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Head of School
Beijing City International School (China)

 

Beijing City International School

(YueCheng Education)

Beijing, China

seeks a

Head of School

Beginning  July 2021

     

 

 YueCheng Education (YCE)

YueCheng Education (YCE) is a pioneer of a new kind of education in China, providing high-quality, internationally minded education for 2-18-year old students. YCE is firmly focused on progressive education that is personalized and challenging. YCE’s constituent institutions include the not-for-profit schools Beijing City International School (BCIS) and the YueCheng Kindergartens (YCKG). Other educational projects comprising YCE include; YueCheng Education Research Institute (YERI), the Learning Frontier (LF) and the Reading Frontier (RF). You can learn more about YCE by visiting www.yuechengeducation.com

YCE’s Mission

YueCheng Education’s mission is to enrich and enhance learning by empowering its member institutions.

YCE’s Vision

YCE is an educational pioneer of integrated, value-based programs, that inspires passionate, forward-thinking learners committed to the benefit of all.

YCE’s Core Values:

We believe that

• continuous learning empowers growth
• community strengthens us
• embracing diversity enriches us
• each individual has value
• when we serve, it benefits all. 

Beijing City International School (BCIS)

Founded in 2005, BCIS has rapidly grown from a small elementary school to a comprehensive KG - 12 international institution.  Today, over 1200 students attend BCIS from more than 50 countries around the world, including China, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  The first international school created by a Chinese national citizen, BCIS, is representative of a bridge between the East and the rest of the world, and the school’s programs embrace that connectivity, valuing both the internationally renowned curriculum it offers and respecting the traditions, cultures, and language of its host country. 

The school is proud of its warm and inclusive nature. While it emphasizes rigorous academic inquiry, it is committed to offering a balanced program of curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, helping students to identify areas of both personal interest and passion.

The school has successfully completed two three-year, mission-driven  Strategic Plans to date.  Under these plans, BCIS focused on the clarification of the school’s mission, a commitment to academic rigor, the integration of the Chinese academic program, successful University placements, an appropriate balance in student enrollment, a strong sense of community across the school, and optimal marketing for the purpose of sharing the story of the school.  The strategic focus on these seven initiatives has yielded a healthy and vibrant institution. And now is the time to create and embark upon the third strategic plan.  The Head of School will therefore work closely with both the Board and the YCE Central Office Leadership Team to develop and successfully implement the third phase of its strategic planning process. The aims of this process will be:  1) to ensure that we align student admissions with the school mission, 2) to further strengthen the rigorous and personal educational program, and 3) to ensure the long-term sustainability of the school. 

BCIS’s Mission

The BCIS mission is to challenge and empower students to be compassionate and inspired people, who act for the good of all and for the sustainable development of the world.

BCIS’s Vision

BCIS will be widely respected as an inclusive school offering a model cosmopolitan education.

BCIS’s Philosophy

As learners, we value:

Wen 

• curiosity, seeking understanding and enjoyment of lifelong learning
• academic achievement, physical well-being, and personal success
• knowledge developed from diverse perspectives
• awareness and understanding of local and global issues

Xing 

• inquiry and risk-taking in a safe and caring learning environment
• academically rigorous challenge, achieved through a differentiated approach
• creative thought, critical reasoning, and inspired action
• open and respectful communication

Zhong 

• shared responsibility for learning
• service to local and global communities
• commitment to environmental sustainability

Xin 

• respect for self and others
• cultural understanding and linguistic diversity
• the uniqueness of China

Academics

The academic program at BCIS celebrates the fact that each student is different as a person and a learner.  The school thus aims to offer a personalized education specifically designed to stimulate the intellectual curiosity of every student.  As an IB World School, BCIS challenges students to ask questions, solve problems, learn skills, be creative, as it provides a world-class education that empowers students of various backgrounds with the intellectual, social, and critical perspectives necessary for success in university and beyond.

In addition to intellectual rigor, BCIS values international understanding and responsible citizenship.  Students are encouraged to consistently model and demonstrate compassion and are provided with a variety of opportunities which connect them to the various experiences that bind humankind.  Students subsequently emerge from BCIS respectful of the various cultures and attitudes that comprise the world.

