THE POTOMAC SCHOOL MCLEAN, VIRGINIA DIRECTOR OF THE K-12 ACADEMIC PROGRAM START DATE: JULY 1, 2019 POTOMACSCHOOL.ORG Mission Fast Facts At The Potomac School, we believe Founded: 1904 that intellectual development, love of Head of School: John Kowalik learning, and strength of character Grades Served: K-12 are complementary, and equally Students: 1,054 essential, educational goals. With a Divisions: 4 firm commitment to our core values Campus: 90+ acres and a rigorous academic program, we Mascot: Panthers prepare students to lead lives of purpose, Full & Part-time Faculty: 161 achievement, and generosity of spirit. Faculty with Advanced Degrees: 114 THE POSITION The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, seeks an experienced administrator to serve as Director of the K-12 Academic Program effective July 2019. Potomac enjoys an extraordinary reputation as one of the top independent K-12 day schools in the nation; the School enrolls 1,054 students on a spectacular 90-acre campus just minutes from Washington, D.C. Since its founding near Washington’s Dupont Circle in 1904, Potomac School’s educational philosophy has defined the learning process as an exploratory endeavor driven by students’ natural curiosity and interests. From kindergarten through 12th grade, Potomac faculty seek to develop engaged learners who possess both the intellectual abilities and the character traits needed to thrive in a rapidly changing and demanding society. Each year, Potomac students produce impressive test scores and college placement results, yet the School does not view these metrics as the singular goal of its educational program. With applications at the highest level to date, the appointment of John Kowalik as Head of School, the development of several signature programs, and a century of academic excellence behind it, Potomac is entering one of the most exciting periods in its history. The Director of the K-12 Academic Program will provide oversight and leadership of Potomac’s educational program, assist with faculty hiring, and help implement strategic priorities and school initiatives. As a member of Potomac’s senior leadership team, s/he will work closely with the Head of School, Assistant Head of School, and four Division Heads. The Director of the K-12 Academic Program will be a bright, energetic leader with strong classroom experience, who functions as an independent-minded but team-oriented player. S/he will be able to ensure alignment of the divisions’ curricula by working collaboratively with faculty and fellow The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Fast Facts Students Enrolled: 272 Zip Codes Represented: 26 Students of Color: 36% Student to Faculty Ratio: 7 to 1 Faculty and Staff of Color: 51% Faculty Holding Advanced Degrees: 74% Athletic Teams: 8 competitive varsity and junior varsity teams Endowment: $2.5 million Total Financial Aid Awarded for 17-18: $1.4 million Students Receiving Financial Aid for 17-18: 21% administrators. Additionally, s/he will provide leadership for the K-12 Academic Council, Fellows program, faculty growth and development, learning support specialists, and the divisional Academic Deans and Department Chairs. The Director of the K-12 Academic Program will be an effective and organized manager, a compelling public speaker with a strong intellect, as well as a fair-minded, transparent, and engaged leader who values interpersonal relationships and genuinely enjoys working with faculty, students, and their parents. SCHOOL HISTORY From a modest opening enrollment of 48 students in 1904, The Potomac School has grown remarkably in size, as well as tradition and reputation. Founded by three women with an interest in education, Potomac was incorporated in 1907 and functioned as a K-8 school for many years. The war years led to an influx of families to the Washington, D.C. area, and Potomac adapted to meet the needs of a growing student body. By the mid-40s, an expanded campus had become a critical need, prompting the purchase of 55 acres in McLean, Virginia, in 1948. Despite the loss of a few urban families when the new campus opened outside of DC in 1951, Potomac’s move to what had formerly been farmland in McLean proved fruitful and prophetic. The school has continued to expand and improve the facilities on a self- contained campus that now covers more than 90 acres (just minutes away from the nation’s capital). Potomac opened its Upper School in 1987, and within a decade, the school was fully enrolled with 875 students across all grades. In 2004—its centennial year—Potomac lifted its enrollment cap of 875, and subsequently renovated and expanded the Upper School, adding a second building that opened in 2006. A new Lower School opened three years later, and the Intermediate School was substantially renovated in 2012. A Middle School renovation is likely among the next capital projects. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com THE SCHOOL In recent years, Potomac has made a concerted effort to manage the unprecedented institutional growth it has enjoyed. By fostering deep mentoring connections between students, families, and faculty, Potomac maintains its unique character and intimate atmosphere, hallmarks of a school community that today engages 1,054 students and 161 faculty. All four divisions—the Lower School (K-3), Middle School (4-6), Intermediate School (7- 8), and Upper School (9-12)—are located on the same campus, just three miles outside of Washington, D.C. Potomac’s contained campus is not only a rarity for a school of its size in a metropolitan area, but also serves to promote and sustain a key cultural belief across all grades: Students learn best when they learn together. Potomac faculty work across departments and divisions to ensure that students are encouraged to explore a broad array of subjects from traditional courses to specialized electives, unearth authentic passions, and build upon these interests over the course of their academic careers. Potomac students thrive in an educational environment that combines high academic achievement with an emphasis on the skills and qualities needed to lead exemplary lives. Graduates leave Potomac as compassionate independent thinkers with a keen sense of social consciousness, personal integrity, and academic vigor—upholding their alma mater’s longstanding reputation as a top-tier educational institution. Enthusiasm for the school has never been stronger, with students coming from more than 100 zip codes in Virginia, Maryland, and the District. Parents express that they have chosen Potomac for its personalized, whole-child approach to education. They “love the way it feels as a school,” and The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com appreciate the school’s “amazing teachers who get kids to do ‘hard learning’ and to become lifelong learners.” They also recognize that at Potomac, the relationships between faculty and families are special in that there seems to be an extra level of commitment, both by families to the school and by the school to the students and families that it serves. Admission to Potomac is extremely competitive and divided across five entry-points: Kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade, 7th grade, and 9th grade. The student-teacher ratio schoolwide is approximately eight to one. The Potomac School is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) and holds membership in Independent Education (IE) and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). ACADEMICS Lower School Students in the Lower School begin to cultivate their innate curiosity in kindergarten through grade three, developing a love of learning and gaining early preparation to meet and exceed high academic standards in the years to come. Teachers weave language arts, social studies, and math into interactive, integrated lessons. Weekly art, science, music, physical education, library, and technology classes, as well as collaborative learning activities and community service projects, supplement the Lower School curriculum. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Middle School The Middle School encompasses grades four through six, where students are encouraged to maintain their curiosity and creativity while stretching their self-confidence and self-advocacy. A primary goal of this division is to develop critical thinkers with strong reading and writing skills. Dedicated teachers work to engage every student in the learning process, fostering academic and personal growth through an inquiry-based curriculum. Intermediate School Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities of early adolescence, Potomac features a separate division focused exclusively on the educational needs of seventh and eighth graders. A central goal of the Intermediate School curriculum is to equip its students with the critical thinking and study skills they will need to succeed in the Upper School. Led by dedicated teachers who serve as advisors and mentors as well as instructors, students gain a foundation in the core subjects as well as many electives. They also learn how to leverage new technologies to organize, explore, and communicate information in innovative ways. All students in the Intermediate School participate in some form of athletic activity four days a week, and many elect to engage in other extracurriculars, such as the digital newspaper,