Trinity School Manhattan, New York Assistant Head for Academic Affairs July 2017 www.trinityschoolnyc.org
The Position
Mission Statement Our Idea of Excellence: Our Vocation. The conversation between student and teacher is the heart of our school; all that we do must be born of and nourish that relationship. We are called to challenge the minds, fire the imaginations, and train the bodies of the young people who have been entrusted to us; to enlarge their spiritual lives; and to increase their capacity for mutual and self-respect. We intend to prepare them to learn confidently for the rest of their lives and to give generously and joyfully to others. We can accomplish these things only if we keep our students safe and well while they are in our charge. Our Obligation. We must ask our young people what they believe in so they can know themselves in the world. We must give them the tools of rigorous and passionate intellectual inquiry and self-expression so they can grow. In our commitment to diversity, we must show our students how to be colleagues and friends so they can act out of respect and love. We must lead them to distinguish right from wrong and then do what is right so they can be persuasive and courageous citizens. Our Promise. As a school community with these purposes and responsibilities, we will engage the larger communities of city, nation, and world of which we are a part. We will serve our neighbors. We will live fully in our city—exploring its byways and playing over its terrain. We will learn its history and traditions, and what it can teach us of the arts and sciences. We will embody and celebrate its diversity. Our Means. Labore et virtute. The terms of our motto, hard work and moral excellence, are meant to strengthen us as we pursue the promise and joy of Trinity School. We ask Trinity families, alumni, and friends to join us in taking on this high calling.
Trinity School in Manhattan seeks a new Assistant Head for Academic Affairs. Long known as a community that promotes intellectual inquiry, character development, passionate teaching, engaged learning, and creative selfexpression, Trinity is a remarkably self-reflective institution. With over three centuries of successful educational service and a long tradition of academic excellence, Trinity School enjoys a strong and enviable place in New York City’s independent school world. This is an extraordinary opportunity for candidates who are passionate about K-12 curricular design, implementation, and review. The Assistant Head for Academic Affairs will oversee the School’s K-12 academic curriculum, working with principals and department chairs to develop missiondriven curriculum and to ensure appropriate curricular consistency, continuity, coordination, and coherence within and among different departments and divisions. As well, the Assistant Head will support, supervise, and evaluate department chairs and have oversight of the faculty professional development and evaluation processes. S/he will be charged with the creation and presentation of professional development initiatives aligned with divisional and school-wide goals. The Assistant Head will oversee selected programs that lack a coordinating supervisor such as the health curriculum K-12 and will direct other projects and initiatives as determined by the Head of School. Currently in his eighth year as Trinity’s Head of School, John Allman eagerly anticipates the opportunity to work closely with the new Assistant Head of School. The Assistant Head will report to the Head of School and will serve as a member of the School’s Senior Administrative team.
The School Trinity School is a college preparatory, coeducational independent day school for Grades K-12, located on the Upper West Side of New York City. Long regarded as a school that values scholarly investigation, scholastic excellence, and close, meaningful conversations between teachers and students, Trinity has built an illustrious tradition of achievement and success in academics, athletics, and the arts. Founded as a charity school at Trinity Church in 1709 for 40 students, it moved to its current location in
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1895 and is the oldest continuously operating educational institution in the City of New York. The school stretches nearly the entire length of 91st Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues and enrolls students across three divisions: Lower School (K-4), Middle School (Grades 5-8), and Upper School (Grades 9-12). Parents have a high regard for what Trinity does and appreciate its compellingly stated, inspirational mission. The heart of the Trinity experience is the relationship between inspiring, caring teachers and their talented, motivated, and engaged students. Since its inception, Trinity has maintained a commitment to enroll a capable and diverse student body from every economic and social background, awarding over $6.5 million this year in financial aid across all grade levels. Among a faculty of 155, over 76% of teachers hold an advanced degree. The ratio of students to teachers is six to one, and all students matriculate at four-year institutions after graduation. For the class of 2016, the middle 50% range for SAT scores were Critical Reading 710-800; Math 700-790; and Writing 720-800. There were 33 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and 38 Commended Scholars. Founded in 1709 as a charity school supported by Anglican missionaries, Trinity teaches its students to be responsible and caring, both inside the school and as citizens of the city, nation, and world. One place that this happens is in weekly Chapel services. While rooted in Trinity’s Episcopal heritage and liturgy, the content of the school’s Chapel program reflects the religious and philosophical diversity of all its students and encourages them to reflect on religious, ethical, vocational, and spiritual questions that have long been of central importance to human life. Because students not only witness, but also plan and participate in weekly Chapel as readers, musicians, and speakers, the service becomes a sounding board for important issues in the lives of the students, the school, and the world outside Trinity’s walls. The school is governed by a 39-member Board of Trustees, has an operating budget of $43M, and The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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an endowment approaching $70M. Trinity School is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools. It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the New York State Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Episcopal Schools, National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls, National Association for College Admission Counseling, the College Board, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, New York Interschool, the New York City Guild of Independent Schools, Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education, Parents League of New York, EARLY STEPS, Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges and the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools.
