Middle School Director
Position begins July 1, 2023
The Opportunity:
A unique school with a unique history, Tandem Friends School of Charlottesville, VA is guided by the Quaker principles that define Friends Schools and has three school mottos: kindness and wisdom, creativity and integrity, and freedom with responsibility. Founded in 1970 as an alternative to the segregation academies that proliferated throughout the south at that time, Tandem was the first school in the area founded as both coeducational and racially integrated. Over time, Tandem found Quaker schools to be kindred spirits and joined the Friends Council of Education, becoming a Friends School in 1996.
With approximately 245 students and spanning only grades 5-12, the school aims to cultivate a school culture in which adolescents feel invested in their school community and are seen, appreciated, and comfortable being their full selves at school. Our 5th through 8th grade Middle School program of approximately 120 students encourages student responsibility and academic challenge in developmentally grounded ways within a dynamic and supportive school community. Our current academic program is a mix of progressive and traditional styles of teaching.
Position Summary:
The Middle School Director is responsible for all aspects of the Middle School program. The Director’s primary responsibility is to lead the division in a manner that speaks to the school’s mission and identity as a Friends School and cultivates a community in which students and faculty feel known, respected, challenged, and supported.
The Middle School Director will guide a faculty of approximately fifteen members who are dedicated to creating meaningful and engaging educational experiences for their students. As is the way of Friends Schools, teachers are highly involved in decisions that affect their division and school, thus we seek a division leader with a collaborative mindset and a skillset that supports both visionary leadership and collective decision making. The Middle School Director joins a dedicated senior leadership team collaboratively responsible for shaping the school’s practices, policies, and strategic direction and reports directly to the Head of School.
Core responsibilities include:
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Taking leadership responsibility and accountability for the smooth, efficient, and friendly operation of the division on a daily basis.
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Hiring, mentoring, guiding and supporting new and experienced MS faculty members; encouraging professional growth and joy in learning.
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With help from the MS Deans of Students, maintaining open and ongoing communication with parents/guardians regarding individual student academic/wellness/discipline matters and with the parent/guardian body about Middle School curriculum, programs, school events.
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Collaborating on the Middle School academic program offerings and educational supports in consultation with faculty, the Learning Resource Center Director, and other key administrators.
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Refining and developing co-curricular/student-life programs and student wellness and guidance procedures in collaboration with the MS Deans of Students, School Counselors, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Athletic Director, faculty, and Head of School.
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Planning and facilitating weekly Middle School faculty meetings and committees, special divisional programming, and professional development days.
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Collaboratively leading, with the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Head of School, and faculty and administration, DEIJB initiatives, practices, and programming.
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Collaborating with the Admissions Director by serving as a key member of the admissions team, conducting tours and open houses, and meeting with Middle School candidate families. With the Admissions Director and Upper School administration, proactively create and implement Middle to Upper School retention efforts.
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Working collaboratively with the Director of Finance and the Head of School to formulate and manage the operating budget of the division.
The ideal candidate for this position will have the following professional skills and characteristics:
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Appreciation for the wonders and challenges of Middle School life. A deep understanding of adolescent development.
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Excellent interpersonal skills; effective at building trust with external and internal stakeholders; a deep emotional intelligence.
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3+ years Middle School leadership experience; a strong foundation in Middle School programming and pedagogy, both academic and co-curricular; classroom teaching experience.
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A high level of cultural competence and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in program development, policy development, and relationship building.
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Strong management skills, grounding in adult development and the dynamics of school change, prior leadership experience with faculty supervision and professional growth.
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Facility with classroom differentiation strategies and individual accommodations plans. Prior professional experience working with neurodivergent learners is a plus.
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A comprehensive understanding of the field of education; adeptness at understanding the K-12 educational landscape within the Charlottesville area; experience with independent school admissions.
- Commitment to the mission of Friends education; eagerness to embrace Quaker values and use Quaker processes; prior experience with Friends education a plus.
- Confident and competent; understanding of one’s own faults and strengths; approaches others with empathy and generosity of spirit.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- A great work ethic and a great sense of humor.
