The American School in Japan
Tokyo, Japan Head of School July 2017 www.asij.ac.jp
The Position
Mission Statement
The American School in Japan has been educating students in grades K-12 for more than a century. 1,620 students from approximately 40 countries are enrolled in ASIJ’s two campuses in Tokyo, and a strong faculty of 150 teachers forms the lifeblood of this rigorous, high-achieving school. ASIJ provides an Americanbased college preparatory education, offering a full suite of Advanced Placement and honors courses and providing a firm grounding in educational basics as well as cutting-edge electives and programs that help prepare students for success in a global, 21st century world. Life at the school is rich and robust, with over 100 activities offered for students in grades K-12, a dynamic community service program, and well-equipped, state-of-the-art campus facilities. As the oldest and largest international school in Tokyo, ASIJ has much of which to be proud, including its commitment to innovation, its strong governance and leadership, its environmental sustainability efforts, and the quality of its college acceptances and matriculation. Constituents of the school laud its strong academic program, its commitment to cultivating a diverse population, and its warm and inclusive community of students, faculty, and families. Despite its successes, ASIJ never rests on its considerable laurels. The school continues to refine and enhance its programmatic offerings, constantly challenging itself to be the best school it can be.
“Developing Compassionate, Inquisitive Learners Prepared for Global Responsibility.”
Strategic Objectives Students at ASIJ will: • Become adept at identifying problems and using innovation and collaboration to design and evaluate solutions. • Take risks, explore passions, develop their strengths, and pursue their personal paths with resilience. • Develop the capacity to understand different perspectives.
Since 2010, ASIJ has been well served by a caring and expert Head of School. As Ed Ladd prepares for retirement at the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year, the school plans to appoint an Interim Head of School for the 2016-17 school year and appoint a permanent Head of School to begin in July of 2017. The successful candidate will be an international school leader with proven experience and ability to build and guide a strong administrative team and faculty. S/he will possess an unwavering commitment to students and will be a keen advisor and contributor to the administrative and development responsibilities of the office. This is a significant career opportunity for a highly qualified candidate seeking a new leadership position at a school with a long tradition of excellence.
Vision To be an exemplary international learning community that nurtures each student’s full potential.
Values • • • • • • •
Students Excellence Environment Honesty and integrity Heritage Service Community
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School History ASIJ began as the Tokyo School for Foreign Children in 1902, when a dynamic group of women recognized the need for a school to support the city’s growing foreign community. The initial school was contained in rented rooms of the Kanda YMCA, and over the next several decades it grew in size and stature and moved to its own campus. After closing during the war years, ASIJ reopened in 1946 to support the military and civilian families present in post-war Tokyo. A greater influx of both students and teachers precipitated a move to a new, specially-designed campus in Chofu in 1963. Since then, the school has continued to grow and now serves 1,620 students on its two campuses. Throughout its history, the school has remained dedicated to its founding principles: diverse multicultural learning and lasting personal connections. ASIJ is one of the oldest and most respected international institutions in Japan, and it provides an education that prepares students for successful futures in a global world.
The School Today, life at ASIJ is defined by a desire to foster academic excellence, creativity, and individuality. The union of the school’s mission and defined Student Learning Outcomes provides a solid foundation for some of the best academic programs in the United States and internationally. Teachers instruct the “whole person,” instilling in students the skills of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and compassion. ASIJ celebrates the diversity of its community and encourages each student to formulate his or her own innovative, authentic learning experience. 85% of students participate in one or more of the 100-plus co-curricular activities offered at ASIJ, pursuing passions and interests ranging from competitive and intramural athletics to the visual and performing arts to Model UN, Amnesty International, Fast Facts and service programs. Students at ASIJ are curious, well-rounded, budding global citizens. • Total students: 1620 • Number of nationalities in student body: 40 Early Learning Center • Total faculty: 150 • Number of nationalities among faculty: 10 Students begin their years at ASIJ in the Early • Faculty with advanced degrees: 60% Learning Center (ELC), in a program and building • Student/teacher ratio: 10:1 that are both specially designed to meet the needs of • Annual operating budget: $35 million three-, four-, and five-year-olds. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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The cornerstone of the ELC is the belief that young students learn best by having direct sensory encounters with the world as well as teacher-directed experiences. Students in the ELC learn in a variety of ways, crafting a strong base of experiences essential for later learning as they explore, manipulate, create, and construct. When they leave the ELC, they have well-developed senses of excitement, curiosity, and self-esteem.
