Position Statement - Middle School Director - The Dalton School

Position Statement Middle School Director

The Dalton School New York, New York Start Date: July 1, 2023

The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

OVERVIEW Firmly rooted in an illustrious history, while looking boldly to the future for new inspira@ons, The Dalton School is one of the great K-12 schools in the United States. As Head of School José M. De Jesús ar@culates, “The joy of learning at Dalton is palpable and abundant.” Founded in 1919 by renowned educator Helen Parkhurst, Dalton con@nues to embrace the Dalton Plan, the educa@onal founda@on she designed. The Dalton School has flourished and grown in ways only imagined at the @me of its founding. Today it is recognized as a na@onal and interna@onal model of progressive educa@on based upon a rigorous and challenging academic curriculum.

Located in excellent facili@es on 89th Street in ManhaXan’s Upper East Side, Dalton serves an extraordinarily diverse and

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talented student body; 56% percent are students of color, and nearly 21% receive financial aid.

The Middle School is Dalton’s largest and most complex division.

The Middle School Director reports to Head of School José M. De Jesús, who has led the School since the summer of 2022. To begin in July 2023, Dalton is seeking a talented and passionate Middle School educator who is also an excep@onal administrator.

The division requires a strong, confident leader who is undaunted by complexity; comfortable in a fast-paced urban sebng; and energized by the robust exchange of ideas that characterizes the Dalton experience. This is a compelling career opportunity for a first-rate middle school specialist who aspires to a key leadership role in one of the na@on’s most highly acclaimed progressive independent schools.

VITAL STATISTICS Students: Total enrollment is 1,313 students (grades K-12) with 477 in the Middle School (grades 4-8).

Students live in more than 100 different zip codes across the NYC area. Fiky-six percent (56%) iden@fy as students of color and 21% receive financial aid.

School General Financials: The annual budget is $75mm with $13mm dedicated to financial aid.

The endowment is $123mm. In 2021-22 the School raised $6.5mm in the annual fund, and the Centennial Campaign, which concluded in 2020, raised $108mm.

Tui@on for the 2022-2023 school was $57,970.

Accredita@on and memberships: The Dalton School is accredited by the New York Associa@on of Independent School and is a member of the Na@onal Associa@on of Independent Schools.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

MISSION STATEMENT AND MAJOR PRINCIPLES The Dalton School is commi3ed to providing an educa8on of excellence that meets each student’s interests, abili8es and needs within a common curricular framework and reflects and promotes an understanding of, and apprecia8on for, diversity in our community as an integral part of school life. Dalton challenges each student to develop intellectual independence, crea8vity and curiosity and in the community at large. Guided by the Dalton Plan, the School prepares student to “Go Forth Unafraid.”

As a progressive school guided by the Dalton Plan, we are an inten8onally diverse community commi3ed to a tradi8on of life-long learning and educa8onal innova8on. The following are major principles that inform the daily learning environment at Dalton: • Valuing all dimensions of each child – intellectual, social, emo8onal, aesthe8c, physical and spiritual.

• Cul8va8ng values of respect, integrity, compassion and jus8ce to encourage community responsibility, combat prejudice and engage students as par8cipants in a democra8c society and global community.

• Developing intellectual independence and risktaking through inquiry, direct experience and collabora8on.

• Valuing all disciplines – the arts, sciences, humani8es and physical development in an interdisciplinary curriculum, mindful of our historical emphasis on music, dance, theater and visual arts.

To learn more about Dalton’s commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and an@-racism, as well as about the values, programs and community of the school, please visit the school website at www.dalton.org.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

PROGRAM AND PEOPLE The special rela@onship between Dalton students and faculty is the key to the intellectual liveliness and curiosity that thrives in the classrooms and beyond. Nurturing the children's natural inquisi@veness, inculca@ng selfconfidence in their intelligence and in their ability to succeed, Dalton enables its students to become responsible and independent learners and thinkers. As parents at the School eloquently aXest, “every child is seen, known and inspired.”

From kindergarten through twelkh grade, the School offers its students a breadth of innova@ve programs. It encourages its faculty to develop new teaching methodologies, curricula, and materials. Dalton stands at the forefront of expanding the educa@onal poten@al of modern technology.

In the twenty-first century, Dalton con@nues to be firmly commiXed to Helen Parkhurst's pragma@c approach to educa@on. Priori@es change with the @mes. What @me does not alter, however, is the School's reputa@on for developing independent thinkers whose knowledge and understanding are rooted in the real world, who are conversant with their culture, and who are confident, eager, and selfmo@vated learners.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

THE DALTON PLAN Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the start of the 20th century, Helen Parkhurst created an educa@onal model that captured the progressive spirit of the age.

