CHILDREN’S DAY SCHOOL San Francisco, California

ASSISTANT HEAD OF COMMUNITY, EQUITY AND BELONGING Start Date: July 2021 cds-sf.org Mission At Children’s Day School, what you learn and who you become are equally important.

CDS is a welcoming community in the big city, a farm and garden among urban streets, an advocate for responsibility to others as well as individual achievement, an independent school with down-to- earth values, always asking how we can do this better.

We strive for balance so students become both academically successful and grounded. They leave CDS confident, with the humility to listen and the resolve to speak up for what they see as right. Beliefs Learning is Active, Differences Lift Us, Community Matters Values Be Just and Courageous, Share Kindness and Joy, Stay Grounded

OVERVIEW

Children’s Day School (CDS) is a co-educational preschool through eighth-grade school serving over 481 students in the Mission Dolores neighborhood of San Francisco. Spanning two campuses, and home to a diverse community of students, faculty, and families, CDS is a vibrant learning community grounded in its newly adopted Mission, Beliefs, and Values.

At CDS, teachers believe that when children are encouraged to fully engage with complex topics in myriad ways, they are learning the tools to become lifelong learners and passionate citizens of the world. Through a constructivist education, students at CDS grow into engaged community members through a unique combination of service, experiential learning, and social justice education.

Assuming the role in July 2021, CDS is seeking an Assistant Head of Community, Equity and Belonging (AHoCEB) who is responsible for engaging with internal and external stakeholders to advance racial equity and inclusion in all aspects of the school’s culture and organizational practice. Reporting to the Head of School, and a member of the executive leadership and senior administrative team, the AHoCEB will be charged with leading a strategic effort to deepen our institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through innovation in enrollment strategies, marketing, communications, and community partnerships. Leading and supervising a team that includes the Directors of Enrollment Management, Inclusion, and Communications, the AHoCEB will partner closely with the Head of School, the Senior Leadership Team, and the Board of Trustees to forward and amplify the school’s Mission, Beliefs, and Values.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 2 Fast Facts Total students: 481 Students of color: 49.9% Admin and support staff: 30 Total faculty: 66 Faculty of color: 50% Faculty with advanced degrees: 53% School-wide student/teacher ratio: 1:8

THE SCHOOL

Children’s Day School is an independent coeducational school for students in preschool through eighth grade. Founded in 1983 as a preschool, CDS was incorporated in 1996 as a non-profit independent school with a vision grounded in principles of social justice and socio-economic diversity.

Today, CDS educates 481 students on two campuses. The school provides an intimate and effective learning environment with low student-to-teacher ratios—1:8 in preschool, 1:12 in kindergarten, and a schoolwide ratio of 1:8. CDS is characterized by an inclusive environment and is proud of its commitment to diversity and to welcoming families from across the San Francisco Bay Area, including from 15 different zip codes. Over a quarter (26%) of students are on sliding scale tuition. Students of color account for 49.9% of the population, 7.5% are from LGBTQ-headed households, and 5% are from single-parent households. The 66-member faculty is similarly diverse, with 50% people of color.

Teaching and learning are grounded in the school’s 11 Learning Beliefs. Academics at CDS draw on the principles of constructivism—an educational philosophy that emphasizes active learning, interdisciplinary thinking, emotional intelligence, and civic-mindedness. Hands-on, project-based learning enables students to develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills across a curriculum that includes math, language arts, social studies, science, Spanish, art, music, and physical education.

The school is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), as well as many national bodies promoting diversity, curriculum excellence, and professional development.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 3 COMMUNITY

CDS has a thriving and lively community. Visitors and longtime school members agree that this is one of the defining characteristics of the school. From the moment you step foot onto campus, the school’s family-like atmosphere welcomes faculty and staff and offers opportunities to join together to create a special community.

All-school and student traditions play a major role in CDS’ strong community. The school has a variety of activities in which students, parents, and families come together to participate in a learning community. Examples include Friday Morning Assembly, led by one class each week as students present a project or classroom topic; County Fair, where the community gathers to celebrate the farm and garden program and enjoy barbecue, games, and live music; Martin Luther King Jr. and Harvey Milk observances; and the Passing the Torch Ceremony, where each class imparts wisdom and advice to the class below.