The Campus Located in the heart of New York City, Trinity’s urban campus occupies just over two acres and has a total square footage of almost 280,000 square feet. School facilities run almost the entire length of West 91st Street and comprise the original school building (home to the Lower School and administrative offices), the Annex (formerly part of St. Agnes Chapel), The Henry C. Moses Building (completed in 1998 and which houses the Middle School), the Upper School’s Hawley Wing, and a recently completed addition that provides new and improved facilities to students in all three divisions. Students in each division are fortunate in being able to enjoy unique spaces in Trinity’s celebrated facilities. Every weekday morning, the entire Lower School gathers in Trinity’s historic Great Hall to begin their day, and the school’s youngest learners benefit from their own 24,000 volume library. In the Middle School, the four classrooms on the ground floor are dedicated to Grade Eight, while Grades Five, Six, and Seven convene in ten classrooms on the second floor. In addition to classrooms and labs, the Upper School building also includes the Chapel that doubles as the school’s main performance space, the school’s two swimming pools, and the Grades 7-12 Library. Located on the third floor of The Hawley Wing, the library is designed to support research and
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boasts a 23,000-volume collection, extensive electronic and microfilm resources, and three different study areas for students. In addition to classrooms, science and computer laboratories, and administrative offices, the school includes a garden, a rooftop playing field (known as “The Turf”), a dining room, two chapels, two theaters, two swimming pools, three playgrounds, a weight room, a fine arts pavilion, two libraries, two tennis courts, and three gymnasiums. The school has recently completed a $100,000,000 expansion and renovation project that has provided 55,000 new square feet as well as nearly 100,000 renovated square feet, immediately improving the educational experience of every student, from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Starting this fall, students and faculty began to enjoy additional Middle School classrooms, new Upper School classrooms and Science labs, K-12 Performing Arts and Athletic spaces, new arts studios for grades K-6, and an expanded dining room.
Setting and Location New York City is one of the most vibrant urban centers in the world. Acknowledged as a cultural, financial, academic, and artistic hub, New York is the most populous city in America and home to countless world-famous neighborhoods and landmarks. Located on a large natural harbor, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Manhattan is the most densely populated borough and the city’s financial center, housing the headquarters of many major corporations, the United Nations, a number of important universities and museums, the Broadway theatre district, and Madison Square Garden. Trinity School’s location on the Upper West Side of Manhattan also puts it within a stone’s throw of The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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Central Park, the most visited city park in the country. With easy access to public transportation, students and faculty alike can also take advantage of the school’s proximity to The American Museum of Natural History, The New York Historical Society, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, to name just a few neighboring resources.