- A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is preferred, a bachelor’s degree is required.
Tandem Friends School aspires to be an equitable and inclusive school community. The school welcomes applications from candidates who will contribute to an atmosphere in which all are valued and supported. People of color and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Physical Requirements:
Daily desk work, including significant amounts of telephone and computer time; as part of daily routines, moving around a large campus with uneven pavement and managing stairs; frequent walking inside and outside as part of general job duties and responding to students and/or incidents.
Wages/Benefits:
This is a full-time, 12-month, salaried position with full benefits which include a dental plan, a retirement plan, tuition remission, and a robust health insurance plan, including a school contribution that covers the employee cost. The start date for this position is July 1st, 2023.
How to Apply:
We are now accepting applications. To apply, please send an email stating your interest in the position to:
msdirectorposition@tandemfs.org. Please submit a current resume or CV, statement of your educational or leadership philosophy, and a list of three to five professional references, including contact information. References will not be called without explicit permission from the applicant. Interviews have begun but we are still accepting inquiries from new candidates.
Director of Technology
Tandem Friends School, a co-ed, Quaker, 5th-12th grade independent day school in Charlottesville, Virginia seeks an organized, flexible and detail-oriented technology professional to provide technical support and guidance to our entire community.
This is a unique position for a hands-on person who enjoys being actively involved in the daily life of a school. The Director of Technology is a one-person department and on any given day may be working with an outside vendor on technology infrastructure, repairing a Chromebook for a middle school student, fixing a printing problem for a faculty member, setting up report cards in the LMS or investigating new academic software for use in the classroom. The ideal candidate will possess an established skill set of tech support skills, a welcoming presence, and will work well with a wide range of constituents: students, teachers, staff, administrators, and parents. This is a full-time position and reports to the Director of Finance and Operations.
Primary Responsibilities:
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Ensure that all tech hardware and software is procured/available, updated and running smoothly.
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Manage technology budget, inventory and upkeep of all tech devices including employee devices and student Chromebooks.
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Develop and manage a multi-year school technology plan including life cycle/replacement plan.
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Set up and maintain user accounts and profiles, email groups, etc. in various platforms.
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Create and communicate technology policies and protocols including acceptable use policies and security policies.
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Train faculty, staff, students and parents on device use and policies.
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Provide user support on:
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Printers/Copiers
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Projectors/audio-visual equipment in classrooms and for all-school meetings/events
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Chromebooks, laptops and desktops
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Wifi connectivity/internet access
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Software including but not limited to Google Suite for Education, Blackbaud K-12 Software (LMS & SIS), Magnus Health, Raiser’s Edge, Ruvna, Quickbooks, Microsoft Office and others
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VoIP phone system
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Other technical support as needs arise
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Coordinate with technology vendors that manage our network, etc.
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Collaborate with the Division Directors, teachers and librarian regarding the maintenance of school subscriptions and accounts.
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Work with Division Directors and teachers as a partner in their technological goals and as a coordinator of purposeful professional growth in technology.
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Collaborate with the leadership team on the changing roles and requirements in educational technology to meet emerging needs and goals.
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Assist the Advancement department in website management and Google analytics.
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Other duties as assigned by Supervisor, including direct interaction with students and staff, committee meetings, etc.
Qualifications:
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Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent education and experience)
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A history of professional growth and learning
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Technology support and troubleshooting experience
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Knowledge of Google Suite for Education, Active Directory and Windows Server administration
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Experience with current network and enterprise technologies
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Extensive SIS and LMS management experience
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Experience in K-12 school preferred
Tandem Friends seeks staff members who bring a range of skills and knowledge, a willingness to learn new things and an appreciation for collaboration with students and colleagues. Our school community is based on Friends School values and seeks candidates with a background in and commitment to DEIJ principles. At TFS, all staff members are active community members who share in the general support and care of the school community and participate in a wide range of community activities.
Tandem Friends School aspires to be an equitable and inclusive school community. The school welcomes applications from candidates who will contribute to an atmosphere in which all are valued and supported. People of color and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and references to
technologypositions@tandemfs.org.