A strong CDS Parent Teacher Trustee Association (PTTA), parent education program, and other initiatives round out the already robust opportunities the school offers to build community.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

School life at CDS embodies diversity and inclusiveness. Through various means, including sliding scale tuition, the school consciously works to ensure an atmosphere where all members of the community feel welcome and accepted, and where the students are always at the center of the conversation. CDS understands that creating such an environment is an ongoing process, so it creates opportunities for connection, reflection, and dialogue in order to foster a culture of inclusion. Most recently, the school

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 4 published its Antiracism Statement which heralds a call to action and gives rise to a series of antiracist action plans.

The Committee on Inclusion and Diversity (COID) was created by the Board in 2007 in order to ensure a diverse CDS community and provide strategic direction. It has since been renamed the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee with an ongoing taskforce comprised of faculty, administrators, and parents. Recent or ongoing initiatives include creating the CDS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit; partnering with families through Gender Support Plans; and hosting Adult Education Nights for parents. Further, teachers on JEDI facilitate professional development for faculty and staff, lead affinity groups for students, and integrate work on social justice into the curriculum.

A commitment to fostering social justice pervades the community. A key priority is for students to develop a sense of agency and to understand that they can make a difference in the world and have a duty to try. Teachers consciously construct a curriculum that provides an anti-bias education and work to build within students an understanding of who they are within the context of a wider world, empowering them to be active participants in society.

CDS has continually worked to be a leader in developing students’ political awareness and social engagement. At each grade level, teachers engage students in intentional, age-appropriate discussions of relevant social issues, often drawn from current events. These explorations are woven into academic units of study, service learning projects, and community-wide initiatives. By the time students leave middle school, they have developed social perspectives as well as the agency to thrive—and lead—as members of the adult world.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 5 ACADEMICS

In preschool, academic skills are woven into a rich selection of daily activities. At any given time, students may choose from several indoor and outdoor activities including those that build reading, math, science, and dramatic play skills. Morning and afternoon meetings bookend the day, providing a time for students to come together as a full class, discuss the day’s events, and sing songs.

In the lower school program for kindergarten through fourth grade, CDS students immerse themselves in project-based, interdisciplinary activities to develop an enthusiasm for learning and to build core skills. Reading, writing, spelling, grammar, math, science, and social sciences are the building blocks of the elementary curriculum. In addition to the unique and much-loved Farm and Garden program, specialist teachers lead students in art, music, Spanish, and physical education. Throughout the day, students benefit from plenty of outdoor time.

CDS’ middle school for grades 5-8 recognizes each child’s unique approach to learning and prepares students for high school through a rich and varied program of interdisciplinary work. The core of academics in the middle school revolves around math, science, humanities, and Spanish with a weekly extended “Project Time” to allow for an even greater degree of focused, hands-on exploration. The core curricular areas are supplemented with a rich study of art, drama, and music. Middle schoolers also rotate through two additional specialist classes each year, spending one semester in Innovation Lab and one semester in Food and Agricultural Sciences (FAS), an organic progression of the Lower School Farm and Garden curriculum.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 6 High School Placement The independent and faith-based high schools offering places to the graduates of the Classes of 2016-2020 include but aren’t limited to:

Academy of Thought and Industry Bishop O’Dowd High School Cate School Convent of the Sacred Heart Crystal Springs Uplands School Drew School Head Royce School International High School Jewish Community High School Lick-Wilmerding High School Lusher Charter School Marin Academy Maybeck School Mercy High School ATHLETICS New Hampton School Northfield Mount Hermon CDS Bulldog Athletics is an after-school sports program Proctor Academy that offers four sports over three seasons during the Sterne High School academic year. Students can participate in co-ed cross- Stevenson School country, co-ed volleyball, girls’ and boys’ basketball, and Stuart Hall High School girls’ and boys’ futsal, a game similar to indoor soccer. The Bay School The Bentley School All middle school students are welcome to participate in the The College Preparatory School CDS After School Sports Program which follows a no-cut policy. Starting in fifth grade, students may participate in The Urban School of San junior varsity cross country and developmental teams for Francisco volleyball, basketball, and futsal. Sixth and seventh-grade The Webb School students may participate at the junior varsity or varsity University High School levels for all four sports. Eighth-grade students may only Waldorf High School participate at the varsity level for all four sports. Public schools include: CDS is part of the San Francisco Athletic League (SFAL). Balboa High School Other participating schools include Live Oak, Burke’s, City Arts and Tech High School Lycée Français, SF Friends School, SF School, Kittredge, Design Tech High School Synergy, CAIS, Presidio Hill School, and KIPP Academy. George Washington High School Leadership High School Lowell High School Oakland Technical High School Ruth Asawa School of the Arts