Early Childhood and Elementary School

Learning begins in the school’s Early Childhood Center, which opened in August of 2014 in a purpose-built, LEED-certified campus near the dedicated main campus.  At the ECC, the student learning experience is framed by the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) curriculum and play-based investigative pedagogy.  Student-centered inquiry are the strategies for promoting student learning. We believe that young children learn best when they are engaged in authentic experiences and can interact freely with their environment, peers, and teachers to further construct understanding and meaning. We place an emphasis on learning concepts, skills, attitudes and knowledge, and consider these early years to be of the utmost importance in preparing children for a life of learning.

The elementary program at BCIS continues the PYP of the IB curriculum, which draws on research and best practices from a range of national systems to produce a well-respected international program.  Student learning of language arts, math, science, social studies, and information technology is led by their homeroom teacher and taught through a trans-disciplinary approach. Specialists teachers for Chinese language and literature, English as a Second Language, learning support, library, music, physical education, and the visual arts join the homeroom teachers to ensure students receive a rich education.  Lessons are reinforced and extended through frequent field trips and visiting guest speakers. Learning is experiential whenever possible, as BCIS’s inquiry-based approach emphasizes that students learn best when they actively participate in the learning process.

The PYP culminates in grade five with the PYP Exhibition.  This seminal event allows students to engage in a collaborative, trans-disciplinary inquiry process that involves investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems in local and wider communities.  Through the exhibition, students learn how they can be active participants in their own societies.

Secondary School

The BCIS Secondary School comprises the middle and high schools.  Students in Grades 6 - 10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), building on the inquiry-based learning that defines the PYP.  The curricular framework of the MYP allows schools to adapt content so it best meets the needs of specific learners in their local environments, resulting in a program which becomes age-appropriate, specific, skills-driven, and rigorous.  Students develop self-awareness, become service-oriented, active global citizens, and pursue a variety of avenues for creativity.  At this level, students pursue coursework in the arts, humanities, language A (English, Chinese, or Korean), language B (English, Chinese, or Spanish), math, physical education, science, and technology.  The MYP concludes with the Personal Project, an extended creative research project, which allows students to delve into a topic of interest at some considerable length.

The MYP is designed with a similar structure and challenge as the subsequent IB Diploma Programme (DP), a rigorous pre-university course of study that meets the needs of highly motivated secondary students.  The DP follows the model of no single country; rather, it incorporates the best elements of leading educational practices worldwide.  The coursework is divided into six subject groups: language and literature, individuals and societies, math, the arts, sciences, and language acquisition.  Additionally, students take a Theory of Knowledge class, write an Extended Essay, and complete Creativity Action Service (CAS), a 150-hour program that specifically emphasizes cooperative and community-based activities. 

In addition to the IBDP, BCIS offers a BCIS Diploma program that has been aptly named IDEATE (ID8) and focuses on Innovation, Arts, and Enterprise.  In addition to a rigorous course load, ID8 students complete projects, in-depth studies, and internships in relevant areas of interest.

Renowned by colleges and universities worldwide for its program that produces intellectually formidable, global citizens of integrity, both the IBDP program and the ID8 program prepares BCIS students well for successful matriculation to some of the most selective colleges and universities in the world.

Student Life

At the heart of life at BCIS is a respect for its host country, China.  Faculty are committed to ensuring that students understand the cultures and traditions of the Chinese people.  All students learn Chinese, Chinese culture is woven into the curriculum, and the entire BCIS community gathers to embrace annual Chinese events and celebrations.  While students come to understand and love their host country, they are also encouraged to explore the greater world and become aware of global issues and develop world perspectives.  Classroom content ensures that students develop empathy and awareness, and extracurricular activities such as Global Issues Group, Model United Nations, and community service opportunities, foster a sense of global respect and service.

Students at BCIS explore a wide range of co-curricular activities, not limited to athletics and the arts.  Students may participate in a variety of musical ensembles, including choir, jazz, and orchestra. 

BCIS has helped foster a positive culture through its athletic program, where personal excellence is encouraged alongside a broad level of participation where all students are welcome to participate, regardless of experience or skill level.  BCIS is a member of two athletic conferences: the International Schools Athletic Conference and the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools Conference. Students may compete in basketball, soccer, swimming, and volleyball.