Elementary School The foundation for the rigorous, exploratory academics and rich co-curricular program that extend through high school begins in the ASIJ elementary school, which enrolls students in grades K-5. At this level, students follow a nine-day cycle that allows them to focus on core academic subjects (reading, writing, and math) as well as “specials� (art, music, physical education, and Japanese language) each day. Technology is integrated throughout the elementary school program, and students become adroit users of laptops and iPads to enhance their learning. A strong team of learning specialists helps children as they learn at different speeds and different levels at this young age, and each child feels nurtured and encouraged as well as challenged. Teachers focus on literacy, in both English and Japanese, and students gain familiarity and comfort with the written word, completing reading and writing exercises and beginning to study Japanese in first grade. Japanese is taught at both a native and non-native level. Teachers address the needs of the whole child: beginning in kindergarten, the curriculum promotes a love of learning and encourages social, emotional, physical, and academic development. Classroom teachers provide a program that emphasizes the development of social skills required for successful learning and living within the classroom community. The integrated curriculum focuses on thematic units and incorporates early reading development and math skills based on the Everyday Math Program. Students continue to learn in hands-on, The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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multi-sensory ways at age-appropriate levels throughout the remainder of the elementary program, and as they grow older they focus increasingly on developing independence—as readers, writers, and critical thinkers. Throughout their time in the elementary school, they continue to focus on the Japanese culture that defines and distinguishes the school. By the time they leave the elementary school, students are strong and independent learners, as well as active, collaborative members of a larger community.
Middle School As students progress through the elementary and middle schools, they learn to navigate the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional changes that arise on their paths to adulthood. Coursework is challenging yet supportive, and teachers encourage students do their best work at all times. Throughout their years at ASIJ, students take advantage of the vast resources available to them in Tokyo and Japan, through frequent field trips off-campus. Middle school students take part in the Extended Campus Program, the aim of which is to broaden a student’s learning in unique settings in the mountains, lake regions, cities, and coastlines of Japan. Through ASIJ’s Japanese Language and Culture program, middle school students come to understand the culture in which they live. They study Japanese language throughout the program, and co-curricular programs introduce them to traditions and cultures such as sumo wrestling, taiko drumming, shodo (calligraphy), karate, and Nihon Buyo, among others. Middle school teachers serve as advisors and mentors for students, meeting with them daily in an Advisory period. During this time, groups of 10-12 students meet together with their faculty advisor for sessions including Social and Emotional Learning and one-on-one Academic Advisory. This program creates a structure for school activities, grade level programs, daily announcements, and strong relationships at the school.
High School ASIJ’s high school program offers a challenging, diverse college preparatory experience to its students. With a wide range of Advanced Placement courses and co-curricular options, students challenge themselves and pursue their interests. Students may take elective courses in subjects such as robotics, marine biology, and digital video making. Additionally, students whose interests extend past the breadth of opportunities offered at ASIJ may elect to take independent studies online through the school’s membership in the Global Online Academy. As it prepares all students to meet the challenges of a dynamic global society in which they collaborate, communicate, create, and innovate through ubiquitous access to people, information, and ideas, ASIJ provides a technology-rich environment with a 1:1 program in grades five through 12. The school’s emphasis on valuing Japanese culture continues in High School, where students engage in a The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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College Acceptances The following is a partial list of colleges and universities to which ASIJ students have recently been accepted: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
American University of Paris Boston College Boston University Brigham Young University Brown University Cambridge University Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University University of Chicago Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Duke University Durham University Georgetown University Harvard University International Christian University Johns Hopkins University Keio University King’s College London London School of Economics McGill University University of Michigan MIT New York University University of Notre Dame Northwestern University Oberlin College University of Oxford University of Pennsylvania Princeton University Tufts University Rice University University of St. Andrew’s Stanford University UCLA United States Naval Academy University of Virginia Wesleyan University Wellesley College Yale University
three-day out-of-school experience called JUMP: The Japan Understanding and Motivational Project. Grade nine students travel to the Hakone-Mount Fuji area, where they participate in a variety of team-building, cultural, and outdoor activities at one of Japan’s most famous scenic locations. In grade 10, students travel to Nagano to learn about life in rural Japan. Students in grades 11-12 travel throughout the country, from the southern island of Okinawa to Hokkaido in the north. On these trips, they learn to play traditional Japanese instruments and create traditional crafts and participate in various outdoor activities. This program is one of the most memorable of students’ high school years. Students learn in and outside the classroom, thanks to a full suite of extracurricular activities and a robust visiting speaker program. In recent years, ASIJ has welcomed the current Emperor of Japan, President George H. Bush, astronaut John Glenn, and scientist Jane Goodall, among many others, to speak to its students. These experiences enrich the program and the lives of students at ASIJ. Each year, students gain admittance to top-tier colleges and universities in the United States, UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia. 23% of students attend non-American universities, and approximately 98% of all ASIJ graduates choose to go directly to college.
