Stanbridge Academy
San Mateo, California Head of School July 2016 www.stanbridgeacademy.org
The Position “Safe.” More than any other, this is the word used to describe Stanbridge Academy. The passion that parents feel for this school is rooted in early disappointment; often, they have felt that their child with learning differences (LD) has been underserved or even Mission betrayed by other schools. This disappointment has Stanbridge Academy is a caring, inclusive K-12 school for led to refuge and peace in discovering the welcoming students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders. We use an individualized, whole and supportive environment of Stanbridge. There, student approach so that students thrive and develop their students clearly feel comfortable, safe, and joyous in a academic, social and emotional capabilities to their fullest place where they can be whoever they are, and where potential. whoever they are is celebrated. The faculty and staff love their students, their work, and the satisfaction Philosophy - The Stanbridge Way that comes from seeing students achieve more than Stanbridge Academy provides a safe, nurturing community for its students and maintains an intentional balance of students they ever thought they could. with different learning and social challenges, including students on the autism spectrum. We have found that this balance encourages students to benefit from their classmates’ strengths and respect their differences. Many, if not most, of our students struggle with multiple challenges, and our program is designed to address the whole child through: • Engaged and joyful classroom experience with very low teacher/student ratios • Differentiated and supported content delivery tailored for individual student learning styles and needs including an evolving assistive technology (or ed tech) program • Incorporating executive functioning, social skills and pragmatics curriculum at all grade levels • Integrated experiential learning both on and off campus • Comprehensive electives and extracurricular and social activities • Transition programs including mainstreaming to public/ private schools, life skills, college preparation, and job skills training for high school students Our skilled faculty and staff are dedicated to understanding each student’s learning and interpersonal styles in order to seamlessly integrate life and social skills into the classroom and all aspects of student life. We teach students to better understand themselves and to self-regulate as well as selfadvocate. While the school’s core focus is our academic program, our philosophy is to provide a whole school experience and community for each student at every grade level. We want each of our students to have the opportunity to participate in any age-appropriate, school-related activity that they might not otherwise be able to access at a traditional school, while we strive to achieve academic and social growth.
While a deep love and understanding of each child is at the core of Stanbridge, so is the determination that, despite their challenges, students can learn, develop social skills, and succeed academically. Whether through the experiential learning trips that are integral to the program or the demanding academics that constitute classroom work, students are pushed to build on their strengths, take risks in a safe and supportive environment, and achieve success. Serving students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders, this is a K-12 school where individual attention is the rule, and where the sense of community and care for one another is exceptional. Stanbridge maintains a balance of students with communicative disorders and other learning differences that builds on students’ strengths and benefits everyone. Stanbridge’s mission is vital. The school saves children and saves families. While some schools are very specific in terms of which learning differences they address, Stanbridge students have a variety of diagnoses and needs, and Stanbridge has been able to accommodate many students whose prior schools were unable to provide an atmosphere where they could thrive.
After a long-term successful Head retired a year ago, Stanbridge welcomed a strong and capable new Head Stanbridge Academy incorporates and models strong values last Spring. Unfortunately, pressing family matters of personal and shared responsibility, respect, inclusion and made it necessary for him to resign. The school is compassion, where every student is heard and celebrated. currently being led by a strong acting Head and senior The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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administrators and fortunately continues to deliver an exceptional education to its students. Because time is of the essence, the school requests that expressions of interest be directed to consultant Skip Kotkins (contact information on the last page) as soon as possible.
School History Stanbridge was founded in 1982 by Andi Jobe, a mother of children with learning differences. Dissatisfied with other schools’ treatment of her children’s needs, Jobe founded Stanbridge in order to provide supportive and effective programs for students with mild to moderate learning disorders. Over its 33 years, Stanbridge’s curricular program has expanded and enrollment has grown. The school was first accredited by WASC in 1998 and moved to its current location at 515 East Poplar Ave in San Mateo one year later, in 1999. The campus is conveniently located near the San Mateo Library, Martin Luther King Park and Community Center, and Caltrain Depot, among many other valuable community resources. Stanbridge is accredited by WASC and has just received provisional accreditation by CAIS. The only K-12 school of its kind in the Bay Area, Stanbridge combines small class sizes, individualized student learning profiles, and a robust experiential program to provide an effective and personalized education for students with learning disabilities (both verbal and non-verbal), ADHD, and a range of other learning and social communicative disorders. Through its student-centered program, Stanbridge makes every student feel like a “STAR.”