Students Trinity students are reflective, thoughtful, considerate, and intellectually engaging. Across all grade levels and in all divisions, the approximately 1,000 students enrolled at the school treat one another with respect and consideration, undertaking their studies and commitments with dedication and hard work. They are engaged and enthusiastic, articulate and accomplished, highly motivated and self-disciplined, recognizing the intrinsic rewards in initiative and participation, and placing value on leadership and involvement. Students appreciate that at Trinity they have lots of choice – opportunities abound and the freedom to try different things is encouraged. Since its founding, Trinity has remained committed to enrolling a diverse student body, and the families that become part of the school community reflect the ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and religious diversity of the city it calls home. Student enrollment across the three academic divisions breaks down approximately as follows: Lower School – 300; Middle School – 255; Upper School – 455. The main points of entry for students are kindergarten (60), ninth grade (65+), and Seventh Grade, where seven students from New York’s Prep for Prep are added. Students of color comprise 42% of the student population. Students primarily reside on the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan, although an increasing number of students travel to school from lower Manhattan, the other boroughs of New York City as well as from New Jersey, Westchester, and Long Island. During the 2016-17 academic year, 19% of students are receiving some level of financial aid. In May of 2015, 235 students sat for a total of 435 AP exams in 17 areas, 96% of whom received The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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grades of 3 or higher, and 85% of whom received grades of 4 or 5. Faculty cite students who are “phenomenal,” whose reputation even outside the school is “well-mannered and respectful.” Trinity’s faculty members value teaching at a place where students “expect and want challenge,” “can make even an average class excellent,” and who “make [me] a better teacher.”
Faculty and Staff Trinity’s standout faculty – a group of 155 extraordinarily talented and dedicated individuals – is certainly one of its greatest assets, and the dialogue between teacher and student is at the heart of the Trinity way of life. Constituent groups across the community recognize the teaching faculty as creative, caring, supportive, and knowledgeable, acknowledging the close student/faculty relationships as one of the hallmarks of a Trinity education. Among the faculty are 17 doctorates and 101 master’s degrees from prominent colleges and universities across the country and around the world, and the average length of service for Trinity faculty is just over 10 years. Almost 25% of faculty members represent ethnic minorities. The school’s faculty and staff are exceptionally well-regarded, and the relationship between teachers, students, administrators, and parents is unusually warm and close. Upper school students speak of their teachers as “truly wonderful” and “inspiring.” Recruited for their outstanding academic achievements and their commitment to Trinity’s core educational values, teachers are encouraged to select, expand on, modify, and even invent their curricula, fostering a crucial sense of ownership and creativity in the classroom. This creativity is supported by a unique and well-supporteded program of faculty development and enrichment grants.
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Academics and Co-Curricular Programs The community at Trinity School has worked hard to provide a balanced educational program for its students, incorporating classroom learning, artistic expression, athletic competition, and community service. Through a rigorous and challenging course of academic study at all grade levels, students learn to explore their curiosity and nurture their talents in an atmosphere that prepares them for future success. Beyond the classroom, children in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools are given the instruction and encouragement they need to pursue interests and abilities in competitive sports, physical fitness, and the visual and performing arts. And through such vehicles as a weekly Chapel program and community service, Trinity teaches its students to reach beyond themselves in order to become involved, responsible citizens of the school, city, nation, and world. Trinity’s Lower School program carefully considers all aspects of a child’s development: emotional, social, physical, and cognitive. The Lower School course of study engages children in active learning at all grade levels, integrating subject instruction through concrete experiences that are meaningful to children at that age level. Through a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate and that builds upon itself year by year, the Lower School strives to inspire in its students a lifelong love of learning, to build self-confidence, and to foster in students the ability and desire to contribute to their community. Classroom instruction in language arts, math, and social studies is complemented by weekly participation in a variety of special subject areas including science, technology, library, music, art/sculpture/ceramics, and physical education. Students begin the study of a modern language with Spanish in Kindergarten and then, at Grade Four, may change to French or remain with Spanish. Within the Middle School, the curriculum for Grades Five through Eight has been crafted to ease, promote, and support the natural and gradual evolution from interdependent learning in a child’s early academic life to the independent critical thinking that characterizes more advanced high school study. The academic program is challenging, dynamic, and appropriate to the academic and social The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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development of children at this stage of life, and teachers remain accessible and supportive to the young people in their care. In addition to academics, the Middle School emphasizes students’ artistic and physical growth, as well as ethical and character development. All Middle School students have a faculty advisor, and each student in Grades Five through Eight participates in community service. At the heart of Trinity’s Upper School program is the experience of small, challenging classes, rich and diverse activities, and a dedicated and highly accessible faculty. The Upper School maintains a longstanding commitment to academic rigor and seeks to ensure excellence in the academic, personal, and moral education of its students. By combining an exploration of core curriculum areas and varied elective offerings, the Upper School establishes for students a solid foundation of skills and knowledge that prepares them to become independent critical thinkers and responsible global citizens. A student’s experience outside the classroom is as fundamental to his or her growth and maturation as structured academic study, and Trinity students are offered myriad opportunities to develop and participate in co-curricular pursuits. Athletic teams, visual and performing arts groups, theatrical productions, student clubs and organizations, community service projects, global learning opportunities, student government, and a variety of student publications play a vital role in helping students explore self-expression, develop leadership skills, and experience first-hand what it means to work productively as a community. The high school athletic program participates in an interscholastic league, offering boys and girls the chance to take part in over 14 different team sports. Trinity also sponsors a Swim Club, which is available to the school’s parents, alums, faculty and staff members, and the Upper West Side community neighbors.
