Stevenson School Pebble Beach, California Head of the Upper Division (Grades 9-12) July 1, 2017 www.stevensonschool.org
Mission Statement Stevenson, a selective school for college-bound boarding and day students, commits to three aims: • to prepare students for success in college and beyond • to foster their passion for learning and achievement • to help them shape a joyful life Therefore, we maintain: • a faculty and staff of gifted, principled, attentive adults • a lively curriculum—innovative in method, scholarly in content, and global in scope • an exceptional range of academic, athletic, and artistic choices for students to explore, both independently and with friends • a respectful, welcoming community, grounded in ethical and spiritual values • a serene, comfortable campus along the magnificent forested coastline of the Monterey Peninsula
The School Founded in 1952, Stevenson School is one of the leading independent boarding and day schools in the western United States. Enrolling 750 students in grades PK-12, it is a distinctly warm and supportive school, operating two campuses on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. Stevenson offers its students, faculty, and staff a values-driven community experience influenced by the distinctive beauty, ecological biodiversity, and contemplative culture of California’s Central Coast. For more than 60 years, Stevenson has welcomed students from across the country and around the world, preparing them for honest and honorable lives. As an American school with a global sensibility, Stevenson is premised on a vision of education as the means by which we discover the world and contribute to its transformation, and the belief that one’s education is best pursued in the company of others, for others’ benefit as well as one’s own. Its Latin motto—Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re (“Gentle in manner, resolute in action”)—inspires both humility and perseverance. In 2015, Dr. Kevin M. Hicks ’85 was appointed the fourth Head of School and President of Stevenson. As the school continues into its newest chapter, the new head of the upper division will help lead strategic and educational initiatives planned for the next decade that will push the school to new levels of excellence. Stevenson seeks an experienced educational leader for grades 9-12 who will report to the president and serve as the chief academic officer for the upper division. S/he will lead the faculty and oversee curriculum and instruction while partnering with the dean of students to manage the upper division. The successful candidate will serve on the Senior Staff, playing a key role in charting the school’s future The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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by supporting and participating with other school areas and programs both on and off campus. The new head of the upper division will be a committed and capable leader who embraces Stevenson’s culture and traditions while implementing change and inspiring greatness. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for a talented, passionate, and nurturing educator.
History Robert Ricklefs—who had served on General Eisenhower’s staff during World War II—founded Stevenson School in 1952. Named for the expatriate Scottish writer, composer, and adventurer Robert Louis Stevenson—who spent a portion of his life in the vicinity—the school embraces its namesake’s daring spirit by valuing creativity, curiosity, responsibility, and independence in all of its pursuits. The original campus covered 17 wooded acres and consisted of six rustic buildings—a different picture from the nationally and internationally recognized school it is today. Thanks to Ricklefs’ leadership, the school added 16 new buildings and acquired 21 more acres of land during his tenure, and achieved sharp increases in enrollment. Stevenson opened its doors to girls as day students in 1976 and as boarders in 1988. Joe Wandke began his 32-year tenure as Head of School in 1983. Under his leadership, the school experienced significant periods of growth and expansion while securing its position as a leader in independent education. The original campus has been renovated extensively; grades K-8 were added on a separate campus in 1988 (a vibrant PK program was added in 2011). Today, Stevenson School is a selective, coeducational boarding and day school with two campuses located three miles apart—in Pebble Beach and Carmel—that include 30 buildings on 50 acres. The 500-student upper division, comprised of grades 9-12, is located on the original Pebble Beach Campus (where about 60% of students are boarders); the 250-student elementary and middle divisions, comprised of grades PK-8, are located on the Carmel Campus.
