Woodlynde School Strafford, Pennsylvania Head of School Start Date: July 1, 2019 woodlynde.org Mission Woodlynde School serves students with diverse learning styles and empowers them to become strategic learners and self-advocates in an environment that provides both challenge and support.

Position Overview

“I was always underestimated until I got here. I have proved everybody wrong!”

So stated a senior to the all-school daily assembly one morning in early March. While most schools do a great job in many ways, it is no exaggeration to say that Woodlynde School regularly and invariably changes lives…. the lives of the students who go there and the lives of their families. Coming from a variety of other schools, public and private, these capable students who happen to learn differently, find in Woodlynde School a place where they are accepted, supported, and provided the tools to succeed in college and in life. The educators who work at Woodlynde are a passionate, compassionate, dedicated, and highly skilled lot whose uncommon devotion to their students is rewarded every day by seeing the unmistakable impact of the work they do.

Located on a spacious campus in beautiful Strafford, Pennsylvania on ’s famous Main Line, Woodlynde enrolls about 275 boys and girls in grades K-12. With a variety of learning differences, these bright students are supported in a college-prep program by trained learning specialists, subject matter experts, and arts and athletics teachers in a 4:1 student-faculty ratio environment. With many consecutive years of balanced budgets, the school is well into a capital campaign to bring much needed additional spaces to the school.

Many parents relate a journey of trying a variety of schools with limited success, only to find instant warmth and community, caring, and acceptance at Woodlynde. Described as a both physically and emotionally “safe” place, the school welcomes students from an amazing diversity of backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and learning styles.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Following a very successful eight-year run, during which he was acclaimed for having brought the school to great success, the current Head is leaving at the end of the 2017-18 school year to head a school in another state. A highly skilled interim Head will lead Woodlynde during the 2018-19 year to pave the way for a new permanent Head to start in the summer of 2019.

School History

Founded in 1976 by a small group of parents, Woodlynde opened its doors on a former Episcopal diocesan estate called “Denbigh” in Gulph Mills. Starting with an enrollment of approximately 40 students, Woodlynde’s student body grew each year under the first head of school, Jack Hughes.

Appointed Head of School in 1981, John M. “Hench” Murray implemented programs that established Woodlynde as a school that offers differentiated instruction to accommodate a wide variety of learning styles. Woodlynde flourished and upon purchasing the former Strafford Elementary School in 1984, moved to its present campus. In 1990 then-Board Chair David P. Montgomery launched the “New Generation” campaign in support of a new Lower School wing, an additional cafeteria, and a photography dark room.

Woodlynde continued to flourish under the leadership of Head of School Jack Rogers, with the support of Board Chairs Kay Thomas and Michael Stiles. New outreach programs were established, and community service became a cornerstone of the Woodlynde educational experience.

Upon Jack Rogers’ retirement in 2004, Hench Murray returned as Head of School until 2009 when Woodlynde’s current Head, Dr. Christopher Fulco, was selected by the Board, faculty, and staff. With

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com the support of past Board Chair Jane Mullany and current Board Chair Maryann O’Conor, Dr. Fulco has overseen a dramatic expansion of Woodlynde’s academic, learning support, college guidance, and student life programs. He also led the school’s first major gift campaign in over 20 years in support of Woodlynde’s newly enhanced campus.

The School

Woodlynde School is an independent, coeducational, college prep day school located on a beautifully landscaped 12-acre campus in suburban Philadelphia that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based academic program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia), executive function disorder, ADD/ADHD, auditory processing disorder, or simply need a small classroom environment in order to be successful.

Woodlynde is proud of its positive impact on the whole family and is a valued and committed community leader and resource. The Woodlynde School Literacy Institute presents free speakers, panels, and workshops comprised of regional and national experts in the field of learning differences for Woodlynde families, educational and medical professionals, and those in the greater Philadelphia region. Past speakers and events included Dr. Ned Hallowell, Dr. Tamar Chansky, Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Dr. Jennifer Jackson Holden, and dyslexia simulations presented by PBIDA. Woodlynde School also offers The Capstone Program, a post-graduate program in partnership with Rosemont College, as well as a regional summer camp for students who learn differently.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com The school is accredited by the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), which is a member in good standing of the National Association of Independent Schools’ Commission on Accreditation (NAIS), and the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Woodlynde is an active member of the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS).

