Position and Candidate Specification
Position Summary
The next Head of School at Dwight-Englewood School will join an inclusive, compassionate community focused on the development of the whole child and offering a transformative educational experience that reflects and recognizes each student’s individual strengths, passions, and identity. An authentic, intellectually curious educator who finds great joy in the daily life of the school, the next Head will lead this highly regarded, academically rigorous, diverse preschool-12 school where the shared core values of respect, honesty, judgement, commitment, courage, and community continue to be foundational to all at the school.
The faculty, staff, and administration at Dwight-Englewood inspire young people to cultivate their academic identity, explore co-curricular interests, find their voice, pursue passions, and develop as leaders in a supportive community. With the commitment to ensuring that the school prepares courageous, curious, and compassionate students for an increasingly complex world, the next Head of School will invite the faculty, staff, and administration to look critically at the program, examine the curriculum, explore pedagogy, leverage technologies, and identify opportunities for innovation. They will focus on building and sustaining a culture that is supported by strong systems, accountability, and recognition of excellence. A caring educator, inspiring communicator, and visible leader, Dwight-Englewood’s next Head will work relentlessly to cultivate an environment where all members of the community feel a sense of belonging.
The Head of School is appointed by the Board of Trustees and is responsible for all aspects of the school, including academic programming, operational and financial health, external relations, and fundraising. In partnership with the Board, the Head of School is responsible for setting the school’s strategic priorities and achieving the school’s mission. An exceptional listener who strives to build trust among all stakeholders and brings clarity in decision-making and communication, the Head of School will champion the continued excellence of the school in an environment where all stakeholders can thrive and grow.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Ô Champion D-E’s core values of respect, honesty, judgement, community, courage and commitment.
Ô Engage actively in the life of the campus; be visible and fully present at important moments of the school as well as at everyday events.
Ô In partnership with the Board and with the participation of the community, refine and execute the strategic plan to reflect the ambitions and resources (current and potential) that will drive the evolution of the school.
Ô Continue to advance and invest in the school’s commitment to a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in all aspects of community life.
Ô Attract, retain, and support a diverse faculty and staff that matches the diversity of the student population.
Ô Cultivate a culture of teamwork, trust, accountability, and professional growth.
Ô Develop the optimal organizational structure for executing the strategic and operational priorities of the school.
Ô Serve as an invested and enthusiastic partner in external affairs, working closely alongside the Admissions, Development and Marketing Communications Offices and serve as the key external spokesperson for the school.
Ô In partnership with the Board, steward the school’s resources and cultivate donors to ensure D-E has access to the support it needs to thrive.
Candidate Profile
CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
Educational Leadership and Vision
With a compelling and ambitious vision, and an appreciation for Dwight-Englewood’s challenging academic program balanced with student belonging and well-being, the next Head will:
Ô Demonstrate a deep understanding of educational trends and their implications for Dwight-Englewood.
Ô Work with members of the leadership team and faculty to assess and refine the school’s academic and co-curricular programs.
Ô Set high standards for the faculty and staff; inculcate a culture of collaboration, responsibility, and a deep commitment to professional development.
Ô Be forward-thinking and serve as a thought leader in discussing the needs and growth of graduating students, ready to excel in higher education and contribute meaningfully to the world.
Community Building
Recognizing the powerful commitment to respect, honesty, care, and courage at Dwight-Englewood, the next Head will be an engaged community builder with the ability to:
Ô Be a visible, inviting, and enthusiastic presence in the life of students, faculty, staff, parents, and guardians. The Head will appreciate and enjoy opportunities to be involved and present in life on campus across all three divisions —whether it be teaching classes, coaching an athletic team, advising a Senior honors thesis, cheering at school competitions, or attending arts performances.
Ô Champion the priorities of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and mutual respect that are core to the Dwight-Englewood community and experience and be willing to advocate and serve as an ally to all communities.
Ô Be an inspiring and transparent leader. Listen well, build trust, value diverse perspectives, welcome debate, empower colleagues, and make decisions in the best interest of students and the school.
