| As the primary academic officer for the School, the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning oversees curriculum design, implementation, and management as well as faculty pedagogy and professional growth. Insofar as MICDS defines learning beyond intellectual formation alone, the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning also and with equal vigor leads our commitments to social and emotional learning; stewardship and enhancement of intercultural competence, curricular equity, and community belonging among students and faculty; and student support services, including learning support, counseling, and health and wellness services. The Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning either oversees or advises on student and faculty assessment as well, including academic, social-emotional, and community climate assessments. In managing these responsibilities, the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning oversees the JK-12 Department Chairs, the Coordinator of Pedagogical Innovation, the Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion, the Director of Student Support Services, and the Director of Eliot Summer Academy. (The Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion is also responsible for Upper School student activities and is therefore a dual report to the Head of Upper School.) The day-to-day work of the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning is supported by the Administrative Assistant to the Head of School Office. As a member of the “Go6” senior leadership team that also includes the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Head of School, the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning is an essential participant in conversations and planning efforts affecting all areas of School operation and management. The Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning will also work closely with the Chief Information Officer, a position that MICDS is establishing effective July 1, 2021, whose oversight of technologies and information systems in support of teaching and learning will frequently lead to opportunities for collaboration and partnership between the two administrators. The Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning attends all meetings of the MICDS Board of Trustees and is the administrative team liaison to the Board Collaboration and Inclusion Committee, which is chartered to assist School leaders in advancing intercultural competence, curricular and social equity, and a culture of belonging at the School. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Student Support: - Ensures that the MICDS curriculum is well articulated and aligned across grade levels and divisions, is developmentally appropriate, is pedagogically current and innovative in terms of instruction, differentiation, and assessment, is broad and challenging in its offerings, and is reflective of the diversity of cultural and ancestral backgrounds and experiences represented within the student body
- Works with the Director of Student Support Services, the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, and other School administrators as warranted to advance social, emotional, and character education initiatives and programs at the School
- Supports the Director of Student Support Services in the leadership of the School’s academic support, social and emotional support, and health and wellness programs
- Collaborates with the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, the Coordinator of Pedagogical Innovation, the JK-12 Department Chairs, the Director of Student Support Services, the Chief Information Officer, and other MICDS administrators in support of the constant advancement of teaching and learning at the School
Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging: - In close partnership with the Head of School and other senior administrators, endeavors to advance a prevailing culture of curiosity about and respect for the vast breadth and richness of the human experience; openness to diverse perspectives and opinions; respect for the essential dignity of every person; deference to reason over emotion and connection over exclusion in interpersonal discourse and relationships; compassion and restoration in response to the hurt or suffering of others; and courage in living out these ideals, especially across social and demographic groups, in our MICDS community
- In partnership with the Director of Enrollment Management and the Director of Marketing and Communications, strengthens outreach and marketing efforts to underrepresented municipalities, neighborhoods, and ZIP codes in the Louis market to increase the diversity of the MICDS applicant pool
- In partnership with the Director of Enrollment Management and the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, ensures that students from populations underrepresented at the School (e.g., students receiving tuition assistance, students matriculating from under-resourced public schools, Black and Hispanic students, and students without strong social connections), or students who otherwise would appear to be at risk of underachieving their growth potential, are well supported in their transition to MICDS both academically and socially
- Supports the Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion in the leadership of the School’s intercultural competency programming and related professional growth opportunities for the faculty and staff
- In collaboration with the Director of Human Resources, the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, and other administrators as warranted, furthers the School’s efforts to recruit, hire, support, and retain a diverse faculty and staff
Professional Development: - Sustains the School’s long-standing commitment to encouraging and providing meaningful and impactful professional growth opportunities and experiences for members of the teaching faculty in support of their work with students
- In partnership with the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, the Coordinator of Pedagogical Innovation, and the JK-12 Department Chairs, collaborates with teachers in articulating and achieving professional goals through a process of consultation, observation, and feedback
- Supports the Coordinator of Pedagogical Innovation in planning and executing the School’s annual STLinSTL conference (Summit for Transformative Learning in Louis) that is required of MICDS teachers and available to other educators, locally and nationally, as well
- Assists the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads and the Head of School in rewarding excellence in teaching through the allocation of merit awards, faculty chairs, summer sabbaticals, and similar recognitions
Other: - Maintains an inventory and ensures the appropriateness and sufficiency of the various academic, social-emotional, community, climate, and other standardized or otherwise broad-based assessments administered to MICDS students and teachers
- Partners with the Chief Information Officer, the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Heads, and the Head of School Office staff to plan and execute student and parent conferences with teachers and advisors
- Supports the Director of Eliot Summer Academy in planning and overseeing the School’s summer academic and enrichment program
- In collaboration with the Director of Development, plans and oversees the annual meeting of the MICDS Board of Visitors, a group that convenes to support the School and whose membership consists of Mary Institute, Saint Louis Country Day School, and MICDS alumni, most of whom reside outside the Louis community
- Assist the Head of School in leadership efforts consistent with if not specifically defined in this Position Description and with the Mission of the School
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