Position: Head of Schools, Whitmore Classical Academy
Location: Florence, Oregon
Projected Enrollment: 320
Salary: $90,000 - $125,000 plus benefits
Contract Days: 230
Closing date: June 7, 2024
Start Date: September 1, 2024
Reports to: Siuslaw Valley Charter School Board of Directors
About Whitmore Classical Academy - A Siuslaw Valley Charter School
Whitmore Classical Academy is a tuition-free public charter school for students within the Siuslaw School District and a surrounding 30-mile radius. Siuslaw Valley Charter School will open in fall of 2025 for grades K-6. SVCS will expand one grade each year to its full offering of K-8 with a total projected enrollment of 320 students. The mission of Whitmore Classical Academy is to develop students in mind and character through a classical, content-rich curriculum that emphasizes the principles of virtuous living, traditional learning, and civic responsibility.
The vision of Whitmore Classical Academy is to form future citizens who uphold the ideals of our country’s founding and promote the continuation of our American experiment—through a classical, great books curriculum designed to engage the student in the highest matters and the deepest questions of truth, justice, virtue, and beauty.
Whitmore Classical Academy is located in Florence, Oregon. Florence is a small community located at the mouth of the Siuslaw River, on the Oregon Coast. It is approximately 65 miles west of Eugene, Oregon. Nearby, trails around the restored 19 th -century Heceta Head Lighthouse offer views of seabirds and migrating whales. Shops and galleries fill the city’s Historic Old Town District. Across the river are the towering sand dunes in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
THE POSITION
Whitmore Classical Academy is seeking a dynamic and accomplished leader as their Head of Schools. The Head of Schools will be responsible for developing all programs and systems associated with the opening of SVCS and would assume the position August 1, 2024. The Head of Schools will be responsible for all aspects of the school’s performance.
The Head of Schools will be expected to:
- Achieve the school’s Mission and proactively position the school to support its Vision;
- Serve as the head of schools teacher: select develop and inspire faculty and staff members.
- Produce favorable academic outcomes;
- Provide general management of all school operations, including safety and emergency response, personnel selection and performance, budgeting and financial management, fundraising, communications and public relations, regulatory requirements, and facilities management;
- As the senior executive leader, manage professionally a broad base of constituents including the board, charter authorizers, philanthropic donors, the public, employees, and students and their families; and
- Report to the board at regular intervals on the status of the school’s performance.
Relationship with the Board
SVCS’s board operates according to a model of governance called Policy Governance. The most important aspects of Policy Governance are these:
- The Head of Schools is the sole report to Whitmore Classical Academy Board of Directors; likewise, the board relates to the school solely through the Head of Schools.
- The board does not co-manage the school with the Head of Schools. Rather, it holds the Head of Schools accountable for producing outcomes within parameters established by law, the Charter Agreement, and the board’s policies.
- The board views organizational performance and the Head of Schools ‘performance as one.
- The board acts as one; only motions passed by the board are binding on the Head of Schools.
- The board has committed to governing with an emphasis on outward vision rather than internal preoccupation, strategic leadership more than administrative detail. In summary, the board leads by defining preferred organization outcomes and by supporting political advocacy and fundraising. It regulates by ensuring that the school performs favorably relative to parameters established by law, the Charter Agreement, and board policies. This model is intended to appeal to a talented point leader, a Head of Schools eager to operate in an environment where roles and expectations have been clearly delineated and defined.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
To be considered for the position, candidates must have:
- Hold and/or be eligible to obtain an Oregon Administrator License per TSPC Licensing
- Demonstrated success leading a classical liberal arts school, ideally K-12, having produced favorable academic outcomes over time;
- Current or prior classroom experience, ideally in a classical or liberal arts school; The ability to teach well and to coach teachers to greater degrees of effectiveness;
- Experience in budgeting, financial management, financial reporting, auditing, human resources management, and operations management;
- Experience in personnel management, including recruiting and hiring, supervising and evaluating, and individual and organizational development;
- Leadership experience in a fundraising capacity;
- An understanding of state accountability systems for K-12 public schools and laws relevant to charter schools;
- No less than a graduate degree in one or more of the liberal arts or a related field of study;
- Experience reporting directly to a board of directors; and
- Experience dealing with people of diverse backgrounds and constituents with competing agenda.
- Ideal candidates will possess demonstrable skill in fostering positive, productive relationships and outcomes in a public-school environment.
THE DISTRICT
The community of Florence and outlying communities, while vast in geography, are small and close-knit. The Siuslaw Valley Charter School has a projected opening date of Fall of 2025 for grades K-6. Our goal is to provide a content-rich, American classical public school curriculum provided by Hillsdale College in alignment with Oregon State Standards.
SEARCH CALENDAR
June 7, 2024: Close Applications
June 10-14, 2024: Review Applications
June 17-21, 2024: Initial Interviews
June 21-28, 2024: Final Interview
June 28, 2024: Announce selection
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed Application through TalentEd
- Current Resume
- Cover Letter of Interest
- 3-5 current letters of reference
- Copy of administrative license or proof of eligibility to obtain
- Statement about how you meet the qualities and qualifications set by the Board (in narrative form, no longer than 500 words).
Application packets must be submitted by 5pm on the closing day.
For more information regarding the position and the application process, please contact:
Donna Heinen, Communications Director, Siuslaw Valley Charter School
541-659-9429, donna.heinen@siuslawvalleycharterschool.com |