Strategic Organizational Leadership
In a school with a rich history of success and aspirations to continue to improve, the next Head at Dwight-Englewood will:
Ô Embrace the complexity, challenges, and opportunities at Dwight-Englewood, and utilize the current strategic plan to meet the evolving needs of the school community.
Ô Lead with poise and level-headedness, make tough decisions, communicate with transparency and empathy, and garner support from all stakeholders in the D-E community.
Ô Provide critical leadership to attract, retain, and empower a talented, diverse faculty, staff, and administration while promoting and sustaining a culture of collaboration and accountability. Serve as a seasoned mentor who recognizes the diverse learning needs of the student body and champions professional development and curricular innovation.
Ô Purposefully steward the school’s resources, and serve as an ambitious fundraiser, committed to advancing the culture of philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and guardians.
Ô Develop a strong relationship with Dwight-Englewood Board of Trustees, ensuring that the Board and school leadership are aligned on setting and achieving institutional priorities.
Candidate Profile Continued
OTHER PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Ô An authentic, engaging, curious, and inclusive leader of people.
Ô An accessible and warm member of the community who is genuinely interested in the lives of students, faculty, and staff members.
Ô A strong bridge-builder well-versed and practiced in dealing with nuanced situations in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and the ability to understand, respect, and develop meaningful relationships with people from various backgrounds.
Ô A confident head who is willing to listen empathetically, empower others, make decisions, take responsibility, and share credit.
Ô An active learner and eager innovator with a growth mindset.
Ô An exceptional verbal and written communicator who is thoughtful, inspiring, and a compelling storyteller.
Ô A proactive thinker with the ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities.
Ô A worldly educator with a deep understanding of the dynamism of the Northern New Jersey and New York City communities.
Ô An engaging listener with a sense of humor.
Ô A visionary with a strong moral compass, exceptional judgement, and the strength to follow their convictions.
SEARCH PROCESS
Dwight-Englewood School is a non-profit corporation accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Dwight-Englewood School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the bases of sex, ethnicity, age, national origin, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or military veteran status. The diversity of our student body supports our commitment to employ a diverse faculty and staff from all backgrounds. Those who bring knowledge and expertise in equity, diversity and multicultural education are especially encouraged to apply.
Dwight-Englewood School is being assisted by Spencer Stuart in the search process. The search committee welcomes comments, questions, nominations, or expressions of interest.
Please send expressions of interest with any supporting materials to the following confidential email address: DEHOS@spencerstuart.com
About the School
As a community of learners, Dwight-Englewood School strives to foster in each student a passion for life-long learning. We seek excellence, honor integrity, and embrace diversity in order to develop the skills, values, and courage to meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better.
Dwight-Englewood School (D-E) is a highly regarded, coeducational, independent day school of 1,015 students, serving a seamless education experience for students in preschool through Grade 12. Comprised of three divisions -- the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools -- each with their own distinctive personality, D-E is the most ethnically-diverse school in Bergen County with students who represent more than 115 different zip codes in New Jersey and New York. Approximately 30% of students commute from Manhattan, drawn by its 45+ acre campus and compelling academic and extracurricular programming. What makes D-E unique in the New York, New Jersey area is that it is an academically rigorous school which meets the differentiated needs of students at the same time. Secondly, D-E prioritized the whole child and the mental well being of students.
Dwight-Englewood gives the highest quality preparation for college and university work while fostering independent thinking; the ability to solve problems; and the skills, tolerance, and integrity it takes to thrive in our multifaceted world. Based on a tradition of excellence and defined by innovation, D-E offers a rich array of compelling programs and unique experiences that spark students’ creativity and curiosity. The excellence of a
D-E education rests firmly upon the foundation of our faculty and staff. Our faculty and staff are experienced, passionate, and as dedicated to ongoing learning as our students.
