Koraes Elementary School Palos Hills, Illinois (Chicago area) President, July 2017 www.koraes.org
The Position One School, One Heart: Faith, Knowledge, and Friendship.
School Mission Our mission is to prepare students with the necessary academic foundation that allows them to reach their highest levels of success. We work to provide spiritual and moral guidance from an Eastern Orthodox Christian perspective that focuses on values and instills a feeling of confidence, respect, and well being in every child. We accomplish this mission by fostering a family environment where parents and family members are encouraged to support school events, volunteer their time and efforts, and desire to create a positive school environment for all Koraes children.
Koraes Elementary School sets itself apart as a place where students develop a rich religious and cultural education along with a superb academic foundation. An independent, coeducational day school, Koraes has maintained close ties to SS Constantine & Helen Church, the Greek Orthodox parish with which it has been affiliated since its establishment in 1910. Historically, most of the students who attended Koraes were parishioners. Today, the school serves students from age three through grade eight; yet, as most graduates attest, the bonds formed at Koraes last far beyond adolescence. Koraes is a place where lifelong friendships are fostered—among students, families, and staff. This is a time of exciting change for Koraes. The Parish Council and School Board have responded with urgency and enthusiasm to rapidly changing market demographics in their suburban community southwest of Chicago. In recognition of the enormous opportunity for the school going forward, a new strategic plan has been developed to take this distinguished school to the next level, while maintaining fidelity to Koraes’ rich heritage and religious values.
There are two key elements to the new strategic plan: 1. Expansion of the student population beyond the Parish in phases. Phase 1 will engage an immediate, almost turnkey, opportunity: reaching out to local Orthodox parishes and inviting families to enroll their children at Koraes. These parishes do not sponsor their own schools and Orthodox families have long regarded Koraes as an exceptional school. The Search Group | CS&A
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Phase 2 will be an opportunity for the President and Board to reflect on the progress of their expansion plan and to consider whether to widen their marketing efforts to include the greater Christian communities of families seeking a high quality educational experience for their children. If approved, this will be a gradual, incremental process, requiring respect for the school’s proud history and culture, as well as genuine excitement for the possibility of forming a robust and diverse student population that reflects the finest 21st-century education practices. 2. A restructuring of leadership and adoption of the President/Principal model. This leadership model, increasingly popular among Catholic schools in particular, includes a bifurcation of executive duties to enable greater focus on vision-setting and institution-building activities by the President, who functions as the chief executive officer of the school. Special funding has been allocated by the Parish Council to ensure the success of this model during the critical transition period. The School Board seeks an inaugural President to join this close-knit community effective July 2017. The ideal candidate will be a faith-filled, entrepreneurial leader with passion for mission, someone who will implement the new strategic plan while respecting the rich traditions and family relationships that have been so vital to the culture of this wonderful school. In the meantime, a new Principal has also been hired who brings years of successful administrative leadership and best practice to her role. She is currently evaluating all aspects of the academic program and recommending opportunities for improvement to the Board.
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School History The Koraes School—as it was originally called—was founded in 1910 in the tradition of Greece’s provincial schools. Established in affiliation with the SS Constantine and Helen Church to serve a significant Greek immigrant population on the South Side of Chicago. Koraes School originally educated students in Greek; English was taught as a second language. Soon, however, the community recognized the importance of instilling young Greek-American children with a strong foundation in English literacy and fluency. In 1922, the school restructured its program to incorporate a bilingual language arts program and integrate English more deeply in its instruction. Largely as a result of these changes, the school received its first accreditation from the Chicago Board of Education that same year. Shortly thereafter, in 1923, Koraes launched its afternoon school. Serving grades 4 through 6, this program provided parish youth enrolled in public schools with an enriching after-school program in Greek language and culture. Koraes continued its growth through the 20th century. In 1937, the school added a middle school program for grades 7 and 8 that emulated contemporary public schools with its departmentalized structure. By the 1960s, Koraes was welcoming students beginning in Kindergarten. In 1974, the school moved to its present location in Palos Hills, Illinois. More recently, in the school year 2007-2008, Koraes launched its PreKindergarten program.
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The School Since its founding over a century ago, Koreas Elementary has sustained its commitment to an education that prioritizes intellectual rigor and critical thinking equally alongside a religious education in the Eastern Orthodox tradition and an appreciation for the ethics and values that come with it.