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Challenges and Opportunities Trinity’s academic program is superb. Its teachers are passionate, skilled, and devoted to their students as well as their disciplines. The students are talented, ambitious, and engaged in their learning. The Assistant Head will be charged with supervision of the entire K-12 curriculum, working in close partnership with the principals who lead each of the school’s three divisions as well as with department chairs. A challenge within that task is to find appropriate ways to ensure consistency and continuity across the different divisions and disciplines. Trinity wants its program to be well coordinated across the grade levels so that there is a consistent narrative flow to the students’ educational experiences at the school. In this work, the Assistant Head must attend to a delicate balance between Trinity’s long-term commitment to academic rigor and excellence and its renewed focus on student wellness. The Assistant Head will also be tasked to work with others to ensure that Trinity’s deep commitments to diversity, service learning, chapel, and community are demonstrated throughout the school’s program. The opportunity represented by these challenges is that Trinity has very substantial financial and intellectual resources with which to do this work at the very highest levels. The Assistant Head for Academic Affairs will be charged with the support, supervision, and evaluation of the school’s department chairs. The department chairs are a vital and dedicated group who will welcome consistent leadership and direction even as they maintain their highly prized departmental independence. Working with department chairs and the principals, the Assistant Head will also have oversight of the processes for faculty professional development and evaluation and will be asked to orchestrate professional development initiatives aligned with divisional and school-wide goals. This is a remarkable opportunity for educational leaders whose passion is curriculum design, review, and implementation. Trinity seeks an Assistant Head for Academic Affairs who will delight in working alongside other administrative leaders and the faculty over the long term to enhance Trinity’s excellence. This is a position for the persuader and collaborator, someone willing to listen carefully and openly to the ideas of others and at the same time demonstrate firmness in their own convictions. This is a job for the administrative leader who chooses to remain intently focused on mission-centered curriculum, pedagogy, scope, and sequence.
Qualifications and Characteristics Strong candidates to become Trinity’s Assistant Head for Academic Affairs will bring to the position significant teaching and administrative experience within the K-12 educational spectrum, and demonstrated ability in curricular review and development, as well as faculty evaluation. Familiarity with sound curricular and pedagogical practices across a broad range of grade levels is desired. The new Assistant Head must exhibit many of the following characteristics: • • • •
Genuine curiosity to become an expert in Trinity’s K-12 curriculum. Commitment to curriculum that attends to the distinctive promises in the school’s mission. Eagerness to learn the languages of many different disciplines. Collaboration, team building, an eager partner. A supporter and mentor of teachers across all grades and disciplines. • An appreciation for tradition as well as an ability to inspire change. • Strong interpersonal skills; someone eager to be “out and about” as they learn about and The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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• • • •
participate in the life of the school. Emotional intelligence, the ability to connect and gain trust from a wide range of constituencies; a sense of humor. Commitment to diversity; experience in the analysis of identity development and how systems can impact a person’s ability to thrive. Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize. Imagination, the ability to see parallels and themes.
The successful candidate will demonstrate an interest in serving in the position for a substantial term. S/he will inspire the community to work together to ensure that Trinity’s academic program superbly meets the needs of all the school’s students.
To Apply Interested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one email: • Cover letter expressing interest in the Trinity School position and aligning your skills and experiences with the needs of the school, as you understand them; • Current résumé with all dates included; • 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 and not before a mutual interest is clearly established), to: Peter Philip peter.philip@carneysandoe.com Senior Search Consultant CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02138 www.carneysandoe.com
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