< Back to Leadership Vacancies
Appointed - Terry Christian
Jun 20, 2015
Sep 10, 2015
Escuela Campo Alegre
The American International School
Caracas, Venezuela
seeks a
Superintendent
- effective July 2016 -
School Profile:
Escuela Campo Alegre (ECA), founded in 1937, is a private, coeducational school offering a program for students from nursery (3 year olds) through grade 12. The school year is comprised of two semesters extending from August to June. Located on Calle La Cinta, the campus is in Urbanization Las Mercedes and offers a central, easily accessible environment which is removed from the daily congestion in Caracas. The school serves as a gathering area for the expatriate community. Many community activities are offered during the school year.
Escuela Campo Alegre (ECA) strives to be a model Nursery-12 international school offering a US style educational program in the English language comparable to outstanding private and international schools worldwide. ECA primarily serves the children of international corporations and diplomatic agencies.
Mission Statement:
ECA is a learning community that nurtures students to excel in a trusting and enduring environment.
Vision Statement:
ECA is a place where students work daily with real-life problems and issues and are consistently given opportunities to acquire the relevant knowledge and develop the leadership, practical and ethical skills to solve those problems effectively. They will be risk-takers and innovators, equipped with both the skills and spirit to contribute, to be successful, and to invent the future.
As a learning organization, we focus on:
- A clear set of skills and attitudes of global citizenship, including: critical thinking, communication, technology, innovation, lifelong learning, teamwork and the role of competition
- Social responsibility, character development, behavioral and ethical standard
- Academic successes and high personnel achievement
- Whole child development through outstanding athletic and artistic programs
- Self - awareness of individual learning needs
As teachers, we:
1. Provide real-life and problem-based learning opportunities
2. Incorporate the best learning concepts from international sources into the US style standards-based curriculum
3. Offer programs and course units which capitalize on our natural diversity and cultural opportunities
4. Employ research-based practices to improve instruction and increase student achievement
5. Create an environment that ensures students’ emotional growth and self-confidence
As professionals, we:
- Establish models of teaching and learning that encourage pioneering in key areas and innovation
- Promote high ethical standards for the ECA community
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with universities
- Regularly review mission, vision, curriculum, instruction, and assessment methods
- Seek to maintain U.S. and international accreditation
- Dedicate the resources necessary to realize and sustain vision in a safe and secure environment
As a learning community ECA defines Internationalism as a state of mind that:
- Strengthens and nurtures cultural identities, attitudes, and citizenship of all students regular review of mission, vision, curriculum, instruction, and assessment
- Promotes unity and inclusion through language, cultures, history and the arts
- Brings people together, encourages the understanding of global issues, and inspires students to help others
- Advocates for cooperation, engagement, and understanding between people who appreciate diversity as global citizens
Governance:
ECA is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Directors, which can have up to twelve members including the Superintendent. The school is recognized by both the Venezuelan and U.S. governments as a tax-exempt organization.
Curriculum:
The curriculum is similar to that of a U.S. college preparatory school with additional emphasis placed on the Spanish language and the history and culture of Latin America, especially Venezuela. Instruction is given in English. The curriculum also emphasizes the use of technology, problem-solving, and authentic assessment. The IB Diploma Program is offered for students in grades 11 and 12. The curriculum is standards based and supported by a 1:1 netbook program in the middle school and laptop program in the high school. A comprehensive review of the standards and benchmarks was completed in 2010-11 with implementation of a five-year curriculum review cycle and a continuous learning plan. A full range of extra-curricular activities is available. ECA is accredited by MSA (Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools) and the Council of International Schools and is a member of the Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA). 100% of Graduates from the class of 2015 will attend university in the United States or Europe.
Faculty:
There are 70 faculty members, including 45 U.S. citizens, 10 host-country nationals, and 15 from seven other countries. ECA employs instructional assistants as well as a large number of support staff. The administrative team consists of the Superintendent, three division principals, one assistant principal, one curriculum coordinator and the Director of Support Services.
Enrollment:
Current enrollment totals 523 students, representing 38 countries. The elementary school has 254 students, the middle school 155 students, and the high school 114 students. Each division has its own principal and counselor. The Elementary has an assistant principal. All three divisions share a curriculum coordinator.
Facilities:
ECA is situated on an eleven acre site which is nestled into the side of a hill. The physical property consists of 77 classrooms, including purpose-built science labs, music, art, and technology centers, a 630 seat theater/auditorium, five gymnasiums, two basketball courts, a climbing wall, a weight room, a swimming pool, three tennis courts, a cafeteria, two fully equipped multipurpose meeting areas, and a library/media center with over 54,000 catalogued items. A new Early Childhood and Sports Center opened in 2012.
The Position:
The Superintendent is responsible to the Board of Directors for the effective leadership of the school including the management, supervision, and coordination of the various divisions. The Superintendent provides educational leadership to develop and maintain the best possible educational program and services. He/she must look after the safety of the children.