Academics The Pre-Kindergarten represents the newest division at Koraes. Modeled after the Common Core and focused on developmentally appropriate educational activities, the PreK program offers both full and half-day schedules to meet the particular needs of Koraes families. PreK students develop introductory skills in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. Through supplementary programs in art and movement, they are encouraged to explore without pressure to produce something formal or final. Koraes’ youngest students also begin to learn the basics of religious teachings, various aspects of the liturgy, and meanings behind major feast days. Encompassing grades K through five, the elementary program at Koraes offers a comprehensive academic curriculum within a safe, nurturing environment. Students build a foundation in five core subjects—English, math, science, social studies, and Greek—which are supplemented by regular instruction in reading, technology, physical education, and religion. All elementary classes are self-contained. With an emphasis on small group instruction, Koraes’ dedicated teachers encourage creative expression and cross-curricular connections.
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Serving grades six through eight, the liberal arts curriculum in the middle school builds upon the same core academic subjects that ground the elementary school program, while also offering innovative STEM instruction through a program called Project Lead the Way. The goal of Koraes’ middle school program is to prepare students to thrive in high school and beyond. Classes in the middle school are departmentalized and taught by subject-specific instructors. Students are expected to take responsibility for their behavior and decisions, and held accountable to the ethical values and beliefs espoused by their religious faith.
After-School Programs Koraes Elementary is steadfast in its commitment to serve all Greek Orthodox children in the area, including those who attend local public schools. The before-school and after-school programs offered at Koraes seek to provide supplementary education for these children, including Greek language instruction and a variety of enrichment and recreational programs, from orchestra and band to chess and the arts.
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Opportunities & Challenges of the Position The inaugural President of the school will need to be a proven leader of passion, vision, and spirituality who can respectfully yet confidently guide the community in achieving the promise of its bold new strategic plan. The school’s alumni base is seen as an underutilized but extraordinary opportunity going forward. Legacies of families are passionate about the mission of the school and eager to provide support. With the right leadership, the upside potential for giving is exceptional. Not surprisingly, enrollments have declined somewhat in recent years due to the rapidly changing demographics in the community and will need to be restored. A sensitive, prudent approach to expansion will also be required. Families will need to be engaged and committed to the new plan, and this will require thoughtful but determined leadership. Finally, a new marketing sensibility will also be required to carry the evolving message, raise the profile of the school in the community, and expand enrollment beyond its historic base. Marketing was never required in the past because of the close ties to the Church and the tight network of families within the community. The President will need to serve as the architect of messaging and articulate the school’s new vision and value proposition.
Qualities & Qualifications of the next President As mentioned earlier in this document, the School Board has voted to adopt the President/Principal Leadership Model. In this structure, the President functions as the chief executive officer with responsibilities for all aspects of the institution. Because the Principal will assume responsibilities for day-to-day academic operations and the overall quality of the student experience, the President is liberated to focus on long-term, strategic issues and serve as the face of the school to the community. The President will be expected to work closely with the Board in implementing the new strategic plan. S/he will also be expected to develop a compelling communications strategy that tells the exciting new Koraes story, and to secure all resources necessary to sustain the mission of the school and achieve the full promise of the plan. This is a rare and exceptional opportunity for an educational leader who desires to make a difference for children, families, and a worthy 116-year-old institution.
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Specifically, the Board seeks the following qualities in the new President: • A faith-filled, practicing Christian who can joyfully and genuinely exemplify the Orthodox values and traditions of the school; • A high profile, “relational” leader who can inspire, unify, and create demand for the exceptional Koraes experience; • A proven track record as an institution builder—someone who can raise the profile of the school in the community, grow enrollments, raise funds, and build enduring brand. • An accomplished servant leader, given the new direction of the school, who is persistent but humble, and who will build trust and engage respectfully with faculty and families in support of the new plan. • A collaborative President who will partner with the Principal in demonstrating the enormous power and efficacy of the President/Principal model. Deep domain knowledge of elementary education is preferred but less important than strong, entrepreneurial leadership, passion for mission, and an ability to enrich and sustain institutional vitality.
How to Apply There is no deadline to apply; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. To ensure adequate consideration, candidates are encouraged to provide the following materials as soon as possible: • Cover letter aligning your skills, experiences, and interests with the leadership needs of Koraes at this time; • A current résumé with all appropriate dates; • A statement of educational or leadership philosophy; • A list of five references including contact information. All inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be emailed in confidence to: Bob Regan Bob.regan@carneysandoe.com Senior Search Consultant Carney, Sandoe & Associates 55 Bromfield Street, Boston MA www.carneysandoe.com
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Thank you for your interest in Koraes Elementary School!
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Bob Regan
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