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 7 STUDENT LIFE

Children’s Day School ensures students have opportunities to explore, make their own decisions, and grow confident in their skills and passions. Believing that an effective education includes experiences outside the classroom, CDS offers a multitude of chances for students to continue to learn and discover.

The Extended Day Program offers a balance of age-appropriate organized activities and supervised free play from preschool to middle school. The after-school program provides academic and recreational activities. Teachers take full advantage of the school’s facilities and protected acre of land, offering options including team games, art and music, cooking, gardening, and specialty enrichment classes. These classes, taught by CDS teachers, community teachers, and instructors from local organizations, meet for approximately one hour a week after school.

CAMPUS

The CDS footprint is an important part of San Francisco’s Mission Dolores neighborhood. The school’s founding campus, which houses preschool through fourth grade, is located at 333 Dolores Street, directly across from the historic Mission Dolores and behind Notre Dame Plaza. The 1.2-acre campus includes the preschool (housed in three bungalow classrooms), St. Joseph’s Hall (home to kindergarten through fourth grade), and the Farm and Garden.

Visitors to campus will find students outside on the basketball courts and doing farm chores. Inside St. Joseph’s Hall, children meet in small groups to work on projects, conduct science experiments, and gather for morning meeting. The founding campus is also a gathering location for parents to mingle over coffee after Friday drop-off or attend a parent education event. CARNEYSANDOE.COM 8 In 2011, CDS acquired an 18,000 square-foot building at 601 Dolores Street, just a few blocks down from the founding campus. Renovation was completed in 2015 and the building now houses the middle school. Founders’ Hall provides space for students to gather and perform, and the Innovation Lab encourages collaboration and sharing of knowledge. Middle school students also enjoy two state-of- the-art science labs, a rooftop garden, a teaching kitchen, nine dynamic classrooms, and breakout study spaces.

In 2008, the school purchased an adjacent building on 16th Street for administrative offices and student learning spaces.

Both campus locations and the Community Library & Center for Inquiry allow CDS to enhance its involvement in the Mission neighborhood. Students are regularly involved in projects that impact their local community, from working with neighboring senior citizens to gathering food and clothing for those in need.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Though small in physical area—a compact seven-by-seven-mile grid of narrow streets and avenues at the tip of a peninsula—San Francisco’s impact on the nation’s economic, technological, social, and political landscapes is immense. Today the city is a hub for progressive social movements, high tech, and global commerce.

Many characteristics define San Francisco in the American psyche—the elegant Golden Gate Bridge, Victorian row houses, cable cars, rolling fog, Alcatraz Island, and majestic redwood forests. While a popular tourist destination, the city also ranks high on lists of the country’s—and world’s—most livable

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 9 cities. Comprised of 11 distinct and colorful neighborhoods including the famous Chinatown and Haight Ashbury districts, San Francisco offers a thriving economy, a vibrant and open-minded cultural scene, and an exceptionally mild year-round climate.

The city attracts a diversity of people, from entrepreneurs and environmentalists to artists and engineers, from foodies and families to anyone drawn to an active, outdoorsy lifestyle. While traffic and parking in the city can be challenging, San Francisco boasts one of the nation’s most sophisticated public transit systems. The city’s compact layout and pleasant weather make it pedestrian-friendly in most months as well. In addition to San Francisco’s well-known tourist attractions, the city boasts a vibrant music and arts scene and is a popular site for cultural events and festivals. San Francisco residents tend to be avid fans of the Giants (MLB) and the 49ers (NFL).