D-E was established in 1973, following the merger of the all-girls’ Dwight School, founded in 1889, and the Englewood School for Boys, founded in 1928. In 1993, The Bede School merged with Dwight-Englewood, resulting with the School becoming a preschool through Grade 12 institution. Today, D-E offers a well-designed, 21st century education across its three divisions to support a highly diverse student body. The School endeavors to foster a welcoming, inclusive community in which all students and their families, and community constituencies by extension, can be their authentic selves. At every level, students gain critical skills in engagement, perseverance, risk-taking, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and organization, while building knowledge and discovering their passions.
The D-E Board of Trustees recently embarked on a Strategic Planning Process, a comprehensive and collaborative undertaking aimed at crafting a robust and thoughtful roadmap, building upon our current strengths and guiding us to the best possible future for our school, both near- and long-term. With help and input from across our community – faculty from all three divisions, parents, students, administrators, staff, trustees, and alumni – the Strategic Planning Steering Committee has identified five main strategic areas of focus, or pillars: Purpose, Program, People, Place and Philanthropy. The draft initiatives generated by the design teams for each pillar will inform the final Strategic Plan, which we envision to be a clear action plan for amplifying our cherished values, boosting the excellence of our programs, fostering well-being for all, deepening our commitment to DEIB, and further knitting us together in community.
D-E is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
Respect, Honesty, Judgement, Commitment, Courage, Community
1,015 47% 6:1
Core Values Enrollment
Students of Color Student-Teacher Ratio
20% $ 5.7 million 165 77%
Total Number of Faculty
Faculty with Advanced Degrees in the Upper School
Financial Aid budget
Students receiving aid
To learn more about our Core Values and Vision, including our Portrait of a D-E Graduate and Portrait of a D-E Teacher, please visit https://www.d-e.org/about-d-e/values--vision
ACADEMICS
The Lower School is a Responsive Classroom community emphasizing social and emotional learning. We also pride ourselves on considering Process over Product and providing many Project-Based learning opportunities. Core classes include literature and language arts, math, science, and social studies, with additional studies in technology, design thinking, library skills, music, art, and health and wellness / physical education.
In the Middle School, students engage in a balanced curriculum of academic content and skill development within an award-winning facility. Cultivating creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, the Middle School prepares students for a seamless transition to the Upper School. Core classes include English, math, science, history, and modern and classical languages, along with additional courses in the arts, health and wellness, and ethics. Discovery Classes round out the student-centric program.
The Upper School offers a structured, integrated curriculum in Grades 9-10 and an elective program in Grades 11-12 that provides students the opportunity to design their programs around their interests, talents, and academic passions. D-E entrusts upper-level students with the freedom to double or even triple their ‘load’ in a particular academic discipline, such as advanced sciences, mathematics, languages, fine or performing arts, or the humanities, while ensuring that each student also completes our full set of graduation requirements. Most students complete coursework beyond the minimum requirements. Advisories help students set and meet their goals, while a dedicated team of college counseling professionals guides students through the college selection and application process. Among the signature features of the Upper School curriculum are courses in the interdisciplinary study of human development, integrated math modeling, integrated biology and chemistry, advanced research, robotics, and an award-winning honors program that infuses research with in-depth field study. The Upper School also offers numerous Advanced Placement and honors courses.
To learn more about our acadmic program, please visit https://www.d-e.org/academics
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING: VALUES, VISION, COMMITMENT
As a community of life-long learners, Dwight-Englewood School is committed to the ongoing growth and development of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that acknowledges, affirms, and protects the dignity of all people.
Because we nurture and celebrate the unique sense of belonging of each community member, it is expected that we all partner in our commitment to inspire one another to live in a diverse world with confidence, competence, empathy, and kindness.
In partnership with our mission, and with the firm conviction that our efforts will benefit all members of our community, we commit to:
Ô Building and sustaining a vibrant and inclusive community by employing recruitment and retention efforts to attract, retain, and nurture a diverse student, parent, faculty, staff, and trustee population.