Woodlynde’s Unique Relationship with Public School Districts

Woodlynde School is somewhat unique in the world of private schools in that the school sometimes receives public school dollars to educate students. Approximately 11% of Woodlynde students are fully funded by their public-school districts through direct district placements or settlement agreements. These students come from 15 school districts reaching from northern Delaware to the Lehigh Valley and into New Jersey. The school provides testimony to be considered by hearing officers in due- process hearings and/or court cases. At times, Woodlynde’s Head of School is expected to testify in hearings about Woodlynde’s strategies and services and the appropriateness of these services for individual students. This can require several hours in a hearing being examined and cross examined by attorneys.

Woodlynde School benefits from the PA state law that requires all school districts to provide transportation for their students to any school, public or private, that is located within 10 miles of the closest boundary of that school district. Currently, 27 school districts provide transportation to Woodlynde School for students. In addition, Woodlynde contracts with a private transportation provider for two additional geographic areas, as well as providing its own van driver for students in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia van operates on a first-come-first-served basis and is predominantly used for the Lower School students.

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Woodlynde maintains a high standard of excellence in all that it does, with a commitment to providing the latest in proven instructional methods. A comprehensive education program includes multi- sensory instruction, metacognition, differentiated instruction, responsive classroom, and the Wilson Reading System®. Woodlynde utilizes a variety of assistive technologies to help students learn to their full potential. All students participate in a 1:1 laptop program. Each student in grades 6-12 receives a laptop loaded with cutting-edge technology tailored to their individual learning needs that they can use both in school and at home.

Woodlynde students benefit from a challenging college-prep curriculum enhanced by expert and caring teachers, learning specialists, and school counselors who collaborate across disciplines and divisions to shape each child’s educational path. Individual learning profiles are shared among faculty, staff and parents, and they continually document the learning strategies proven to support student success.

What makes Woodlynde School unique and so successful is the depth and breadth of its academic, social, and emotional support services that are fully integrated with its rigorous college prep program. These in-house services are provided by expert and attentive faculty members who care about Woodlynde students as both learners and as people. Woodlynde’s support programs themselves are not only incorporated into the school day, they also extend beyond to provide the extra help families may need as they navigate their child’s educational and developmental progress. The Homework Assistance Program (HAP) for students in grades 6-12 teaches successful study and homework strategies on weekdays after school. For parents who want to go above and beyond what Woodlynde provides in the classroom and after school, the Woodlynde Tutoring Program offers extra support in any subject area for any grade.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 5 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Foundations FOUNDATIONS (grades K-2) offers the youngest students the benefit of a small, nurturing environment designed for those critical first years of a child’s education. A dedicated staff of master teachers lead small classes of no more than 10 students through a curriculum that includes a comprehensive approach to literacy, research-based math instruction, a full age-appropriate science and social studies curriculum, and art and music programs formulated for early learners. Knowing students learn at different paces, flexible grouping between grades levels for math and reading is used. Social and emotional learning is embedded into classroom learning and division culture, and the After- School CARES homework and social program is available to students in the division.

Lower School Grades 3-5 at Woodlynde focus on creating an environment of academic, social, and emotional success for each student in classes that are intentionally small, with a maximum of 14 students and two teachers per class. Accredited and highly-trained teachers provide strategic instruction to develop reading comprehension, math problem solving, written expression, and information processing. Students in this division develop strategies to become independent learners through instruction that works towards automatizing skills and freeing working memory. Modeling, micro-units, and clear guidelines allow students to achieve “big ideas” and goals one step at a time. Arts, crafts, Kodaly music, drama, physical education, and buddy activities ensure the whole child is nurtured throughout Lower School.

Middle School In grades 6-8, students are encouraged to develop and apply learning strategies across a rich and multidisciplinary curriculum as they are prepared for the academic, social, and emotional transition to grades 9-12. The curriculum is a challenging academic program that teaches students to make

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 6 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com connections and draw conclusions by learning how to apply their knowledge gained to real world contexts. Classes have an average of 10 students, and grades 6-8 offer leveled sections of each class to ensure students are learning in an optimal environment. Hands-on and multi-sensory instruction emphasizes the interdisciplinary relationship among subjects and develops students’ abilities to become critical and strategic thinkers. An Academic Lab is built into each student’s schedule, allowing time for teaching and strengthening time management and organizational skills. A dedicated learning specialist assigned to each grade level in Middle School and the After-School Homework Assistant Program led by Woodlynde teachers are just some of the resources available to Middle School students that ensure they transition from one grade to the next successfully and are prepared for the challenges of Upper School.