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College Placement Through one-on-one counseling, informational workshops, college visits, and more, students receive college guidance over the course of their college search and application processes. Stevenson has a 100% college acceptance rate. Graduates of Stevenson have enrolled at the following schools over the last few years (partial list): • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
American University Amherst College Boston College Boston University Carnegie Mellon University Duke University Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Fordham University Georgetown University King’s College London Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Quinnipiac University Rhode Island School of Design Santa Clara University Smith College Stanford University Texan Christian University Tulane University University of California, Berkeley University of Chicago University of Edinburgh University of Notre Dame University of Redlands University of Rochester University of San Diego University of Washington Yale University
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Academics and Faculty Stevenson seeks to provide an atmosphere that promotes a love of learning and achievement and prepares students for healthy, sustainable success in college and beyond. The upper division offers students a challenging program of study, an average class size of 14, and a 1:1 advisory program. Teachers train students in essential academic skills, while also fostering their social and emotional growth. Students are taught to think critically, collaborate, reflect, innovate, and communicate while learning how to refine and pursue their ambitions and support those of their peers. As a college-preparatory school, Stevenson’s classes are challenging, and geared for motivated students. The six academic departments— mathematics, science, English, history, arts, and foreign language—offer interactive, fast-paced classes that encourage inquiry and exploration. Stevenson offers twenty Advanced Placement (AP) classes. 89% of AP exams taken in May 2016 received a grade of 3 or better. Math is a particular area of strength, as evidenced by the fact that of the 42 students enrolled in AP Calculus BC last year, all 42 earned grades of 5. The advising program ensures that each student receives the support and guidance necessary for them to thrive. Students meet regularly with their advisors to discuss academic progress, personal
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growth, and issues vital to the community. Students value the relationship they have with their advisors, and the program fosters a strong sense of connection. Faculty members enjoy strong relationships with one other (“many of my best friends come from these colleagues”) and students, and feel that the campus and surrounding community are a wonderful place to raise their families (“there’s a magic to the place”). In providing students with superb classroom experiences, they convey a genuine sense of care. Faculty and staff are invested in their work and in the school; the community is engaged and inclusive. Dr. Kevin Hicks ’85 returned to Stevenson in July 2015 to succeed Joe Wandke, who retired following 32 years of service. Arriving from The Hotchkiss School, where he served as Head of School and before that Dean of Faculty, Kevin also served as the Dean of Berkeley College at Yale University, and has taught English and coached at a variety of secondary schools, both public and private, as well as colleges and universities. Kevin brings a new sense of excitement, intention, and leadership to the school that has faculty genuinely excited to work together to enhance instructional excellence in a supportive and values-based learning environment.
Arts and Athletics The fine and performing arts are an integral part of Stevenson’s culture. While only one year of art is required to graduate, most students pursue extensive curricular and co-curricular options. Stevenson mounts three theatrical main stage productions a year and offers eight instrumental and vocal musical troupes; art classes ranging from painting, sculpture, and drawing to digital art and architecture; ballet, jazz, and modern dance instruction; and the largest student-run FM radio station in the western United States, KSPB 91.9. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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Stevenson’s athletics program offers a broad range of options. With 24 interscholastic teams— including football, lacrosse, golf, water polo, soccer, field hockey, sailing, baseball, volleyball— students can excel at a favorite sport and also try new ones. The school’s coaching staff is studentfocused and places a high value on sportsmanship. The Pirates regularly bring home local, regional, and state championships. Club and non-competitive options include an outdoor education program that provides students with structured opportunities for weekend trips to some of the region’s most beautiful terrain, including the rugged Los Padres National Forest, where they engage in rock climbing and mountaineering. Students can also learn to kayak and surf.
Student Life Student life at Stevenson is vibrant and diverse. Whether boarding or day, each student has many opportunities to pursue his or her interests, make friends, and discover new talents and passions. Stevenson also offers multiple student leadership opportunities across its programs. Students we interviewed appreciate the strong connections they have with faculty whom they find supportive and available. They are grateful for what they feel is effective preparation for life beyond Stevenson—development of independence, how to balance their time, and how to live on their own. Students indicate that their school offers them different options and paths, that it consistently offers new options and experiences both in and out of the classroom. They describe Stevenson as an “open community,” “not judgmental,” where it is “OK to try new things in a supportive and caring environment.” They also observe that “faculty love what they’re doing and love being here.” The residential life program ensures that students have opportunities to reach their full potential while living on campus. Dorms are equipped to suit the needs of their residents and the atmosphere is friendly and inviting. Student prefects work alongside of dormitory faculty to oversee the dorms, as well as the school environment as a whole, and plan activities that build community and contribute to all students’ enjoyment of life.
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The 11-day Sophomore Wilderness Expedition is an important annual ritual that takes place over Spring Break. Juniors and seniors compete for selection to serve as trip co-leaders with faculty and professional outdoor educators. Participants point to it as one of their favorite Stevenson experiences.
Pebble Beach, California While Pebble Beach is a small residential community, it and the surrounding communities are distinctively lively and culturally vibrant. The Monterey Peninsula, called “the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world,” has attracted tourists and artists since the late 19th century. Today, it is home not only to world-class golf courses, but also to considerable intellectual capital, located in such institutions as the Middlebury Institute for International Studies, California State University Monterey Bay, the Defense Language Institute, and the Naval Postgraduate School. It is also home to the superb Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, as well as enriching annual gatherings such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Pebble Beach Authors and Ideas Festival, and the Concourse d’Elegance.