Specifically, she had these objec@ves: to tailor each student’s program to their needs, interests, and abili@es; to promote both independence and dependability; and to enhance the student’s social skills and sense of responsibility toward others. Parkhurst developed a three-part plan that con@nues to be the structural founda@on of a Dalton educa@on: House, Assignment, and Lab. In all areas of study, the Dalton Plan concepts of House, Assignment, and Lab are essen@al elements of the program: • House Advisors guide students through the School

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year by carefully following progress in all disciplines, by mentoring young students, and by func@oning as the primary liaison with parents.

In grades 6–8, each House meets at the beginning and end of every day, as well as for two addi@onal periods each week. House Advisors help students develop the necessary social and organiza@onal skills to become successful, independent learners.

• The Assignment provides an organized plan for teaching and learning. When Assignments are presented and discussed in any discipline, teachers help students iden@fy what skills are needed to complete the various tasks, where the resources might be located to research a topic or advance a

level of learning, and what @metable should be followed to meet the expecta@ons of the Assignment. As students progress through the grades, Assignments increase in complexity and grow to encompass units of up to six weeks, providing greater opportuni@es for students to select op@ons for learning within each assigned topic and area.

• Lab provides students with @me during the weekly schedule to work with their teachers individually or in small groups. These regular student-teacher conversa@ons provide support and feedback, the opportunity for specific assessment of student work, and a place for curiosity and extension.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM Encompassing grades 4–8, the Dalton Middle School addresses the academic and social needs of young students during this crucial development stage, fostering growing independence by providing a carefully planned transi@on from the selfcontained classrooms of the First Program to the fully departmentalized High School.

The division offers a dynamic and intellectually engaging curriculum that includes courses in English, mathema@cs, social studies, science, world and classical languages, the arts, and physical educa@on.

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Students’ schedules vary across the grades, emphasizing developmentally appropriate expecta@ons. In the fourth and fikh grades, students work and learn in largely self-contained classrooms. In the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, the academic program is fully departmentalized, and the approximately 100 students in each grade are divided into two cores, each overseen by a team of teachers. The Middle School employs specialists in psychology, health services, wri@ng, mathema@cs, museum educa@on, organiza@on, and study skills who work with students individually and in small groups.

Daltonʹs commitment to ʺthe city as a classroomʺ is evident in all curricular areas. Teachers make use of New York City’s many fine museums as well as The Bronx Zoo, the Morgan Library, and many other resources within the city.

Middle School students also have opportuni@es to travel outside of the city with their classes on various field trips.

To learn more about the Dalton Middle School curriculum, visit the School website at: www.dalton.org/programs/ middle-school/curriculum.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

division directors to promote the smooth transi@on of students as they move up from the First Program and as they move into the High School, as well as to coordinate complex elements of program and curriculum that have implica@ons across mul@ple divisions.

The Middle School Director also plays an important role in the admissions process, serving as the public face of the division at admissions events, sibng on the admissions commiXee, and interviewing prospec@ve students.

THE POSITION: MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR The Director of the Middle School at Dalton is responsible for developing, promo@ng, and implemen@ng the educa@onal vision of the Middle School. In addi@on to advancing the broad educa@onal agenda of the division, the Director also manages its day-to-day opera@ons. The Middle School Director reports directly to the Head of School and is a member of the administra@ve team.

Addi@onally, the Director oversees the Middle School administra@on, faculty, and staff. The Middle School leadership team includes three Assistant Directors: Middle School Assistant Director, Dean of Faculty & Curriculum; Middle School Assistant Director, Dean of Student Life; Middle School Assistant Director, Opera@ons. The Director also oversees the work of House Advisors, grade-level coordinators, department chairs, and specialists.

The Director is called upon to promote the Dalton Plan and the philosophy that informs it in all areas of the Middle School. A demonstrated commitment to the School’s legacy and to progressive educa@on more broadly, along with facility with the literature and discourse around innova@on in teaching, are founda@onal to the Director’s service.

As the leader of the division in the middle, the Director collaborates closely with the other

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES The next Middle School Director at The Dalton School should be prepared to collaborate closely with a skilled and dedicated faculty, as well as with a dynamic Head of School and a talented team of administrators to fulfill the School’s mission and lead the Dalton Middle School wisely and confidently into the future. The major challenges and opportuni@es for this posi@on include but are not limited to the following: •

The three school years prior to the current one were turbulent in our country, the city of New York, and The Dalton School. A variety of factors interacted to erode the sense of community in the Dalton Middle School.

Progress has been made this year, and there is an exci@ng environment of genera@ve renewal at the School. With the partnership of an inspiring new Head of School, the next Middle School Director will be expected to build and sustain the sense of trust and respect binding the faculty and administra@ve team in a common, passionate enterprise in service to remarkable students at Dalton.

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•

Dalton is in the early stages of developing the next strategic vision for the future of the School. This will involve reimagining the use of many of the exci@ng spaces in the buildings of the School, and it will include the inspiring work of thinking carefully and collabora@vely about the evolu@on of the structure, program, and curriculum of the Middle School. The next Middle School Director will be a cri@cal leader and engaged partner in that work.

