Head of School Opportunity Statement

OverviewFrom its founding more than a century ago, the driving force of The Madeira School is the education of girls. Empowering each girl to find and develop her own voice and her own distinct relationship with the world around her has been Madeira’s ongoing achievement for 116 years. Madeira educates girls in an intentionally structured population of boarding and day students, leveraging the benefits of both communities to enhance each other. The breathtaking 376-acre campus on a rural bluff over the Potomac, only 12 miles west of the nation’s capital, actively fuels Madeira’s academic vision and enriches its learning community.

Distinctive, pace-setting programs – co-Curricular internships, modular schedules, equestrian opportunities, to name a few – have been hallmarks for decades. The founding goals, geography, and programming are only part of Madeira’s vitality. Of parallel value are the features of Madeira’s internal community. Its highly diverse student body of 330 shares strong common bonds of respect and mutual support. Girls and their teachers honor and embrace individual interests and backgrounds; campus visitors note a lively camaraderie and joy. At Madeira, each girl pursues her personal best supported by an attentive, caring faculty, who are devoted to learning as well as teaching.

Madeira is well-positioned for the challenges of tomorrow: bounding forth on the springs of a recent strategic plan, fiscally sound, blessed with engaged, supportive alumnae, and open to a new leader’s vision and impact.

The Madeira School seeks an inspiring leader as its next Head of School to begin July 2023 or July 2024. The successful candidate will be an experienced educator who is excited about the opportunity to lead a uniquely effective school for girls, and is ready to embrace all that Madeira’s closely-knit community has to offer. Madeira’s 11th Head will be joining an institution committed to academic excellence, diversity and inclusion, and a highly-valued blend of boarding and day families.

Opportunities and Challenges

Madeira’s next Head will join the School at a promising time. Its most recent strategic plan expands the School’s acknowledged leadership in girls’ education as it deepens its commitment to make learning active and experiential, joyful, and personal. The strategic plan not only supports new and refined signature programs, but also sets forth an open framework that beckons a new leader’s vision and long-range thinking.

In alignment with the School’s commitment to equity and belonging, the successful candidate’s personal values and objectives for a rigorous, relevant secondary education should champion a commitment to building a community that welcomes differences and promotes genuine mutual respect. The next Head of School will need to:

• Continue to promote the deep sense of community that defines Madeira, including supporting and affirming a diverse range of students;

• Create a 21st century vision for residential education that preserves the rich history of Madeira while enhancing the School’s student-centered approach for both boarders and day girls;

• Build upon academic excellence; review and support current academic programs, while pursuing innovative curricula in the STEAM, equestrian and environmental fields;

• Define and develop long term strategies that balance enrollment priorities, demographics, and financial sustainability;

• Engage with alumnae, faculty, staff, and students in a visible and energetic way, modeling the importance of connections and relationships;

• Recruit and retain mission-aligned faculty and staff; support their wellness and professional growth to maximize their effectiveness and their relationships with students;

• Maximize the use of regional resources and external partnerships to continue Madeira’s dynamic co-curricular and experiential programs that promote the growth of individual students’ interests and their sense of responsibility beyond themselves;

• Support and enhance programs that promote student wellness, balance, and resilience;

• Manage and inspire implementation of the current strategic plan while generating compelling fresh aspirations for Madeira’s future;

• Prioritize the development and use of fiscal resources to support Madeira’s dynamic physical plant, and its commitment to land stewardship and sustainability.

Qualifications and Personal Attributes

The next Head of Madeira will bring an impressive record as an educator and a community builder who has previously served in roles of considerable responsibility. Chief among the many desired qualities and qualifications sought in the new Head are:

• A history of exceptional leadership in education, preferably with both experience in and understanding of residential learning communities;

• A desire to be participatory in the day-to-day life of a residential campus, working side-by-side with teachers, students and staff;

• Accessibility, empathy, and a sense of humor, with a predisposition to engage, and relate;

• A history of leadership and passion in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion;

• Leadership traits that combine warmth and collaboration with decisiveness and resolve;

• An attentiveness to Madeira’s long-range financial sustainability;

• An appreciation for the joys and challenges of girls’ development;

• An ability to build strong relationships and community support;

• An open mind and an appetite for exploration, professional development, and new ideas.

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;

• A current résumé;

• A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission).

As the process moves forward, selected candidates may be asked to submit:

• Additional writing samples and responses to writing prompts.

Heather

Flewelling | Chief Talent Officer/Consultant

Direct Line: 617-571-8268 | heather.flewelling@carneysandoe.com Office: Easthampton, MA

Robert L.

Fricker

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Practice Group Leader, Domestic Head of School

Direct Line: 510-508-6616 | bob.fricker@carneysandoe.com Office: Hamden, CT

Lisa S. Parsons | Consultant

Direct Line: 860-305-9429 | lisa.parsons@carneysandoe.com Office: Weston, MA