Physical Campus ASIJ’s Roppongi Campus was specially designed to accommodate the ELC, which opened in the heart of Tokyo in Roppongi Hills in 2003. The classrooms were designed with the Reggio Emilia philosophy in mind, where the physical environment of the classroom is often labeled the “third teacher.”
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The school’s main 14.33 acre (5.8 hectare) campus offers the largest and most complete international school facility in Japan and is located in the suburbs of Tokyo. The spacious campus features extensive open areas and landscaped grounds and is adjacent to Nogawa Park. A customdesigned kindergarten outdoor classroom and elementary outdoor play area provide dedicated spaces for the younger students to enjoy. Students also have access to the school’s main athletics field during recess, as well as outdoor and covered basketball areas in the elementary and middle school. The state-of-the-art facilities include a 570-seat theater, blackbox theater, band and choir rooms, three gyms and two artificial turf athletic fields (one with lighting), six tennis courts, wrestling room, dance studio and a 25m indoor pool.
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, which means “Eastern Capital” in Japanese, is the capital of Japan and the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The home of the Japanese Imperial Family and the seat of the Japanese government, the city’s splendor is unmatched by any other in the country. Over nine million people call the city home, and 51 of the Fortune 500 Global companies have outposts in Tokyo—the highest number of any city in the world. It is an alpha-plus world city, and in 2014 was ranked the “Best overall experience” in TripAdvisor’s World City Survey. The city takes pride in its nightlife, dining, shopping, public transportation, and cleanliness. Tokyo’s humid subtropical climate ensures that residents enjoy warm summers and mild winters. Residents can escape the congestion of the city by visiting many of Tokyo’s national parks. Visitors learn about Japan’s culture and history by visiting the city’s various museums, from the Tokyo National Museum to the National Museum of Western Art, the Ueno Zoo, and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. An eminently livable city steeped in history and culture as well as modernity, Tokyo is a wonderful place to call home. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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Opportunities and Challenges • Although ASIJ has outstanding facilities, some are aging and need to be renewed or replaced. • Known for its long-term faculty and leaders, the school must continue to attract and retain inspiring teachers and leaders in an increasingly competitive educational landscape. • The school should continue to provide a balanced education with strong academics, sports, arts, service, and character development. • Vertical alignment and transitions between divisions should be strengthened. • There should be improved communication with more opportunities for regular feedback to school leadership from parents and faculty. • Implementation of the current strategic plan presents ongoing challenges that require renewed faculty commitment and professional growth. • The school needs to re-engage with alumni and parents of alumni. • Celebrate achieved improvement initiatives. • Be mindful that the pace of change is manageable. • Effectively manage/integrate the local Japanese and international components of the school’s community while maintaining its “American” identity.
Qualifications and Qualities of the next Head of School The next Head of School will be someone who: • Is both able to be an instructional leader (who understands American education), and an institutional leader (including marketing, admissions, alumni relations, and fundraising). • Is a team builder who seeks faculty input and listens well. • Believes transparency is a must. • Can work effectively with the Board. • Is a genuine, inspiring communicator who talks persuasively about the mission and values of the school. • Sets a tone of celebration of school progress, appreciates contributions of faculty across the school, and is visible and engaged. Students would like to be comfortable with and have access to the Head. • Is committed to an inclusive, comprehensive strategic planning process and will be able to launch it early in his/her tenure. • Has experience with campus renovation/construction and funding for major building renewal projects. • Avoids piling on new initiatives before current ones can be consolidated. • Is high-energy, committed to connecting with the Tokyo community, both Japanese and expatriate. • Excellent at hiring inspiring teachers and leaders. • Is steady and has a sense of humor that would help the school through difficult times when they occur.
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To Apply Interested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one e-mail to the search consultants: • • • •
Cover letter expressing interest and perceived fit in the American School in Japan position; Current resume with dates and websites for previous employment; Statement of educational philosophy and leadership practice; List of five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission). Fred Wesson, Art Charles, John Chandler Senior Search Consultants Carney, Sandoe & Associates 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108 fred.wesson@carneysandoe.com | art.charles@carneysandoe.com | john.chandler@carneysandoe.com
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