Students are at the center of everything that is done at BCIS, and their various interests and passions are represented through their engagement in activities and clubs, including Chinese singing, math club, robotics, speech and debate, among many others.  Faculty understand that learning occurs in many different ways, and BCIS strives to foster as many learning opportunities as possible for each student.

Physical Campus

BCIS spans two world-class, purpose-built facilities in Beijing’s Central Business District.  The Main Campus features bright, spacious classrooms; courtyards that embrace traditional Chinese architecture with a modern design providing privacy while highlighting the communal aspects of shared facilities; a health center; a cafeteria and snack bar; an amphitheater with ample open space for outdoor performances and activities; two modern libraries; music and art studios; a roof garden; four state-of-the-art science labs; a sports complex featuring basketball courts, a climbing wall, a fitness and weight room, and tennis courts; a swimming pool; and a 300-seat, purpose-built theater.  The nearby Early Childhood Center is an extraordinary building founded on the concept of a green city for children.  The main campus is currently undergoing renovations that will extend to all areas of the school, to ensure our campus is flexible and responsive to students’ current and future learning needs.

You can learn more about BCIS by visiting www.bcis.cn

The Position

Since 2005, the community at Beijing City International School has embraced “empowering and inspiring through challenge and compassion” as its motto.  True to these words, the school—a Chinese-founded, internationally recognized private, not-for-profit international school—aims to nurture responsible global citizens through a program that is rigorous and supportive, challenging and compassionate.  Remarkably successful and well-respected given its relative youth, BCIS finds itself at an exciting crossroads as it moves more boldly into a truly global 21^st century.  Bolstered by the strength of its academic program, the splendor of its purpose-built Early Childhood facility, and the success of its sister organizations, BCIS is prepared both to honor tradition and pursue innovation. 

An IB World School, BCIS is authorized to teach the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program, and Diploma Program of the International Baccalaureate, as well as the in-house BCIS IDEATE Diploma.  As a result, BCIS students fit the internationally respected IB Learner Profile: they are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, courageous, balanced, and reflective.  The school’s inquiry-based approach to learning and its joint commitments to honoring Chinese culture and exposing students to the responsibilities of global citizenship produce graduates who thrive in a university setting, contribute to their communities, and are confident in themselves and their abilities.

The current Head of School was a founding member of the BCIS team, holding the position of Elementary Principal before becoming Head of School in 2019. The new Head of School will be a proven learning leader, as well as a community builder, who is motivated by the opportunity to work collaboratively within a compassionate, academically rigorous, and culturally diverse community. 

Opportunities

The Head of School will both honor tradition and lead change. He or she will find:

• An organization that combines its Chinese foundation with the best of international education.
• A school that is internationally recognized, with a well-established mission and philosophy, further seeking to build its reputation among the future-focused international school community.
• A dynamic and dedicated faculty drawn from 15 countries.
• An educational program that is based on the IB and innovation from within, providing a rigorous personalized education that both inspires and empowers its students.
• A community that brings together internationally minded local citizens with expatriate families who are committed to gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship of China and the rest of the world.
• A Board of Trustees that is deeply committed to educational excellence.

The International School market in Beijing is changing rapidly. New schools are being established; the population of foreign students is declining; and an ever-increasing number of Chinese parents are exploring the possibility of an international education for their children. BCIS’ unique license from the government provides the flexibility to bring its founding vision and mission to an increasing population of Chinese students. The Head of School will lead an assertive strategy to retain and expand its population of local and international families, thus creating an interconnected Chinese and expatriate community that shares the ideals of challenge and compassion upon which the school was founded.

BCIS offers a rigorous international education that is underpinned by inquiry and a personalized approach to learning. Teachers inspire students to attain their highest educational aspirations, and they foster a love of service to the school and the wider community. Nevertheless, the school must constantly strive to improve, and it seeks a Head of School with the ambition to take the educational program to a new level of excellence. He or she will therefore be an educator of passion and conviction with the desire and ability to inspire the highest level of student learning and well-being in alignment with the school’s mission and philosophy.

In its 15 years history, BCIS has already acquired a strong international culture of diversity and inclusion. The Head of School will continue to lead the school community in distilling the best of Chinese and international education and culture. Thus, local students will benefit from an international education while mastering their own literature and culture and honoring their Chinese roots; international students, meanwhile, will develop a deep understanding of Chinese language and literature.

