Head of Middle School

The Buckley School is a dynamic, nurturing learning community committed to equity and inclusion, and as such, seeks to hire talented employees with diverse backgrounds.

The Buckley School is seeking a Head of Middle School who will create a dynamic and nurturing

environment for Middle School students, faculty, and families in a 93-year-old, all gender K-12 school in Los Angeles that is committed to being both true to its roots and relevant for the times. Nestled in a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, Buckley is a nationally recognized college preparatory school with a bold mission, a clear vision, and forward momentum.

with a bold mission, a clear vision, and forward momentum

• Lead the Middle School faculty, staff and administrators in modeling strong, collaborative teamwork and creating a warm, uplifting, and affirmational culture for students and families that creates belonging for all.
• Oversee all aspects of the academic program, ensuring that curriculum and instruction spark intellectual curiosity and skill development, and are experienced by students as engaging, culturally responsive, and relevant for the times.
• Design and implement programs to retain current students and families (e.g. the Griffin Family Open
• House events for current third, fourth, and fifth grade students and families, parent education, systems for communicating with individual families, etc.) and collaborate with the admission team to design and
• implement programs and materials to attract and yield new students and families.
• Support the Director of DEI, deans, and other relevant adults to create and implement a robust co-curricular program, including advisory, assemblies, community times, service learning, clubs, internships, cross divisional buddies, after-school programming for Lower and Middle School, Outdoor Ed, G-Term, trips and travel, and public-private partnerships to create belonging and engagement, and ensure students are developing the skills and attributes in Buckley's Portrait of a Graduate.
• Collaborate with the Chief of Strategic Initiatives to develop systems to collect and analyze relevant data
• in order to inform ongoing program growth.
• Collaborate with the heads of Lower School and Upper School to facilitate K-12 alignment in program,
• practice, and culture while honoring the developmental needs of each age group.

• Lead the Middle School faculty, staff, and administrators in fostering an educational program that fulfills the school's mission, vision and values.
• Observe, evaluate, support, coach, and assign responsibilities and duties to Middle School instructional and non-instructional faculty, staff, and administrators, in conjunction, as applicable, with department chairs and other senior administrators.
• Lead, with support from department chairs and other senior administrators, retention, recruitment, hiring, and managing faculty and staff.
• Design, with other senior administrators and department chairs, professional development experiences for faculty and staff.
• Support faculty in their communication with families in their role as advisor, teacher, coach, etc.

• Create supportive relationships with parents, helping them navigate the joys and challenges of raising
• middle school students.
• Provide timely communication about school operations/schedules, and issues related to adolescence and parenting.

• Create supportive relationships with students, helping them develop the skills needed as scholars, athletes, artists, and community members.
• Set and maintain clear expectations for behaviors, oversee investigations, and manage discipline.
• Organize the Middle School academic advising process.
• Serve on the admission committee and assist in the admission process for the testing, interviewing, and
• evaluation of Middle School applicants.
• Lead student retention efforts and take a key role in yield efforts.

• A. or other advanced degree preferred.
• Prefer minimum of five years' experience in an academic environment, preferably with experience as a middle school teacher and administrator in independent schools.

• Model high standards of professionalism and create warm, uplifting, and trusting working relationships marked by humor, optimism, humility, excellent emotional intelligence, extraordinary interpersonal skills, and collaboration.
• Relish the joys and challenges of working with students ages 9-15, and possess a…