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The School Academics Stanbridge seeks to make each and every student a STAR, who is socially competent, who understands teamwork, who challenges him/ herself academically, and who assumes greater responsibility throughout his or her years at the school. These key attributes of the program ensure that students work well at Stanbridge and are prepared for future success outside the classroom and in their lives beyond the school. With the support of Stanbridge, students who may have felt disenfranchised and misunderstood come to discover their own potential and value. Through accommodations and modifications, teachers strive to make curriculum accessible to each student. Stanbridge’s Academic Resource Staff creates an individualized learning profile for each student, to define individual learning goals and appropriate accommodations. Students have assistive technologies available that allow them to access academic materials despite their learning challenges. Stanbridge’s curricular program and small class sizes allow engaged instructors to work closely with their students. Differentiated instruction follows Common Core State Standards-based curricula while understanding and embracing the academic supports each student needs to learn effectively. Teachers blend academic and social instruction, helping students who need more focus on social skills education through the school’s Social Cognitive Curriculum. This program draws from research, materials, and resources developed by leading experts in the field and allows teachers to work with students to create individualized goals that lead to social cognitive skills development. Experiential education is a core component of a Stanbridge education, with all divisions having multiple experiential trips each term. A host of activities and lessons outside the classroom provides students with opportunities to improve their team-building and collaborative skills, promote mutual respect and acceptance, improve organizational skills, set appropriate goals, and engage in appropriate challenges. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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“I am so thankful we found Stanbridge. It has been a Godsend for our daughter and for us. I thank God every day that we found Stanbridge; I wish we had found it years ago. She would have been less damaged from life’s experiences that had occurred. Thank you for all you have done to restore our daughter’s confidence and for giving her and us a sense of peace.” - Stanbridge Parent
“As a disability rights advocate, I am often asked by parents about high-quality private schools that can successfully serve children with learning difficulties. My response is that no school stands out more in the Bay Area to meet such challenges than Stanbridge Academy. With its superior and nurturing staff, excellent curriculum, and high standards for success, Stanbridge is a rare gem.” - Stanbridge Parent
“Out of the seven years I have been here, I have noticed each year has been filled with new experiences. This school is not just about getting an education...it is also about getting to know people.”
“Stanbridge provides our son with a rich educational experience in a nurturing environment. Stanbridge provides: academic instruction tailored to his strengths and challenges, social and pragmatic language development incorporated into the school day, art, music, speech therapy, and daily PE. They truly educate the whole child.” - Stanbridge Parent
- Stanbridge Student
Age-appropriate adventures are designed to captivate and engage students through hands-on activities and provide students who struggle in the classroom with opportunities to thrive in an outdoor environment. For older students, overnight experiences teach them to care for themselves and their belongings and develop self-confidence and self-reliance. In high school, explorations, social, and service activities are designed to complement classroom concepts and encourage students to challenge themselves. For example, students apply what they have learned in science class at Yosemite National Park, and their literary learning comes to life through live performances of Shakespeare. They study bay ecology while sea kayaking, apply math and communication skills while cooking their own meals, learn about ocean ecology while exploring tide pools, and practice “leave no trace” principles while camping. The experiential program helps students become active, confident members of society who are well-prepared for life beyond Stanbridge. The school also focuses on the transition from the school to other areas of life, helping students and families understand the different options available to them after graduation. Resource specialists assist with planning for that transition to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible, and added academic support, life skills training, and counseling provide tools for students as they prepare to move on. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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Recently, a well-received Fifth Year- Post Graduate Transition Program has been piloted to further support students who might benefit from an additional year of life-skills training, career planning, or job skills training and coached-internships before leaving Stanbridge.
Student Life Life at Stanbridge is about much more than learning in a classroom— students are encouraged to pursue all their varied interests. Regardless of ability level, all students have access to a full suite of clubs, a student choir, high school dances (including a formal prom in the spring), sports teams, yearbook, Stanbridge News Broadcasting, drama, Maker Team, and community service activities, where they can explore their passions and harness their talents. After graduating from Stanbridge, many local alumni return to the area to serve as mentors, helping to carry on the school’s pervasive tradition of caring and looking out for one another. Stanbridge’s Bulldogs Basketball Team was founded in 2010 and provides an opportunity for students to engage in athletics. The after school street hockey club, too, is a valuable resource for students seeking a physical outlet. Both activities provide the social learning that comes from being part of a team. School spirit is also fostered through the annual Halloween Carnival, theme days (e.g., Giants’ days and crazy hair days), and all-school assemblies. Students are encouraged to give back to their communities from an early age, and community service opportunities have included Habitat for Humanity, Innvision Shelter Network, Glide Memorial, Second Harvest Food Bank, Family Giving Tree, environmental activities, and much more. Students have the opportunity to interact with their local surrounding community and understand how they can be effective instruments for positive change.