In the Chinese tradition, BCIS has the strategic goal of longevity. It is therefore essential for the school to ensure sustainable financial development by increasing revenue and wisely allocating financial resources to promote academic excellence. The Head of School will therefore lend his or her rich experience in financial leadership  ensuring that the educational program is supported by a balanced budget.

The Successful Candidate

The attributes of the Head of School will include the following:

Professional:

• A proven international school leader who is energetically engaged in all aspects of school life.
• A philosophical alignment with both the YCE values and the BCIS vision, mission and philosophy.
• A team-builder who empowers others to successfully achieve the school’s mission.
• A strong collaborator with the YCE Central Office Leadership Team to realize YCE’s strategic goals.
• The ability to lead the development and execution of the next BCIS strategic plan.
• A commitment to, and passion for, leading the successful implementation of the BCIS curriculum to ensure it meets the readiness, needs, and talents of each individual student.
• Willingness to make a long-term commitment to the school

Personal:

• An overall leadership style characterized by inclusiveness, transparency, approachability, and support while being decisive and accountable.
• High emotional intelligence, including the capacity to respond with empathy, consistency, and respect for parents, students, and colleagues from different cultures.
• Enthusiasm to contribute actively to the innovation of education within and outside of China.
• Cultural empathy to include the ability to recognize and promote those essential attributes of character, conduct, and wisdom that transcend cultural differences.
• Excellence in communicating orally and in writing with students, parents, faculty, and staff.
• Courage; the highest ethical, moral, and professional standards; and a sense of humor.

Beijing, China

As the capital of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing is one of the top ten largest cities in the world and the second-largest city in China.  Most of China’s largest companies are headquartered in Beijing, which is also a hub for national and international transportation.  Beijing’s economy is one of the most developed in China and in the world, and the city is home to a large number of Fortune 500 Companies.

Beijing’s rich history spans millennia; it was the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, and history and modernity intertwine throughout streets and areas of the city.  The earliest remnants of Beijing inhabitants are immortalized in the village of Zhoukoudian, where human fossils have been discovered.

Located at the top of the North China Plain, Beijing is walled by mountains, and the Great Wall of China snakes across the rugged terrain north of the city. 

Tourists flock to Beijing each year to visit seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden Temple, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Ming Tombs, the Zhoukodian, the Grand Canal, and the Great Wall of China.  Visitors and residents alike enjoy the city’s rich and historic culture, exemplified through arts expressions such as Peking opera, cuisine such as Peking Duck, and imperial Chinese architecture.  In 2008, Beijing hosted the Summer Olympic Games, and the city has hosted multiple other national sporting events in recent years.

A well-connected, world-class city, Beijing is an exciting place to live and learn.

     

To Apply

The Board of Trustees of the YueCheng Education (YCE) has appointed Search Associates as its partner in its search for the BCIS Head of School with Dr. Brent Mutsch and Dr. Norma Hudson serving as the lead consultants.  The deadline for applications for the position is July 17, 2020.  Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials listed below as early as possible as YCE reserves the right to close the selection process at any time should the right candidate be identified.

Candidates should submit the following information in the format requested:

• A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in becoming the next Head of School at Beijing City International School
• A current resume not to exceed two pages
• A personal educational statement
• A list of references of immediate supervisors including current email addresses and phone numbers
• A maximum of three letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession.

Please note that all materials must be scanned into a single pdf attachment of 4MB or less and sent to Search Associates at the email addresses listed below. Please send the complete application to both: bmutsch@searchassociates.com and nhudson@searchassociates.com.

The review of applications will begin as soon as applications are received.  Qualified candidates will be interviewed and potentially forwarded to YCE for further review.  Finalist candidates (with spouses, if applicable) will be invited to the Beijing to visit the campuses and institutes and meet with members of the  YCE Leadership Team, the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, parents, and students,once the travel restrictions have been lifted. The new Head of School will be selected at the end of the site visit, finalist interviews, and reference checks and will assume his/her professional responsibilities in July 2021.

 

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

Skype: brentmutsch    Email: bmutsch@searchassociates.com

Dr. Norma Hudson     Tel:  970-389-1906 USA- Mountain Time Zone

Skype: normajhudson Email: nhudson@searchassociates.com