The Gooden School Sierra Madre, California Head of School July 2017 goodenschool.org
The Position The Gooden School is a hidden gem in the San Gabriel Valley: a small and nurturing school in the town of Sierra Madre, where happy and curious children learn from dedicated faculty on a serenely beautiful campus. Strong academically and in the arts, Gooden focuses on providing a well-rounded education in language arts, math, science, social studies, world languages, and technology, enriched by abundant offerings in the visual and performing arts. Bolstered by a strong sense of community and meaningful traditions, the school offers a classical education for the 21st century, preparing students for continued academic success in high school, college, and beyond. As an Episcopal school, Gooden welcomes students of all faith backgrounds and focuses on character development, integrity, and responsibility within a framework of Episcopal values.
Mission The Gooden School offers a firm educational foundation, using both traditional and progressive approaches. Its caring community affords students opportunities to grow in body, mind and spirit, to gain confidence, and to discover their unique gifts. Diversity and character development are nurtured within the framework of Episcopal values. Gooden fosters a life-long commitment to learning, to compassion and to service by emphasizing... Respect for Self, Respect for Others, and Respect for the World.
Gooden now seeks a new Head of School, effective July 2017. The successful candidate will appreciate Gooden’s family feel and small-town charm, embracing the school’s many distinguishing traditions while leading it confidently forward. The next Head of School will maintain the school’s emphasis on character and continue to support its motto embodied in the “Three Rs” of “Respect for Self, Respect for Others, and Respect for the World.” S/he will be a visionary and communicative leader who stays abreast of curricular trends, unites and engages the faculty, staff, and community, and takes the school to the next level of success.
Fast Facts • • • •
Average class size: (K-5) 16; (6-8) 24 Student/faculty ratio: (K-5) 7:1; (6-8) 8:1 Faculty with advanced degrees: 55% Accreditations and Memberships - National Association of Episcopal Schools - National Association of Independent Schools - California Association of Independent Schools - Western Association of Schools and Colleges - Educational Records Bureau - Commission on Schools, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
School History
In 2015, Gooden celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding. Gooden was named in honor of the Right Reverend Robert Gooden, Bishop Suffragan of the Los Angeles Diocese from 1930-1947. Bishop Gooden was committed to the idea that all children deserve a high-quality education and fervently believed that the unique nature of every individual should be known and developed. The school was founded in his name to provide students with a high-quality, classical education that would endow them with the skills, confidence, and worldview to succeed. Gooden enjoys long-standing ties to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. In addition to its own campus, the school leases classroom space from The Church of the Ascension, located across the street from Gooden’s main campus. Regular chapel services are held in its beautiful sanctuary, a historical landmark built in 1888.
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The School The Gooden community believes that all students in kindergarten through middle school possess gifts that are manifested in various ways throughout their years at the school. These gifts may be discovered or enhanced through academic excellence, musical, artistic, dramatic, or athletic endeavors. Teachers at Gooden see it as their duty to help students draw out these gifts from within themselves. They embrace a “whole child” philosophy of education, providing a learning environment that enriches each student in mind, body, and spirit.
Academics From kindergarten through grade eight, Gooden offers students a rare and wonderful experience: instruction in core subjects of language arts, math, social studies, and science. Students also receive instruction in two foreign languages (Spanish in kindergarten, elementary, and middle school, and Latin in grades four through eight). The academic program is designed to prepare students for the demands of a college preparatory program in high school. Passionate, well-qualified teachers help students reach this goal by setting daily objectives that focus on student achievement and growth. Various teaching methods maximize each student’s potential, allowing students to master skills in various subjects while developing good study habits and encouraging a genuine joy of learning. In addition to core coursework, all students participate in a highly regarded music and arts program. Technology instruction and the use of Smart Boards, iPads, and laptops are incorporated throughout all areas of the curriculum. Visual and performing arts instruction are additional highlights. Students grow through these enriching programs and gain confidence while discovering their unique gifts. Upon graduation, Gooden students are accepted by the finest high schools and boarding schools in the area, including Alverno, Cate, Campbell Hall, Flintridge Preparatory, Flintridge Sacred Heart, LA County High School for the Arts, La Salle, Loyola, Maranatha, Mayfield Senior, Polytechnic, St. Francis, Webb, and Westridge. Alumni have gone on to attend an impressive list of universities, including Claremont McKenna, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, NYU, Oxford (by virtue of a Rhodes Scholarship), Princeton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, and Vassar, among others. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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Student Life All students at Gooden participate in instrumental, vocal, and visual arts instruction each week and also take part in drama productions each year. The music program is well- known in the area for its excellence and attracts students to the school. The school offers concerts each year, which feature the band and orchestra, in addition to many other opportunities to showcase student effort and talent. The “Music in the Morning” program is the public debut of beginning string and band students. The visual arts program is based on building art skills and concepts along with confidence and knowledge. Students study drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics and showcase their art during the annual spring art fair. In middle school, all students are encouraged to participate in Gooden’s after school athletic program. The school offers sports for both girls and boys—flag football, volleyball, basketball, and soccer—as well as co-ed track and field. Gooden’s Episcopal identity provides a strong foundation that pervades the campus. Students attend Chapel every Monday and Thursday to explore, question, share, and respect the many faiths represented among the student body. Together, they sing hymns, pray, learn about the basic building blocks of faith, read scripture, and hear a homily from the school’s Chaplain or a guest speaker. As one student explained, “In Chapel I tell God what’s on my mind. I open up and think about how lucky I am, and I count my blessings.” While the school is welcoming of all faith traditions, its Episcopal heritage is a very important aspect of its identity.
