MS Head of School

USN seeks a highly relational Head of Middle School who can lead by example, through visibility, and with a compassionate approach to middle school education. Please submit your application through the Carney Sandoe website; applications submitted through this posting will not be considered.Working alongside the Director and the other divisional leaders, the Head of Middle School will:

• Amplify the USN Community, Cultivate Joy and a Positive Environment
• Establish visionary leadership for the next chapter and the strategic vision of USN and the Middle School;
• Work closely with the middle school administrative team to create a positive learning environment for students;
• Actively engage with all members of the school community, particularly within the middle school, ensuring visibility and participation;
• Build trusting, transparent relationships with all members of the USN community, with a particular care and focus on middle school parents.
• Strengthen USN Community Relationships and Support Systems

• Nurture a school community that remains true to its demonstration school roots, where risk-taking, innovation, and a culture of trial and error celebrate both successes and failures as essential steps in the process and progress of learning;
• Lead, support, and partner with the dedicated middle school faculty;
• Foster each middle school student’s artistic and athletic potential through collaborative partnerships and programmatic support of subject area specialists and the Middle School Athletic Director;
• Enhance the communication structures within the division, with continued focus on curricular and cocurricular alignment across divisions;
• Partner with the heads of the lower and middle schools in creating greater opportunities for crossdivisional alignment;
• Ensure the continued academic growth and well-being of the middle school students, with particular focus on best practices in social-emotional and cognitive development for the age group;
• Lead and pursue best practices in faculty professional development;
• Steward and govern a well-defined budget for the middle school.

The most compelling applicants will offer the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Deep experience as an educator and visionary leader in a Middle School setting; a proven appreciation for the uniqueness of the middle-school-aged student.
• Joyful, approachable, and highly visible disposition—an upbeat presence who delights in the rhythms of school life, engages with students and teachers alike, and models optimism in ways that create a happy and thriving learning community.
• A proven ability to collaborate with faculty, listen well, and honor the professional expertise of educators.
• Experience collaborating with members of an administrative team, with the ability to make difficult decisions, aligning with the USN mission and middle school core beliefs.
• Ability to communicate effectively and provide consistent and timely information to faculty and families.
• A strategic approach to enhancing middle school programming to serve students, faculty, and parents better.
• Strength in building and maintaining connections and community between colleagues, divisions, parents, and students.
• Culturally responsive and community-focused, embracing inclusion, celebrating diverse perspectives, and sustaining USN’s family-oriented culture through meaningful engagement with students, colleagues, and parents.

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates are
encouraged to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents as soon as possible:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this pa