Head of Middle School

BACKGROUND ON THE SCHOOL

Founded by two bold, visionary educators in 1920, The Nightingale-Bamford School’s mission is to inspire girls to go beyond barriers. Tied to this mission is a broader vision of students who are joyful learners who have the intellectual depth and courage to be critical thinkers, compassionate citizens, and agents of their own lives. Nightingale educates girls’ minds and hearts and, in so doing, infuses their lives with meaningful relationships, teaching them to value difference as a means of growth and empowering them to question the status quo with confidence, empathy, resilience, and reason. 

Nightingale’s commitment to social justice and anti-racism requires that all community members engage actively and thoughtfully in work around diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates with broad and diverse backgrounds. 

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Middle School Head will have the opportunity to establish a vision for this vibrant division, and direct the energy of students, faculty and staff in Classes V-VIII.  This person will oversee the academic, social, and emotional progress of the 200+ students during these critical years in a young person’s life.  The Division Head sets a tone in the Middle School that inspires a love of learning and embraces difference, curiosity, creativity, and hard work. The ideal candidate will actively embrace and act upon the school’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable teaching and learning community and will commit to ensuring that every student in the division feels welcomed, heard, and appreciated.  The Head of Middle School reports to and is evaluated by the Head of School, and is a member of the leadership team.  

Either directly or by delegating tasks, the Head of Middle School is responsible for:

Institutional priorities:

• Ensuring that Nightingale’s mission and our promise to educate the minds and hearts and minds of every girl is present in all aspects of Middle School.
• Guaranteeing that all students in the division are known, seen and heard.
• Partnering with the Director of Diversity and Equity to create programming that teaches students to be appreciative of differences while learning about their own identities.

• Maintaining a visible and positive presence in all areas of the Middle School, particularly as it relates to the life of the students. 
• Messaging and modeling a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Teaching and learning:

• Acting as the educational leader of Nightingale’s Middle School.  
• Reviewing and assessing the Middle School academic program with an eye towards a consistent evaluation of any curricular biases or blind spots.

• Observing, supervising, and evaluating faculty in the development and implementation of an inclusive curriculum which is reflective of different narratives and voices.
• Supervising and supporting teachers in the classroom.
• Guiding and evaluating faculty involvement in the overall life of the Middle School, which includes helping department heads and the Associate Head of School supervise curricular content and pedagogy.
• Participating in hiring a diverse faculty who will teach in the division.
• Teaching one course.

Social emotional wellbeing:

• Supervising the Middle School Deans, and the Middle School Assistant. 

• Overseeing the advising program and the 15+ adults who serve as Middle School advisors.

• Overseeing the coordination of the co-curricular activity programs of the Middle School in partnership with the Middle School Deans.
• Collaborating with Deans and the Middle School Counselor to address health/emotional needs of students.
• Collaborating with Deans and the Director of Diversity to create and implement policies and programs that support all students of color attending Nightingale.
• Collaborating with Learning Specialists to see that learning needs of individual students are addressed.

Partnering with parents:

• Acting as a liaison to parents about the division, the curriculum, and their daughters’ individual academic, social, and emotional progress.
• Sponsoring and overseeing parent coffees and meetings about curriculum, DEI initiatives, or other topics relevant to parents of adolescents. 

Policies and procedures

• Creating, collaborating on, and enforcing academic and disciplinary policies.
• Partnering with the Director of Diversity and Equity to ensure that all policies are fair and equitable.
• Partnering with the Communications team to write and edit all Middle School-related publications and communications.

Additional responsibilities

• Representing the Middle School at admissions events and, alongside the admissions committee, evaluating student applications.
• Performing other duties as assigned by the Head of School.

IMPORTANT QUALITIES

The Incoming Head of Middle School should first and foremost be passionate about working with this age group, and should always act on what is in the best interest of the students. The new division head should have a commitment to girls’ education, an understanding of the developmental needs of adolescent girls, and the desire to hold them to high standards while supporting and nurturing their growth. The Head of Middle School should be committed to continuing his/her own education and development in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and should expect the same of Middle School teachers. The Head of Middle School should have high energy, good negotiating skills, a commitment to collaboration, and a good sense of humor.  The Division Head should foster and promote relationship-building across students and the divisional faculty.  This leader should be able to manage the day-to-day operations of the division while also having a clear strategic vision for what a healthy, vibrant, and inclusive Middle School can and should look like.  

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

It is the policy of the School to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military status, marital status, familial status, caregiver status, predisposing genetic characteristics, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The School’s employment practices and decisions adhere to the principles of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity. 

This commitment to equal opportunity applies to and is reflected in all School activities, including, but not limited to, recruiting, interviewing, hiring, staffing, training, promotions, compensation practices, employee benefits, social programs, discipline, and termination of employment. The School maintains zero tolerance for violations of this policy and expects all employees to abide by and support this policy without reservation. 

NEXT STEPS

Candidates should look closely at our website for information about Nightingale’s curriculum, programming, and institutional priorities and vision for the school’s second century.

All interested candidates should send a resume, educational philosophy, and cover letter to: [email protected] by Monday, January 11th, 2021.