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Director General
American School of Tampico (Mexico)

Dear Search Associates Colleagues, 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors at the American School of Tampico, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Ron Lalonde has been appointed Director General beginning in August of 2021.

Dr. Lalonde has extensive leadership experience in a wide variety of international schools which are not limited to but include; the American School of Dubai (Interim High School Principal and Middle School Principal), the American School Foundation of Monterrey (Middle School Assistant Principal and Principal) and the American School in London (Middle School Assistant Principal).   

Dr. Lalonde earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Queen’s University, a B.A. in Education from the University of Toronto, a M.A. in Education from the University of Toronto and an Ed.D. in International Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary 

The American School of Tampico Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, the Search Committee, and Search Associates would like to thank all candidates who expressed interest in the Director General position and to everyone who assisted and supported the successful search process.

Sincerely, 

Brent 

               

The School

Founded in 1917, the American School of Tampico (ATS) in Tamaulipas, Mexico, is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian, co-educational institution offering bilingual and bicultural education for students from preschool through high school. 

ATS integrates Mexican and American traditions, promotes cultural diversity, encourages a dynamic exchange of ideas and resources, and upholds the highest academic standards and ethical values.

ATS academic programs are accredited in Mexico by the Mexican Ministry of Education and in the United States by the Southern Associates of Colleges and Schools – AdvancEd.

The school is led by a Board of Trustees and Board of Directors and is daily managed by a professional administrative staff.

 

ATS Mission Statement

The ATS mission is to empower students to become mindful citizens, critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and responsible leaders engaged in a globalized world through an academically rigorous yet differentiated program based on strong values.

ATS Vision Statement

The ATS vision is to be a culturally diverse and multilingual community committed to student learning.

ATS Values. ATS is part of the Character Counts global initiative based on the six pillars of character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

Governance

ATS is fortunate to have a dedicated and inspiring group of Board members who are advocates for the School’s mission and vision and who seek to support a school dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement.

Board of Trustees: The school has a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees.  The Board of Trustees have the responsibility to hold the school in trust, appoint the Director General, appoint the President of the Board of Directors and approve the members of the same Board.  The Board meets annually and works in strategic and generative ways with the General Director.

Board of Directors: The Board of Directors holds meetings once a month with the General Director.  During all meetings, agendas direct the meeting and minutes are kept.  Every member of the Board of Directors serves for two years and can be reelected.

The Board of Directors is not involved in the day-to-day operation of the school. The Board members work through a variety of permanent committees which include; Buildings and Grounds, Finance and Policy.   These committees meet independently in addition to the regularly scheduled Board meetings.

Campus and Facilities

The ATS facilities are located on over 15 hectares of land which overlook a series of fresh-water lagoons to the west. Within the school property one will find a man-made reservoir that was built to irrigate the fields but is also used as an outdoor lab. At the top of the hilly grounds, archeological mounds were discovered during the first stage of the construction in 1993. 

The classrooms are housed in villa-type buildings with doors to the outside. The beautiful gardens showcase colorful bougainvillea and splendid palm trees.  A gorgeous open butterfly garden attracts a variety of different species all year.

Spacious and well-illuminated classrooms are equipped with air-conditioning and high-tech resources. In addition to offices that are designed to be welcoming to students and parents alike, the school includes; 52 classrooms, two multi-media labs, two multipurpose rooms, a kitchen and two modern libraries, all of which are located in nine independent buildings .

The sports facilities consist of a 400-meter track that surrounds an official-size soccer field.  Three additional soccer fields, three basketball courts, an amphitheater, playgrounds for the younger students and ample green areas to create spaces for the enjoyment of the entire school community.

 

Sports and Arts Center

ATS is currently constructing a magnificent Sports and Arts Center (SAC) that will inspire passion, pride and school spirit among the 960+ students attending the school. ATS believes that by providing a purpose-built multi-purpose facility that will host numerous activities from art classes to music events, basketball to volleyball, the student learning experience will be further enriched, and the SAC will serve to further unite the school community through a wide variety of shared art and athletic experiences.  This 6,500 sq./m. facility will include a 460-seat theater, music classrooms and a gymnasium.

