festival; our annual Gala; our schoolwide community service event, Walk for Water; and Pecha Kucha, an evening of mini-talks that highlights the talents of our community. Many of our founding families, now parents of ISB Middle School students or recent graduates, are still very much involved in the school. Our strong sense of community is a hallmark of the school and is also reinforced by the philosophy of the IB program. Beyond the walls of ISB is Brooklyn itself, one of the most vibrant and diverse areas of the country. Our unique location makes us well-poised to deliver a rich experience for our students, and the many cultural organizations in Brooklyn alone include the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Across the bridge in Manhattan is access to some of the country s most historical sites; regular destinations for ISB field trips include the United Nations, Ellis Island, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and dozens more institutions. ISB is located very close to the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, a unique area composed of Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO and the Brooklyn Navy Yards. The Tech Triangle is home to more than 1,000 innovation companies including Etsy, MakerBot, and Huge, as well as many thriving start-ups. Brooklyn s growing tech community offers ISB dynamic opportunities for growth, partnership, and development.
Desired Qualities of the Next Director of Middle School ISB seeks a leader who will usher in the next phase of the Middle School s development. The successful candidate will possess: Skills and Values Commitment to the education of all students, including those with different learning styles and abilities Commitment to progressive education: social-emotional education, service learning, languages Strong organizational ability Capacity to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and responsibilities Strong verbal and written communication skills Commitment to global citizenship and international mindedness Demonstrated commitment to issues of social justice within the classroom, curriculum, and community Willingness to learn and understand NYC school system at large Flexibility and finesse Ability to advocate for teacher and student interests Relentless commitment to student success, academically and socially Required Qualifications A minimum of 10 years experience in education, of which 5 have been in a significant leadership role (at least middle management level) An advanced degree or international equivalent (education or related field preferred) Demonstrated ability to promote diversity and inclusivity in curriculum, schools, and community Experience in a progressive education setting Bilingual language fluency (English/French or English/Spanish) Experience developing and implementing behavioral support and intervention programs/structure Experience working at the Middle School level and a passion for educating Middle School students The ability to work legally in the US A sense of humor and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment Preferred Qualifications IB experience Experience working in multicultural settings Experience working in independent schools, with a strong understanding of both the business and education aspects of these organizations
Key Responsibilities Maintain congruence between the school s Board-approved mission statement and all activities of that division. Act as the educational leader of the school division, responsible for its day-to- day operation; direct the activities of the instructional and non-instructional staff in the performance of their duties. Function as the chief articulator of that division s programs, expectations, behavioral guidelines, and other information necessary to ensure that all constituencies are fully informed, consistent with their individual roles. Maintain the educational standards required by the agencies that examine and accredit the school. Oversee coordination of co-curricular and extracurricular activity programs for the division; assist in the planning and the presentation of school assemblies and programs; assist in maintaining a comprehensive calendar of school events; keep the entire school community informed of various school programs and activities through collaboration with the Advancement Office. Provide for the academic guidance of students; maintain complete academic records on all students; oversee the grading and the reporting of standards and methods used by teachers in measuring student achievement. Establish guidelines for proper student conduct and dress; maintain student discipline consonant with school policies; monitor students adherence to established school rules; maintain accurate records of student attendance. Maintain a visible presence in all areas of the school; work toward a resolution of all problems - both routine and unique - as they arise; keep the Head of School informed of the general programs, activities, and problems of the school. Prepare a master school class schedule and assign teachers and students to classes and other obligations. Staffing Responsibilities Conduct the search and interview process for open positions; make hiring recommendations to the Head of School, as well as for the retention and assignment of faculty. Observe, supervise, and help evaluate the faculty in the development and implementation of curriculum; supervise the teaching process; review and evaluate the academic programs. Establish programs for the orientation of new teachers, for in-service training of all teachers, and for the evaluation of classroom teachers, to ensure that teachers are familiar with and adhere to school policies in all areas of the school operation. Conduct regular meetings with faculty that will deal both with routine school matters and with the stimulating exchange of ideas on issues of educational/philosophical interest and concern. Serve as a consultant to teachers in matters of classroom management, teaching methods, and general school procedures. Oversee the MYP Coordinator, Middle School Counselor, Library staff and Technology Integrationist.
Admissions Responsibilities Assist in the admission process for the interviewing and evaluating of applicants for enrollment. Serve on the admissions and tuition assistance committees. Assist in the admissions procedures of other divisions in their bilingual language. Other Responsibilities Participate in the work of the Senior Leadership Team as required by the Head of School. Attend Board of Trustees meetings, as required, to provide periodic programmatic updates. Evaluate all aspects of the program annually, and redesign as needed. Support the school, its mission, and its leadership. Other duties as assigned by the Head of School. Teaching responsibilities Teach one class in the Middle School. To Apply Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications by email to mscandidates@isbrooklyn.org. Please include a single attachment containing the following three documents: A cover letter detailing your experience and educational philosophy An updated resume (CV) A list of three professional references, including names, phone numbers, and email addresses Application deadline: November 7, 2017 Non-discrimination statement International School of Brooklyn is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, or marital status. We seek candidates who are committed to upholding our core values of diversity, international mindedness, community, global curriculum, inquiry-based learning, and language immersion. We actively encourage applications from candidates with broad and diverse backgrounds and from individuals of all races, nationalities, identities, and beliefs. International School of Brooklyn is an Equal Opportunity Employer.