Specific Responsibilities of the Superintendent:
- Implement all school policies as described in the Board Policy Manual and as amended by subsequent Board actions
- Act as chief executive of the schooll
- Advise appropriate administrator or teaching staff of decisions to be implemented
- Attend and participate in all meetings of the Board and its committees, except when own employment or salary is under consideration
- Remain cognizant of the Society’s By-Laws, Board Policy Manual, all school internal policies, schedules, Venezuelan Commercial Code, Labor and Educational laws, etc.
- Make recommendations to Board of Directors concerning staff needs, proposed salary and benefits, and other administrative policies
- Provide educational leadership
- Provide for the safety of students at ECA
- Understands child safety policy and role as a mandated reporter
- Inform all teachers about child abuse policy and UN convention of children rights.
- Ensure all faculty are aware of the Child Safety Code of Conduct, they sign off on it, and it is enforced
- Implement teaching and instructional curriculum
- Evaluation and assessment of the educational program, activities and needs of the school.
- Presentation of future plans for improvement of academic programs
- Evaluate and assess the educational program, activities, and needs of the school
- Leadership to the administration and faculty, with the purpose of giving clear direction to the educational program
- Plan and implement in-service staff training programs
- Keep informed of modern educational thought and practices by advanced study, by visiting schools elsewhere, by attending educational conferences, and by other appropriate means, and keep the Board of Directors informed of trends in education
- Direct all operations
- Recommend and manage facilities and capital acquisitions, oversee the facilities master plan
- Prepare and present to Board Finance Committee the annual budget, its revisions and monthly financial statements and operate the school within approved budget guideline
- Monitor the overall direction of the day-to-day business operations including building, purchasing enrollment, payroll, and other business activities pertaining to the total school operations
- Supervise all matters relating to recruitment, appointment, assignment, and evaluation of teaching staff and administrative personnel
- Act as the school’s representative in community affairs to promote a harmonious relationship between the School and its constituents
- Advise and make recommendations to the Board
- Take such specific action as the Board, or its committees, may direct.
- Make recommendations concerning policy changes and other matters requiring Board action or review (including those specifically set out above).
- Advise the Board of any disciplinary matter requiring consideration of expulsion.
- Inform the Board of all significant matters which may affect, or which arise in connection with, the operation and administration of the Community and school.
- Keep the Board informed of material developments in administration and education, Perform such other tasks as may from time to time be assigned by the Board.
Required Qualifications:
- Organizational ability, communicative skills and initiative.
- Previous experience as a teacher and administrator.
- M.A./M.Ed./M Sc. Degree and certification in educational administration.
- Previous experience in senior administrative capacity.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise and evaluate transportation, food services, human resources, facilities, and development activities.
Preferred Qualifications
- International experience
- Certification in educational administration
- Facility in a second language
Personal Characteristics:
- Dynamic instructional leader
- Strong leader of learning and quality teaching
- Passion for educational excellence
- Collaborative and relationship-based leadership style
Salary and Benefits:
The salary will be competitive and commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include:
- Furnished housing
- Use of school automobile
- Round-trip airfare for administrator and dependents
- Shipping allowance
- Free tuition at ECA for school-age dependents
- Health insurance plan
- Life and disability insurance coverage
- Professional dues allocation
- Annual attendance to administrator’s conference
- Membership in a professional education organization
- Pension plan, bereavement leave, personal and sick leave
- Three-year initial contract
- Computer and internet connection at Superintendent’s residence
- Golf club membership
Procedure for Filing Application:
Escuela Campo Alegre has appointed Search Associates to act as consultant in the search for a new Superintendent, with Ralph Jahr and Jim Ambrose being the lead consultants. The deadline for application is September 10, 2015. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials as early as possible as the Search Committee/Board of Directors reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is found. The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. Finalists will be selected by the Search Committee by as soon as possible after the deadline date. Finalist candidates with their spouses, if applicable, will be interviewed in Caracas by the Search Committee and the Board of Directors and will have the opportunity to visit the school and meet with faculty, parents, students, and non-teaching staff in October. The new Superintendent will be selected immediately after the conclusion of the site visits and final interviews.
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 Superintendent position at Escuela Campo Alegre
- A current résumé not to exceed two pages, addressing the required and preferred qualifications
- A one-page narrative description in your own words of “the ideal educational leader”.
- A one-page list of references with current phone numbers and email addresses
- A maximum of three letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession
Total document size should be kept to less than 4 MB if possible.
Applications should be sent to: rjahr@searchassociates.com and jambrose@searchassociates.com Additional information about Escuela Campo Alegre can be found on the school’s web site at < www.eca.com.ve >.
Ralph Jahr Tel: 609-759-0431 USA – Pacific Time Zone
Skype – ralph.h.jahr Email: RJahr@searchassociates.com
Jim Ambrose Tel – 1-775-267-3122 (Pacific time zone)
Skype – jimambrose Email – JAmbrose@searchassociates.com