The Opportunity The head of the upper division is the chief academic officer for students in grades 9-12, the direct supervisor of their teachers, and in most cases the ultimate point of contact for their parents. She or he works in close partnership with the upper division’s dean of students; both the upper division’s head and its dean of students report to the president. The successful candidate will:
Lead, inspire, and cultivate • Supervise students’ progress toward the diploma in a way that inspires them to grow academically and intellectually, as well as emotionally and socially. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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• Select, recruit, observe, mentor, and direct the regular and authentic evaluation of a superb teaching staff, supervising faculty members across the full scope of their professional practice within and across departments. • Oversee and coordinate the work of the upper division’s academic department heads. • Be a visible and vibrant presence in relevant aspects of campus life, helping to anticipate and resolve problems in a way that sustains the community’s joyful and trusting spirit. • Collaborate with the president and the Senior Staff to model and inspire professionalism, collegiality, and dedicated adherence to Stevenson’s values, policies, and practices. • Develop and sustain authentically collegial relationships with faculty members—soliciting their ideas and inviting their concerns, when appropriate; always balancing mentorship with the obligation to supervise; and celebrating their professional growth and accomplishments. • Develop, implement, and continually refine programs for new teacher orientation and the continuing professional development and in-service training of all teachers. • Connect formative and summative evaluation methods to strategic initiatives and professional development.
Innovate, facilitate, and communicate • Help upper division faculty to align curriculum, teaching, technology, and assessment practices with the school’s mission and purpose and strategic goals. • Nurture and guide the upper division faculty’s development of new mission-driven programs. • Help guide the term-time practice of critical reflection and learner-centered teaching as are conveyed through the school’s Summer Faculty Symposium. • Identify opportunities and suggest methods for collaboration, instructional integration, and effective use of instructional and administrative technology in the upper division’s academic program. • Solve unanticipated problems creatively, collaboratively, and simply. • Work in concert with the head of the middle division to ensure alignment of divisional pedagogy and curriculum, as appropriate, in order to enhance the integrity and coherence of the Stevenson experience.
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• In collaboration with the upper division’s department heads, and guided by their departments’ mission statements, help guide teachers’ methods for instruction and the assessment of students’ achievement and progress in skills and content. • Ensure compliance with accrediting agencies and direct projects that support the ongoing accreditation of the school’s upper division. • Serve as parents’ ultimate authority in response to most concerns, and communicate regularly with parents regarding their child’s progress, especially in times of academic struggle. • Direct the administration, use, and reporting of standardized testing data.
Required Skills and Qualities The successful candidate will demonstrate substantial capacity to become passionate about Stevenson School and its mission. In addition, candidates should possess the following skills and qualifications: • An accomplished and effective teacher with a demonstrated record of stellar achievement as both an instructor and as a leading administrator. A commitment to learner-based, critically reflective pedagogy, and sensitivity to the social and emotional factors influencing students’ success. • Direct practical experience in directing teachers’ curricular and professional development, and familiarity with emerging instructional and administrative technologies. Experience working with teachers to successfully design and implement faculty evaluation processes that are clear, effective, and nourishing. • Emotional intelligence and superb interpersonal skills, grounded in wisdom, warmth, patience, humility, and good humor. Unimpeachable integrity, unflagging energy, active and engaged empathy—all informing a delighted appreciation for adolescents and the adults who find themselves called to support their growth and development. • Strong skills and creativity as a writer, speaker, and listener. Ability to connect with and inspire the faculty, staff, students, and parents who comprise our community. A demonstrated philosophical and practical commitment to equity and inclusion. • Proven capacity to manage time, liberty, energy, and to navigate the acute and chronic stresses that attend broad responsibility for others’ lives, as well as the ability to model for one’s colleagues an appropriate balance between personal life and professional duties. • Capacity to address such routine and crucial aspects of school-keeping as: organizing the campus calendar and schedules for the opening and closing days, developing and implementing a thoughtful approach to faculty in-service training, serving regularly as an administrator on duty on assigned weekends, and assisting the dean of students in resolving major disciplinary issues. • Enthusiasm for and ability to support the school’s emerging strategic vision and capacity to work in dynamic and effective concert with the Senior Staff. The next Head of the Division will succeed Greg Foster, who came to Stevenson as a history teacher in 1973. He left in 1998 to lead other schools, and returned in 2012 to assume what emerged as a four-year brief in anticipation of the presidential search and transition. He retired effective June 30, 2016. Dr. Hicks is serving as the interim Head of the Upper Division through the search process. Compensation and benefits for this position will be very competitive nationally, will include a home on campus, and can include tuition remission.
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To Apply All inquiries will be confidential. If desired, the consultants will be happy to have a conversation with any potential candidate prior to applying. Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably as PDFs) the following materials: • • • •
Cover letter expressing your fit with the values and needs of Stevenson School Current résumé Statement of educational philosophy and leadership practice A list of five (5) references with name, phone number and email address (No references will be contacted until a serious mutual interest has been established, and not without the prior approval of the candidate) Send to: Ben Bolté Senior Search Consultant bbolte@carneysandoe.com Boston, MA Direct 617-933-3430
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Jennifer Christensen Search Consultant jennifer.christensen@carneysandoe.com Petaluma, CA Direct 707-775-7790
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