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Appointed - Chris Allen
Oct 12, 2015
Jan 30, 2016
Leadership Opportunity at The American School of Kinshasa High School Principal
The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK) located in the Democratic Republic of Congo is seeking a learning focused, student-centered, and innovative educational leader for our High School program beginning August 1, 2016.
Investing in Excellence – Possibilities and Partnerships since 1961
Our Vision for Excellence: The American School of Kinshasa strives to empower students to become reflective, culturally aware, and independent thinkers who will go on to enrich the global community.
Our Mission for Excellence: The American School of Kinshasa fosters the growth of our diverse student body through providing a challenging and individualized educational experience, promoting personal development, and facilitating community engagement
The Context
Set in a charming campus environment in the heart of the DRC, TASOK is a warm, caring and learning focused community on a beautiful forested 42-acre space. TASOK was founded in 1961 by the missionary and diplomatic communities to provide an American education to expatriate families living in Kinshasa. TASOK is accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges, and is sponsored by the US State Department Office of Overseas Schools. Currently TASOK is seeking authorization for the International Baccalaureate Diploma program with implementation planned for the 2017-2018 school year.
The context of TASOK allows us to carefully consider how we connect with the natural environment and engage with service learning – both aspects of our curriculum that have the potential to provide our students with a unique learning experience developing skills that they can transfer to their lives beyond TASOK in the global community. Creating an inclusive learning environment where students think critically, apply their learning in different contexts and where feedback is provided as a means of constructive growth and development are the ultimate goal of our High School program.
Kinshasa, the second-largest Francophone city in the world, is a bustling environment with a rich art and music scene. While poverty is widespread in the DRC, including Kinshasa, and pockets of insecurity persist and tend to dominate news headlines, the vast majority of the
DRC is stable and experiencing slow but steady economic growth since 2004. Despite troubled times in the DRC since the early 1990s, TASOK has remained open continuously, with only temporary closures. A current period of stability in the DRC has produced an influx of new students and a steady growth in the school’s population. At its peak, the school operated close to the campus capacity of 575 students in the 1980s. Today’s enrollment of 310 students represents slow, sustained growth since 2004. Although the political situation in the DRC has been challenging with upcoming national elections in 2016, signs of continued improvement allow the TASOK community to look forward with cautious optimism.
Description of the position - The High School Principal will....
- Create a healthy and respectful learning environment.
- Understand and effectively articulate the school’s mission, vision, student profile and learning principles.
- Collaborate together with faculty to provide leadership that is focused on supporting students, curriculum development and creating a culture of learning based on strong relationships.
- Communicate effectively with students, parents and faculty through an environment built on trust where everyone is focused on the primary goal of individual student development.
- Support the development of the IB program together with the IB Coordinator designate as we move towards authorization and implementation.
- Work together with the leadership team to support the school’s strategic initiatives and day-to-day operation, including budget, our safety plan, and community relations.
- Implement the TASOK professional growth process with faculty to provide feedback and support individual goal setting and development against a continuum of teacher development.
- Support the process of transition to life beyond TASOK by working together with the College Counselor.
How to Apply
Please direct the following materials as one PDF attachment to Simon Gillespie, TASOK Director at director@tasok.net by January 30, 2016.
- Cover letter expressing interest in the position and detailing reasons why this position would be a good fit.
- Current resume with education, experience and related professional experience including roles, responsibilities and accomplishments.
- Personal statement about being a leader in a learning focused, student-centered and innovative environment.
- List of four to five references with names, phone numbers and email addresses.
Attention: If you apply for this position, please inform the school and us (Admin@searchassociates.com) that you saw the notice on the Search Associates website.