Upper School A challenging college prep curriculum, senior college courses, and a dedicated College Guidance Program all make up the Upper School for grades 9-12. The overall goal of the division is to prepare students for success both academically and socially in college. Faculty utilize the small classes which average 8-12 students to explain the importance and application of the material presented and to directly teach effective study habits and strategies for mastering the material. Honors and Advanced Placement options are available, in addition to 32 electives covering a wide range of topics, and dual-enrollment programs with Cabrini College and Landmark College can provide up to six transferable college credits. The well-rounded experience in Upper School also includes a speaker series on topics important to older students, including safe driving, mental health, healthy decision making, and more. In turn, students evolve into independent learners and self-advocates, ready for the challenges of college.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 7 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com College Matriculation The following is a sampling of the colleges and universities from which Woodlynde alumni have graduated:

American University Arizona State University Boston University Bowdoin College Bucknell University Clark University Columbia University Dickinson College Drew University Elon University Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Franklin & Marshall College George Mason University Hampshire College High Point University Howard University Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University An individualized and robust College Guidance Program Kent State University provides information and guidance to assist students King’s College in creating post-secondary options that best suit each LaSalle University student’s academic, social, and emotional needs. The Lynchburg College goal is for all students to have several appropriate Marist College options for further education, either formal or alternative. New York University The office is prepared to help students explore options Northeastern University including two- and four-year colleges as well as other Oberlin College non-traditional opportunities. In recent years, 100% of Parsons School of Design seniors have been accepted into college, and on average Pepperdine University 95% matriculate the following fall. Quinnipiac University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Sarah Lawrence College Arts and Athletics Skidmore College Saint Joseph’s University Woodlynde students have traditionally demonstrated Syracuse University great interest and talent in the creative and performing Trinity College arts. Through four key areas of focus—journalism, music, Tulane University performing arts, and visual arts—students have the University of California opportunity to not only further their current abilities, but University of Maryland also to expand their interests and talents into new areas. University of Pennsylvania The school boasts an award-winning student newspaper, The Informer, and students can elect to join the Aurora Washington College yearbook staff. Each division stages a drama, comedy, or Wheeling Jesuit University musical production during the school year, supplemented

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 8 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com by a variety of other performances including the Annual Talent Show. The visual arts program offers a range of media, and each division has a certified art teacher.

Athletics is a cornerstone of the Woodlynde School experience. With 17 sports teams, athletics at Woodlynde is an essential component to the school’s commitment to student personal growth. Participation in athletics has a positive impact on a student’s academics, social growth, emotional development, and healthy lifestyle. Whether a student is an avid athlete or new to team sports, Woodlynde develops its student-athletes in a safe and positive environment. Participation provides far more than sports; it provides life-skills that will follow students long after they graduate from Woodlynde. Team offerings include cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, golf, lacrosse, softball, and ultimate frisbee.

Student Life

Woodlynde School is committed to actively engaging students in learning more about themselves both in and out of the classroom. Through the robust Athletics Program, wide array of Creative and Performing Arts Programs, and the L.E.A.D. Student Life Program, there is something for every student to discover, master, and enjoy.

The L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Experiences, Adventure, and Discovery) Student Life Program helps students in all divisions discover more about themselves and the world, develop and deepen their peer-to-peer relationships, build their self-confidence, and grow and mature as children and young adults. L.E.A.D. includes a wide array of after-school clubs, socials, day trips, overnight trips, and community volunteer and leadership opportunities. Some examples include LEGO Club and Science Explorers Club in FOUNDATIONS and Lower School, Comics and Gaming Club and Horseback Riding Club in Middle School, and Outdoors Club and Upper School Student Council in Upper School. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 9 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com The

Woodlynde is situated along the Main Line of Philadelphia, an informally delineated historical and social region of suburban western Philadelphia. Lying along the former Pennsylvania Railroad’s once prestigious Main Line, it runs northwest from Center City Philadelphia. Today, the Main Line is served by numerous different modes of transportation, including three commuter rail lines. Many Woodlynde students and faculty and staff members commute to school by train.

The surrounding communities of the Main Line cover about 200 square miles and became known by the railroad station names, including Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, and Paoli. Populations of Main Line communities range from nearly 6,000 to upwards of 30,000.

The Main Line communities are renowned for their education systems, including numerous nationally- ranked public schools and some of the most famous and exclusive private schools in the country such as Malvern Preparatory School, The , School, Baldwin School, , and The Shipley School, among others. Colleges and universities along the Main Line include , Haverford College, Saint Joseph’s University, and Villanova University.