Strengths of the School The new Head will find many strengths at the school, including: • A school that is effective in meeting the needs of its students. This is the result of: - Small Classes. Maximum 8:1. - Deeply caring and dedicated faculty and staff. - All faculty and staff know all the kids, not just the ones they teach. Adults collaborate to support and serve students. - A culture of flexibility; to do whatever is necessary to meet a child’s needs. - A strengths-based approach that focuses on building on a student’s strengths rather than focusing only on his/her weaknesses. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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- A uniform Social Pragmatics curriculum that includes classes and standardization of language and approaches to support social skill development with the kids at all times. - An integrated, whole-child experience. Curriculum, social skills and awareness, support for both students and families, all work together. - Experiential learning is an essential part of the program for all students. • Stanbridge is safe. Students can be who they are; they can be pushed outside their comfort zone and be strongly supported in the process. They know unquestionably that they are cared for. Adults look out for students, and students look out for one another. • Counselors are highly skilled and immediately available to help students when and where there is an issue. • A physical campus that is safe, attractive, well maintained, with the possibility to expand the campus to accommodate a significant number of additional students. • A committed and dedicated parent body that works closely with the faculty and staff in partnership to support the kids. Parents are involved; they are listened to and respected. The Stanbridge Parent Association supports many extra curricular activities and holds an annual fundraising event. • Financial stability. A track record of balanced operating budgets. Improvements largely paid for at the time. No operating debt. A serviceable mortgage. • Clubs, basketball, art, music, high school dances, and other activities typical of general education schools give Stanbridge students an experience that is similar to those available at those other schools, even as they receive the very specialized attention that they need. • A well-developed Summer School program that serves a large number of Stanbridge families. • The eagerly embraced Fifth Year Post-Graduate Transition Program.
San Mateo, California A small city within the San Francisco Bay Area, San Mateo is an extension of Silicon Valley. Just 25 minutes from downtown San Francisco, San Mateo enjoys its distinct culture as well as the amenities and attractions of the larger city. Downtown San Mateo is vibrant, featuring hundreds of shops and restaurants, a movie theater, and Central Park, which includes a nationally ranked Japanese Garden. Downtown San Mateo also has a range of office buildings and apartments. The city’s diverse economy features jobs in various sectors, including technology, health care, and financial services. GoPro, NetSuite, Edmodo, SolarCity, and Funny or Die are some of the companies based in San Mateo. San Mateo’s proximity to San Francisco is an added draw. The sixth-most-visited destination in the United States, San Francisco has something to attract every type of resident and visitor, from food and wine to windsurfing, hiking, biking, and often the next trend. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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The sharp topography and maritime surroundings of San Francisco combine with the unique California climate to produce a number of extremely varied microclimates within its 46 square miles. In general, though, the Bay Area’s climate features cool, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The Bay Area also serves as the gateway to the attractions of Monterey and Carmel, the Sonoma and Napa Valley wine country, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite National Park. Famous for its scenic beauty, cultural attractions, diverse communities, and world-class cuisine, the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the world’s most coveted places to live. Popular attractions in San Francisco draw tourists annually both to the city and to its surrounding environs. The Golden Gate Bridge and the city’s abundant parks provide outdoor respite to residents and visitors. Among its cultural and civic attractions, San Francisco has world-renowned symphony, ballet, and opera companies, several world-class art museums, and such top experiential learning institutions as the California Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium. SFJAZZ Center, the first concert hall in the United States built just for America’s native musical form, opened in 2013. The Bay Area is home to many leading universities and colleges, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of California San Francisco (medical school), Mills College, University of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University. Just outside the city, the Muir Woods National Park is home to towering redwoods that have awed visitors for over two centuries. South of San Mateo is Palo Alto, San Jose, and the greater area of Silicon Valley.