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Gooden enjoys abundant traditions that create a warm, supportive, and inclusive community. The school’s Buddy Program links every younger student with a student in a higher grade, and throughout the year these buddies share many common experiences: in chapel, in assemblies, and at school events. The unique program endows younger students with a sense of security and a familiar face to help them navigate the school and provides older students with the responsibility of mentoring younger students. Other traditions include annual drama performances, seasonal “teas,” Spring and Winter Concerts, Students of the Month Assemblies, International Theme Day, Music in the Morning, promotion ceremonies, and many more. The “Three Rs” that form the school’s motto provide a baseline for all activities and decisions at the school, in class and beyond. Through service-learning, students live out this motto, taking part in servicelearning projects at each grade level. Examples include: UNICEF, the Garden of H.O.P.E., the study of hunger and homelessness, supporting St. Jean Baptiste, Gooden’s sister school in Haiti, and more.
Sierra Madre, California Known as “The Village of the Foothills,” Sierra Madre is a “city” in Los Angeles County located in the San Gabriel Valley near Pasadena. As the “Wistaria City,” this beautiful place features abundant natural life and vegetation and hosts an annual Wistaria Festival. It was lauded as an All-America City—the oldest community honor in the country—in 2007. Sierra Madre’s charming downtown features a small town community feel with many uique restaurants and shops. The Lower and Upper Sierra Madre Canyons rising just east of the city providing stunning trails for hiking enthusiasts as well as a Wilderness Park. Located less than 20 miles from Los Angeles, Sierra Madre blends a small-town feel with easy access to the large and vibrant metropolis. The climate of Sierra Madre is incredibly pleasant, with warm and dry summers and cool, mild winters. This charming, serene small town is a wonderful place for a family to call home.
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Opportunities and Challenges The Gooden School’s strengths are abundant. The academic program is strong; graduates are well prepared for success in secondary school. The art and music programs are exceptional— virtually every student who graduates is able to read music and play at least one instrument proficiently. The school’s location is visually stunning and remarkably “removed” from the typical pace of Los Angeles. Gooden’s faculty is both able and committed; the parent body shares a strong sense of community and good will. Few school communities embrace a shared sense of purpose and values like Gooden. The new Head will be charged to maintain Gooden’s many successes and also raise the school’s programs and stature to new levels. Although it attracts many of its students from Pasadena and the larger San Gabriel Valley, Gooden is not well-known in the broader community, so the next leader must be a spokesperson for Gooden in Sierra Madre and the surrounding areas. The next Head will be charged with boosting Gooden’s enrollment. Like many K-8 schools throughout the country, Gooden’s enrollment has fluctuated over the past 8-10 years. The new Head will lead initiatives to clarify the value proposition of the school and then be able to enthusiastically communicate that value to the surrounding community. Diverse students of non-Episcopalian background are comfortable in the school; however, the Board would like to see more diversity in all areas: ethnic, religious, and socio-economic. The school’s financial status is strong but must be enhanced through the development of a more sophisticated philanthropic culture. The Board would like to replace the music building and refurbish the reception area and main offices. Accordingly, the new Head must welcome the work of advancement and fundraising. The faculty and administration would also benefit from additional support for professional development. As is the case in any small school community, the incoming Head will be a visible presence in the school and community. Early on, the new Head will want to listen carefully to all constituencies: students, faculty, parents, and the members and leadership of the Church of the Ascension. This is a position for a “working Head” who wants to help a truly special school grow and become a strong presence in the surrounding areas.
Qualifications and Qualities of the Next Head of School • Demonstrated leadership experience in an independent school. • Appreciation for the meaning and opportunity of an Episcopal school identity. • Excellent communication skills both in speaking and writing with an eagerness to build and maintain vital community relationships for the school. • Strong interpersonal skills. A good listener who works collaboratively with others and encourages the The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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open discussion of ideas and opinions. • Strength in oversight of the budget, financial and strategic planning, including experience leading and developing programs for fundraising and the ability to work effectively with donors, alumni, and other constituents in resource development. • Teaching experience and an understanding of K-8 curricula. An appreciation for how K-8 programs must change to accommodate 21st century skills. • An appreciation for the importance of traditions while also willing to encourage change.
To Apply Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following materials electronically as separate PDF files: • • • •
cover letter expressing interest in the Gooden School position current résumé statement of educational philosophy list of five professional references with phone numbers and email addresses Peter Philip | Jane Phillips Senior Search Consultants Carney, Sandoe & Associates peter.philip@carneysandoe.com | jane.phillips@carneysandoe.com
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