 

The Sports and Arts Center will be more than a facility for it will provide students of all ages an environment that fosters the many benefits that accompany both arts and athletics programs in schools.

Faculty and Administration

 

 

ATS has a wonderful mixture of local and foreign-hire teachers.  Teachers come mainly from Mexico, Canada and the United States. Approximately 87% of the faculty have earned a Master's degree.  ATS boasts a dedicated and hardworking faculty that strives daily to meet the academic needs of the students in preparing them to experience success in a globally interdependent world. 

Accreditation and Curriculum

ATS is an AdvancED-accredited School meeting the highest standards of educational management. Additionally, ATS is  accredited and associated with a variety of respected accreditation bodies. The American School of Tampico is also accredited by Mexico’s Ministry of Education (SEP).

ATS promotes standards-based learning to ensure transparency in all elements of the teaching and learning process: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and reporting.  In curriculum, standards-based learning requires our teachers  to articulate clear learning goals that identify what students should learn (content) and be able to do (cognitive behaviors). Effective learning goals at ATS always include both of these components. ATS uses the Understanding by Design (UBD) planning approach, this framework supports curriculum design by looking at the outcomes in order to design curriculum units, performance assessments, and units of classroom instruction.  These goals are then shared with everyone involved: students, parents, faculty, school leaders, and community members.  ATS documents the curriculum via Atlas Rubicon enabling the faculty to share collaborative units and demonstrate alignment to standards.

High School students are enrolled in a full dual program, receiving both a U.S. diploma and a Mexican preparatory (high school) certificate. Thus, all graduates speak Spanish and English fluently. Students complete 27 credits, more than required for a U.S. high school diploma as well as the Mexican program requirements in Spanish Literature, Mexican History, Geography, Law and Civics.

Subjects are selected to support the needs and aspirations of students in accordance to the academic levels offered in the different  departments: basic, regular, advanced and honors.  Each student is  able to choose from among thirty elective subjects in the academic areas of Arts, Business, Computer Science, Modern Languages, Physical Education and Science.

The Advanced Placement courses offered in the ATS high school program of studies include:

• AP Biology
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Chemistry
• AP Computer Science A
• AP English Language and Composition
• AP English Literature and Composition
• AP Physics
• AP Research – AP Seminar
• AP Statistics
• AP US History 

ATS also provides the Advanced Placement Capstone Program. ATS graduates are accepted to highly competitive and selective universities in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Middle East and United States.

The Position

ATS requires a Director General who has a successful reputation for leading schools and has earned a reputation for excellence in leadership and personal integrity. Professional qualities and characteristics of the Director General:

1.  An earned graduate degree in educational leadership which meets the standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/AdvancED.
2. Minimum of three years of successful leadership experience.
3. An understanding of and commitment to bilingual-bicultural education.
4. Possesses both knowledge and understanding of current developments within U.S. education.
5. A proven capacity to lead a school of the size and complexity of the American School of Tampico.
6. Someone who easily develops positive relationships with all members of the ATS community as a result of being approachable, being an excellent listener and being an effective communicator to include capably communicating with various stakeholders in both English and Spanish.
7. A leader able to further his/her personal and professional credibility as a result of the consistent manner in which he/she daily models a life aligned with the values of the school.
8. An educator who demonstrates a clear commitment to providing the best possible education to students through both articulating and building support for the progressive changes in education that will prepare students for successful and fulfilled lives in a rapidly changing 21^st century world.
9. Someone who can successfully build consensus across the school community while providing leadership which serves to further unify all constituent groups around the achievement of the ATS Mission and Vision.
10. A leader who can lead the development of a multi-year planning process that provides direction for continuous improvement across all elements of the school operation.
11. One who can successfully collaborate with a two-tiered governance structure (Board of Directors and Board of Trustees) in order to  provide highly effective fiduciary, strategic and generative Board governance.
12. Someone with a demonstrated history of success in recruiting, retaining and further developing outstanding faculty, staff and administrators in support of the school’s mission and vision.
13. A person who embraces, respects, understands and values the culture of Mexico and the specific culture of Tampico.
14. Possesses a strong background in finance and has a proven record of translating available financial resources into creating comprehensive learning opportunities for students.
15. Possesses the ability to creatively solve problems and consistently brings a solution-oriented approach to her/his work with members of the school community.
16. One who champions the creation of a culture which values alumni and connects the alumni with the school in ways that both promotes alumni relationships with one another and with the school.
17. Capable of further developing a culture of philanthropy for the express purpose of enabling the school to achieve its mission and vision.
18. A leader who can leverage the outstanding facilities of ATS to both develop breadth and depth in the range of programmatic learning opportunities made accessible to students, as well as further developing the strong sense of ATS community through the many opportunities for shared celebrations of student learning and achievement. 