Challenges and Opportunities Among the issues the new Head will be expected to address are: • While the school is blessed with excellent administrators, because of the very heavy investment in studentfacing faculty and staff, the administration itself is very thin. Everyone wears multiple hats, and some things are foregone because of lack of people to do them. Areas cited where opportunities exist for greater effectiveness if there were a few more administrators include: - More frequent faculty evaluation, assessment, systematized goal setting and professional development and training. - Consistent application of teaching methodology across divisions and classrooms to achieve curricular goals. - Institutional advancement functions including marketing, alumni engagement, admissions recruiting, fundraising (outright gifts, grants, events). - Ability to have a more effective “case management” approach to each student, where someone takes the lead and pulls together, as needed, the members of the team to support that student. • Determination of a student’s fit with the services Stanbridge is able to offer is crucial to the student’s future academic and social success while at the school. The school’s admission processes and criteria should be continually assessed to assure that admitted students have a very high likelihood of success at Stanbridge. • There is no question that Stanbridge must be a school that leads with its heart and will always need to be flexible to meet the needs of each student. However, that is not always compatible with a professionally run, well-organized school that has clearly articulated and uniformly enforced policies, procedures, and expectations. Specific areas for improvement and professionalization might include: - A more clearly defined administration, including updated, more detailed job descriptions. - Opportunities to better deploy current staff. - Better-developed and communicated plans for technology roll-outs to faculty, students, and parents. - While the students are encouraged to be who they are, greater instruction on real life expectations, boundaries, and societal norms would benefit the students and also bring more order and predictability to the operations of the school. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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• Stanbridge has a passionate faculty whose members care deeply about their students. Opportunities exist to give them additional support to better serve those students. Possibilities include: - Teachers would appreciate more up-to-date intervention techniques that target students with learning disabilities as well as behavior management strategies. - There is an opportunity to use constructive, regular faculty observation, evaluation, and assessment as effective tools to assist teachers in their own professional and skill development. • The school could benefit from a school-wide technology review of: program objectives; meeting the needs of some highly talented students; hardware; software, including uniform use of assistive technologies; effective administrative systems; and staffing. As in all schools, faculty and staff need continual training and support in new technological tools. • Parent engagement and parent support is challenging when families come from a large geographic area and from different socio-economic backgrounds. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to better engage with and support families. • The Board of Trustees has undergone significant turnover and change in recent years and could benefit from working with a Head skilled in board development and best practices. • The opportunity exists to enroll additional mission-appropriate students who would be well served by Stanbridge if more financial aid were available. • The school would benefit from a refinement of its value proposition, focusing on student outcomes. Armed with tight, clear, simple, and compelling messages, the school could better market itself to families, key influencers, mental health professionals, and potential referring educators to attract a larger admissions pipeline. Stanbridge is not as well-known as it should and could be.
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Skills and Characteristics of the next Head Among the attributes desirable in candidates are: • Experience and understanding of the impact and challenges that learning disabilities and social communicative disorders have on students and their ability to learn and incorporate both academic and social goals and standards. • A huge heart and a deep passion for the specific mission of Stanbridge Academy and the population the school serves. • A combination of compassion, understanding, and warmth, with the ability to make tough decisions and have tough conversations when necessary. • Personal experience as a classroom teacher. Special education credentials a plus. • Excellent oral and written communication skills. • The ability to effectively relate to students, faculty and staff, families, trustees, and the broader community. A warm, engaging, welcoming presence. • Proven ability to recruit, mentor, evaluate, support, train, and retain excellent faculty and staff. • Demonstrated organizational skills to structure a high performance organization where roles are clear, operations are professional and efficient, objectives are met, and resources are efficiently utilized in order to optimally serve the LD student population of Stanbridge. • A leader who will challenge and support the school to remain current and effective in utilizing all the tools and practices available to schools that focus on effective teaching of students with LD. • A track record of effective partnership working with a board of trustees. • Comfortable with and embracing of modern technological tools for education and an understanding of how to effectively implement those tools. • Familiarity with what highly effective institutional advancement looks like in the areas of: marketing and outreach, fundraising and development, recruiting and admissions, and alumni and parent engagement. • Financial and budget literacy.
To Apply Applicants are encouraged to submit materials as soon as possible. Interested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one email: • Cover letter expressing interest in the Stanbridge Academy position; • Current resume; • Statement of educational philosophy; • List of five supervisory references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission). Skip Kotkins Senior Search Associate Carney, Sandoe & Associates 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108 skip.kotkins@carneysandoe.com 206-948-4916 The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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