•

The Dalton Plan has been and will con@nue to be the “true North” of all planning and visioning for the future of the School. This commitment is essen@al, and it is the central philosophical commitment of the School.

Many of the Dalton faculty are new to the School over the last three years. Moreover, the pressures of the pandemic and the @mes have not allowed for sufficient thoughyul ongoing assessment of the School’s rela@onship to the Dalton Plan now and in the future. The next Middle School Director must understand and be commiXed to the Dalton Plan, while also striving to foster deep thinking and engagement in the Dalton Plan among the faculty.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

•

A strong educa@onal community has, at its heart, a vibrant commitment to equity and belonging. Academic excellence is predicated on voice and membership in all corners of the Dalton School, and the next Middle School Director will need to be both learner and leader in advancing this impera@ve by nurturing and developing the best of DEIB prac@ces.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES

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•

The Dalton Middle School in recent years had made tremendous strides in building programming and systems for suppor@ng the wellness, health, and fundamental support for students, including fostering a sense of belonging for all students and in the field of support for neurodiversity. Yet this work is never done, and the next challenge in this area will be both to seek further improvement and progress in this area, and to reinforce understanding that it is central and essen@al to the excellence of the School, the func@on of the Dalton Plan, and the successful rigor of the academic program.

There are never enough hours in the day to schedule and accomplish all that you hope to in a school as dynamic and complex as Dalton. Yet there is a pressing need to understand and allow for more collabora@ve opportuni@es and @me for faculty to work together, to understand each other’s work, and to engage meaningfully in the process of planning for the future path and development of the School.

This is essen@al for Dalton to reach its future poten@al as one of the great progressive schools in the United States. The next Middle School Director will need to be alert to this and serve as a crea@ve, astute leader in addressing this challenge.

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The successful candidate to be Middle School Director at Dalton will have passion for working collabora@vely and closely with middle school students, teachers, and parents. They will have notable exper@se and experience with both child and adolescent development, given that the Dalton Middle School encompasses grades 4-8, as well as with curriculum and pedagogy. They will have a commitment to and understanding of progressive educa@on, and they will be a mission and valuesdriven leader who will demonstrate most, if not all, of the following skills, quali@es, characteris@cs, and experiences: • Excellent educa@onal creden@als.

• Demonstrated commitment to middle school life and learning, and success as a visionary and inspira@onal educator.

• Excep@onal administra@ve, organiza@onal and @me management skills.

• Comfort with serving, and notable success, as a manager of highly mo@vated and deeply engaged people in complex schools and communi@es.

• A firm and fair leader who can understand and empathize with engaged parents, holding them in high partnership, while also sebng and upholding clear and appropriate boundaries.

• Significant training and experience with building and suppor@ng diverse, equitable and inclusive communi@es, along with a deep commitment to social jus@ce.

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The Dalton School Middle School Director Position Statement | Start Date: July 1, 2023

• Talent for iden@fying, selec@ng, retaining, and inspiring outstanding teachers and staff, as well as for supervising and developing them and encouraging their professional growth.

• Strength as a community and rela@onship builder.

• Confident, fearless, self-possessed, and nondefensive character.

• Superb communica@on skills, including the ability to balance engaged listening with clear, @mely, and appropriate oral and wriXen communica@on; public speaking ability is essen@al.

• A compassionate nature with high emo@onal intelligence and genuine collabora@ve skill and spirit.

• Ability and desire to serve as a visible, energe@c, present, ac@ve, and engaged leader.

• Prodigious energy and a strong work ethic.

• Personal integrity and inspira@onal spirit, along with warmth, enthusiasm, a sense of humor, and the ability to project and inspire joy.

SALARY RANGE AND COMPENSATION A salary range of $200,000 to $250,000, depending upon experience.

TO APPLY The Dalton School retained the firm Resource Group 175 (RG175) to support its search for a new Middle School Director for July of 2023. If you wish to submit an applica@on, please do so at hXps://rg175.com/ candidate/signup.

Applica@ons include: • LeXer of interest (cover leXer) • Resume or CV • A personal, leadership or educa@onal philosophy statement • Names of four current references and their contact informa@on (op@onal) The deadline for receipt of full applica@on materials is Tuesday, January 17.

For any ques@ons of further informa@on, please contact the consultants below: Bodie Brizendine Resource Group 175 bodie.brizendine@rg175.com

Bob Henderson Resource Group 175 rhenderson@rg175.com

DALTON NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT The Dalton School ac@vely seeks to forward the equity and diversity of our community in our admissions, programs and hiring. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, ethnic origin, age, physical disability, or sexual orienta@on in administra@on of our educa@onal policies, hiring policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs, athle@cs and other school-administered programs.

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