Mission Dolores is the oldest neighborhood in San Francisco (yet still described as one of the “coolest”) and is a sub-area of the much larger Mission District. Small but mighty and energetic, this neighborhood offers an abundant supply of attractive and well-maintained homes, including classic Victorians and Edwardians. Because of its hills, Mission Dolores provides striking views of San Francisco’s downtown and the East Bay beyond. With its central location, a variety of amenities, attractions, and world-class cultural outlets are within walking distance, including shopping and restaurants. Dolores Park provides sunny green space for San Franciscans to gather, picnic, walk, and enjoy the spectacular skyline.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 10 OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

• Shaping a new and aspirational, yet not fully defined position. • Strategically leading the inclusion, enrollment management, and communications office to centralize the internal and external messaging of the school with an equity lens. • Reimagining the Diversity and Inclusion work across the school to include the potential hiring of personnel or appointment of teachers to support the work. • Collaborating with the Board to actualize the recommendations of the JEDI Taskforce. • Strengthening relationships between the school and local community to introduce opportunities for collaboration and partnership. • Working in the dynamic, urban environment of San Francisco at a school that has invested in diversifying across multiple identifiers including race and socioeconomic status. • Balance innovation and tradition in a growing school. • Joining a school with a well-established and distinctive vision for progressive education, an adult community that models the Learning Beliefs it cultivates in its students, and that is eager to engage more deeply to mission alignment with equity and inclusion.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The essential duties/responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Leadership • Amplify and champion CDS to internal and external constituencies. • Support school-wide work to serve the CDS Mission, Beliefs, and Values.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 11 • Develop a communication strategy that articulates and amplifies the school’s commitment to intellectual diversity, equity, and inclusion. • Lead school-wide strategic efforts to realize the CDS values of social justice, inclusion, and equity. • Support dialogue that includes differences of opinion along multiple continuums while recognizing that CDS values overlay all human interactions and expectations. • Foster a culture that emphasizes strong personal relationships, communication transparency, and innovation. • Work collaboratively with Board J and serve as the school liaison for the board around issues of inclusion and enrollment. • In collaboration with the leadership team and faculty, work to implement anti-racist action plans and other inclusion initiatives. • Lead/Develop/Source ongoing programming for families and faculty/staff in the areas of diversity, identity, equity, and inclusion in collaboration with the Director of Inclusion and Director of Curriculum and Program Innovation. • In collaboration with the Enrollment Management team, design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive enrollment management program built upon qualitative analysis, strategic decision- making, and an ethos of continuous improvement that prioritizes the recruitment of families from diverse backgrounds. • Lead ongoing admission work to support the goals of the enrollment process. • Oversee the development, design, and implementation of short and long-term family, community, and partner engagement strategies that are aligned with strategic initiatives related to inclusion and enrollment. • Participate in the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty and staff. • Gather community feedback to determine the direction and focus of DEIJ work.

CARNEYSANDOE.COM 12 DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to embrace the ambiguity and opportunities for this inaugural position and to work collaboratively with others to shape and define the role; an entrepreneurial spirit. • Knowledge of best practices in equity and inclusion work and the requisite skillfulness to support student, faculty, administrator, and Board growth in this area and to facilitate critical conversations in the design of more inclusive curriculum and programs. • The ability to articulate mission-aligned vision and strategy and the tactical skills necessary to deftly manage the systems and processes necessary to implement strategy. • A collaborator with highly effective communication skills: inclination to listen to understand; clear and compelling written and verbal skills. • A self-assured and collaborative strong leadership style with ability to work with broad constituencies in an approachable, optimistic, and diplomatic manner. • A systems-thinker with excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and great follow through, who can guide the school toward institutional equity and inclusion. • Excellent organizational and leadership skills. • Significant leadership experience (5-7 years) in strategic engagement, school operations, enrollment management, inclusion, or marketing/communications in an independent school, university, or nonprofit organization.

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) to:

Lawrence Alexander Search Consultant [email protected]

Chris Boyle Consultant [email protected]

Seliat Dairo Associate [email protected]

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