Position Purpose

The Director General is the Chief Executive Officer of ATS and is responsible for the general administration of all learning, business and other operation of the school, and for advising and making recommendations to the Board of Directors.  The Director General shall provide leadership and direction to members of the leadership team and staff and shall be responsible for further improving the quality of the educational program.   She/he shall be responsible for maintaining high academic standards.  She/he will report to the Board of Directors.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Attends and participates in all meetings for the Board of Directors and Committees except when the Board is preparing the evaluation of the Director General.
2. Advises the Board of Directors on new and/or revised policies and ensures that all Board policies are effectively implemented.
3. Ensures that all records (personnel, pupil accounting and business) are maintained as required by Board Policy or law.
4. Ensures the successful implementation of all school rules, regulations, laws and academic requirements of the Republic of Mexico in accordance with the authority of the Secretary of Education.
5. Directs the development and implementation of an effective, current and progressive instructional program and plans cooperatively with members of the faculty and administration relative to proposed course, programs, and activities that serve to further enhance the nature of the learning opportunities extended to ATS students.
6. Responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of an appropriate program of professional development for all personnel.
7. Ensures the supervision of methods of teaching, supervision and administration across the entire school operation.
8. Takes all reasonable measures to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff while on school property or under ATS auspices or supervision.
9. Reviews the employment of all personnel, qualifications and salary as well as conditions of employment as well as the recruitment of highly qualified, dedicated and caring faculty, supervisory and administrative personnel.
10. Prepares and implements the annual operating budget for review and approval of the Board of Directors.
11. Supports all efforts of fundraising and capital campaigns.
12. Provides for the control and supervision of all school facilities, grounds, materials and equipment and ensures adequate inventory controls and security of all physical assets.
13. Coordinates the planning, development and implementation of all communication strategies.
14. Works in close collaboration with the Parents’ Associations.
15. Coordinates with: AdvancED, Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), ASOMES and the Academy of International School Heads (AISH)

Salary and Benefits

The salary and benefits are competitive and will be dependent on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

Procedure for Submitting an Application

The Board of Trustees of A has appointed Search Associates as its partner in its search for the Director General, with Dr. Brent Mutsch serving as the lead consultant. The deadline for applications for the position is December 8, 2019. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials listed below as early as possible as the Search Committee reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is identified.

The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. Finalists will be selected by the Search Committee and at least three finalists will be identified. Finalist candidates together with their spouse (if applicable) will be invited to Tampico to meet with the Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, faculty, non-teaching staff, parents, students and administrators.

The new Director General will be selected at the conclusion of the site visit, final interviews, and reference checks. The new Director General will assume his/her professional responsibilities in August 2021.

Candidates should send the information listed below as a single pdf file attached to an email:

• A letter of application, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Director General position at the American School of Tampico.
• A statement describing your management and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.
• A current résumé not to exceed two pages.
• A one-page list of references who have served as immediate supervisors with current addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
• A maximum of four letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession.

Total document size should be kept to less than four (4) MB if possible. Applications should be sent to: bmutsch@searchassociates.com .  Additional information about the American School of Tampico can be found on the school’s web site at < www.ats.edu.mx> .

Dr. Brent Mutsch Tel: 970-368-6879 USA – Mountain Time Zone

Skype: brentmutsch Email: bmutsch@searchassociates.com