FORT WORTH COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
ABOUT FORT WORTH COUNTRY DAY Founded in 1962, Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD) is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational college-preparatory school located on 104 acres in southwest Fort Worth. Named one of the country’s “Most Livable Communities,” Fort Worth is the nation’s 16th largest city. A major center for industry, technology and transportation, Fort Worth—“where the West begins”—is a closely knit, supportive community with a wide variety of cultural opportunities, including several world-renowned museums and a thriving performing arts scene. As one of the area’s premier educational institutions, Fort Worth Country Day fosters the intellectual, physical, emotional and ethical development of capable students through an academically rigorous college-preparatory program integrating the arts and athletics. Fort Worth Country Day offers an advanced curriculum, comprehensive in its emphasis of the humanities, sciences, arts and athletics. The School values diversity in its community and encourages openness of thought and freedom of inquiry; it seeks to develop enthusiastic, inquisitive, well-rounded and responsible citizens equipped for success in college and life. Current enrollment totals 1,102 students: a Lower School (K-4) of 377 students, a Middle School (5-8) of 335 students and an Upper School (9-12) of 390 students. Country Day is in a secure financial position, with a $22 million budget supported by a $45 million endowment. The School boasts 142 full-time faculty, 57 percent of which hold advanced degrees. The School has a successful record of institutional fundraising and is currently in the advanced planning phases of a capital campaign. FWCD has an active Alumni Association of 3,100 members. Over 150 children of alumni have graduated from Fort Worth Country Day, and 305 children of alumni are currently enrolled as students in the School.
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The School sees education as both a personal journey requiring guidance and a systematic process built upon knowledge, experience and hard work. Collectively, these components promote understanding, imagination and reason. The purpose, mission and core values of Fort Worth Country Day unify the School community and guide everyday decisions and institutional policies. The School has high expectations for student achievement, parent support and teacher performance, and success requires the community to work together with trust and confidence. The core values of Fort Worth Country Day set forth a standard of conduct that is the foundation of a productive life. These values (integrity, kindness, courage, respect, responsibility and scholarship) provide an ethical compass and give purpose to students’ education and provide the institutional standards to which teachers and staff are held. More information about FWCD may be found on the School’s website, www.fwcd.org THE HEAD OF SCHOOL With the recently announced retirement of Head of School Evan D. Peterson, the Country Day community has embarked on a search for the School’s next leader. The community has high expectations for the next Head of School: Country Day seeks an individual able to build on the highly positive current momentum of the institution while embracing its traditions and strengths and propelling the School to greater levels of accomplishment. The next Head of School will bring a demonstrated record of achievement as a leader and educator within a rigorous academic or intellectual environment, enthusiasm for engaging with the Country Day and larger Fort Worth communities, and, most importantly, he or she will be deeply committed to the growth and achievement of each student. Candidates for Head of School must possess exposure to K-12 education, administrative experience in an academic enterprise, demonstrated ability to engage effectively with internal and external constituencies for institutional benefit, and a personal record of outstanding scholarship. An advanced degree is preferred. Ideally, candidates for Head of School will also have experience: Partnering with faculty, staff and a board to build consensus around institutional goals and plans; Developing and encouraging superior academic quality in a school, including curricular, pedagogical and faculty performance improvements; Evaluating the successful and effective acquisition and integration of technology; Recruiting, mentoring and retaining top-quality and broadly diverse cohorts of faculty and staff; Developing the strategy and resources needed to achieve maximum access, inclusion and diversity for a student body; Strengthening relationships and obtaining financial support from parents, alumni, donors and other key supporters;
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Effectively representing an institution in the larger community; and Serving as a visible, engaged and committed school-wide leader.
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES Academic and Institutional Leadership: bring a demonstrated commitment to academic excellence to a highly selective, well-functioning institution with high academic standards and talented students and achieve greater levels of collective achievement by: Partnering with the faculty to ensure that Country Day continues to provide an ambitious academic program that challenges students, inspires their curiosity and instills a passion for learning; Maintaining the School’s cherished balance of the “3 A’s:” academics, athletics and the arts; Utilizing goal setting, performance assessment, and targeted professional development to help faculty meet individual and institutional professional goals; and Facilitating discussion about emerging educational needs for 21st-century global learning and exploring necessary evolution in the academic program. Engaged Relationship Builder: be a visible, accessible leader who embraces the close, supportive environment of Country Day and Fort Worth and develops strong bonds with students, faculty, staff and parents by: Engaging all FWCD community members with warmth and empathy; Building trusted relationships across the School by listening carefully and communicating openly, consistently and directly; and Being a “teacher of adults,” able to successfully represent the current and emerging academic enterprise to parents, alumni and the Board. Resourcefulness: at a school that has enjoyed significant recent successes, the next Head of School will partner with key stakeholders to continue to gather assets, develop programs and improve operations by: Engaging the Board, faculty and other constituencies in a strategic planning effort, aimed at identifying emerging needs, establishing priorities and developing an implementation plan; Advancing the current campaign, increasing annual and capital giving, and building the endowment in partnership with the Board, parent leadership and the Advancement Office; Marketing FWCD’s strengths and attractiveness to potential parents and their children; and Serving as a compelling spokesperson of the School’s strengths, successes, and aspirations to internal and external audiences. THE SEARCH PROCESS The Board of Trustees has appointed a Head of School Search Committee to conduct a thorough review of candidates and make recommendations to the Board. FWCD is being assisted in the administration of
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the search by Spencer Stuart. If you wish to submit your own application materials or to nominate someone to serve as the next Head of School at FWCD, please send an email with supporting materials to FWCDhead@spencerstuart.com. Any information sent via this email address will be held confidentially and carefully considered by the Search Committee. Fort Worth Country Day has an institutional commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, FWCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or national origin in admission, the administration of its educational policies, financial aid, athletics and other School-administered programs. This commitment will be reaffirmed in the search for the next Head of School.
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