Recreation and attractions along the Main Line are varied and expansive. Highlights include the Appleford Estate in Villanova, an arboretum and bird sanctuary; the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, which offers showings of classic movies, opera, film courses, and discussions; the Devon Horse Show, the oldest and largest multi-breed horse show in the U.S.; the King of Prussia Mall; and many country clubs and golf courses, including Merion Golf Club, ranked America’s seventh-best course.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 10 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Strengths of the School

Among many strengths at Woodlynde, the next Head will find:

• A deeply shared and widely embraced sense of community. All the school’s constituents speak with passion about a culture of care that embraces a culture of acceptance. • This embrace of a wide range of learning differences builds strong self-esteem in students and empowers them to not feel limited by their learning differences and to become advocates for themselves. • The faculty are universally and enthusiastically praised by parents as the strongest asset of the school. The faculty’s clear and demonstrated commitment to what is best for the individual student is palpable and extends to all areas of school life including athletics, clubs, weekend activities, and summer programs. • Parents report that not only is their child “valued and understood,” but they, too, feel understood. There is an immediate sense of “belonging” that parents and students feel from the “moment you step on campus.” • The school is recognized as a founding and leading practitioner of the Wilson Reading System® which very effectively uses the Orton Gillingham method of addressing learning differences. • The faculty exhibit an exceptionally high degree of collegiality and report strong support from the administration in a partnership of mutual respect. • The students fully reflect the mission of the school and give daily evidence of the culture of care and acceptance that is the hallmark of Woodlynde community. Visitors immediately feel the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the school. • The school has a long history of black-ink budgets and fiscal responsibility. • The school is proud of its record of 100% of its graduates going on to college.

Opportunities and Challenges

The school will be served by an interim Head for the 2018-19 school year who will, to varying degrees, address some of the most pressing issues. Following are some of the challenges and opportunities:

• It will be important for Woodlynde to continually assess changing student characteristics and the dynamics of the local market for Learning Differences education. Clarity of mission and whom the school serves will assure its long-term relevance and success. • The school must continue its efforts toward full enrollment, particularly in the Upper School. There is a need to become more deliberate, sophisticated, and targeted in both its marketing messages and delivery channels. Increasing retention rates of students best served by Woodlynde, particularly from grades 8 to 9, will be an important ongoing effort. • As the student population evolves, the school must likewise evolve its overall program, including curriculum, counseling, special services, and staffing, to continue its outstanding record of meeting student needs. • The Head will need to provide vision, motivation, support, and direction for keeping the exceptional faculty and staff current with emerging trends, thoughts, and practices in LD education. • The Head must set the “tone at the top” for understanding and empathizing with each family’s “LD journey,” and assure that the school provides appropriate education for the parents as well as students. • The new Head will be expected to complete the current Capital Campaign, build the facilities

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 11 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com funded by the campaign (including a student commons, classroom space, etc.) and develop plans for future facilities enhancements. • As part of the process of teaching real-world success skills, the school must continue to work hard on striking the right balance between providing needed student support and holding students accountable. • It will be important to develop clear and consistently-applied policies regarding parent engagement with the school and support at home for what is happening in the classroom. • The school seeks to have greater representation of all dimensions of diverse backgrounds among faculty, staff, and trustees to match the very diverse student and family populations. • There is an opportunity to partner with and assist the Board in its desire to migrate to a best- practices, fiduciary, fundraising, and oversight Board.

Desired Skills and Personal Attributes

• A warm, approachable, and highly visible presence that is affirming and demonstrates an empathetic and deep understanding of the journey of the families and students who have learning differences. • Experience with programs or schools that address learning differences is preferred but not required. • A love of children and an infectious passion for the mission and work of the school. • The ability to personally reflect Woodlynde’s values and its culture of care and acceptance, passionately articulate its vision, and inspire and motivate all constituencies. • The ability to delegate effectively in order to mobilize the remarkable commitment, energy, and passion present in the faculty, administration, staff, and the extended Woodlynde community. • Familiarity with capital campaigns and new-building construction would be very helpful. • Financial literacy and familiarity with the intersection of tuition/financial-aid/faculty compensation policies as key drivers of all-school budgets. • Excellent communication skills with teachers, parents, community members, and the Board of Trustees, keeping these groups appropriately informed of the school’s successes, potential issues, and/or its needs. • Ability to work closely and comfortably with the Board of Trustees in a true partnership in governance, leadership, and fundraising. • Understanding of and commitment to strategic external affairs, including admissions, fundraising, marketing, and broader community involvement.

[email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 12 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position; • A current résumé; • A one-page statement of your familiarity with Learning Differences Education, and your philosophy of serving this student population; • A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

Skip Kotkins Senior Consultant [email protected]

Peter O’Neill Senior Consultant [email protected]

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 13 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com