Ô An ongoing review of our school policies and procedures to ensure an inclusive and equitable campus climate.
Ô A consistent and steady revision of our curriculum and teaching practices to provide students and adults alike with educational experiences that both accurately reflect and critically examine the world for which we are preparing them.
To read about DEIB programming initiatives, including “Toward a Knotted Community”, please visit d-e.org/diversity.
About the School
ARTS
At all grade levels, the visual and performing arts at D-E are designed to help students develop skills to observe and interpret the world. Through the arts, students build far-reaching cultural literacy, creative confidence, and skills of self-expression.
Lower School students discover the joy and satisfaction of expression through acting, performing, singing, creating, and building, solidifying the foundation for lifelong learning and a passion for the arts. One activity that has traditionally defined the Lower School experience is the 5th Grade Creating Original Opera program.
The Middle School program continues the artistic journey, enlightening students and empowering them to explore creativity through self-awareness and to increase their level and understanding of visual communication. The Art & Design Department’s program includes a range of media. The Performing Arts Department’s program includes ensembles in African Drumming, band, chorus, orchestra, and the theater arts.
The Upper School arts program strives to create a strong sense of discipline in the advanced learner while encouraging creativity and exploration for all. Students can choose from courses in studio art, sculpture, ceramics, and photography/video production; theater courses that explore acting technique, writing for the stage, production, and the technical arts; and music courses in orchestra and chamber ensembles, chorus, stage band, and handbells.
For details about the arts at D-E visit d-e.org/arts
ATHLETICS
Athletics are another essential component of our mission. There are high levels of participation in both the Middle and Upper Schools. Athletics programming balances achievement with a commitment to essential life skills. In the Upper School, D-E offers more than 20 seasonal athletics teams as well as clubs, and other health and fitness opportunities. Many teams go on to compete at the state or regional level.
Fall sports include cross country, soccer, boys’ tennis, field hockey, and volleyball. Winter sports include basketball, ski racing, indoor track & field, Bulldogs ice hockey club, and strength and conditioning. Spring sports include baseball, crew, girls’ tennis, golf, lacrosse, softball, track & field, and Ultimate Frisbee.
For more details about athletics at D-E visit d-e.org/athletics
About the School Continued
STUDENT LIFE, CLUBS, AND SERVICE
Clubs and student service opportunities are significant in the life of our D-E community, developing students by empowering them to explore their passions and gain leadership skills.
Of note in the Lower School is the Bulldog Broadcast Crew and the Third Graders Making a Difference year-long service-centric program. The D-E 360° auxiliary program offers a variety of after school program clubs including Chess Club, fencing, and robotics.
In the Middle School clubs encourage students to find their voice, make choices, and take on leadership roles in areas of interest to them. The annual Open Roads Middle School publication showcases students’ original work in the arts and creative writing.
In the Upper School, opportunities abound in terms of giving students the chance to grow personally and develop critical leadership skills while pursuing areas of interest and/or curiosity. Upper School students run and produce several major publications including Calliope, a national award-winning literary magazine; Parnassus, a foreign language literary magazine; Spectrum, the student newspaper; and The Flea, a satirical newsletter. Students can pick from over 50 clubs, and they can participate in myriad artistic, theater, and music opportunities that cater to students’ multiple talents. D-E requires that all Upper School students engage in a minimum of 40 hours of community service.
For more details about student life and service opportunities at D-E click click here.
CAMPUS
D-E is located just west of the Hudson River in a residential neighborhood, approximately 10 miles from Manhattan. The campus includes all three divisions, including Leggett Hall, the “heart” of the campus; the 32,000 sq. ft. new Middle School Building; the Imperatore Library and Taub Technology Center; the 30,000 sq. ft. award-winning STEM Center; Swartley Art Gallery; Campus Center; Drapkin Hall, home of the Lower School; Modell’s Sports Complex, which includes two gymnasiums and a weight room; and Graham Field and Solomon Field, which include tennis courts and sports fields.
