Head of School - The Harley School

Harley School is pleased to work with DRG to conduct this search.The School Vision: We envision a thriving world in which we all become our truest and best selves.Mission: We are a diverse, inclusive community of learners rooted in empathy, strengthened by challenge and exploration, and emboldened to act with care for each other and the world.Values: Joy in Learning, Diverse Community, Academic Excellence, Mental and Physical Wellness, SustainabilityDiversity Statement: The Harley School believes diversity enriches all groups or communities, and the individuals that are a part of them. Diversity of race, ethnicity, geographical origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, familial or economic status forms the fabric of our society. The Harley School seeks out students, families, and employees who value and contribute to the diversity of our institution and community.Program Harley is a student-centered school, throughout all of its programs. The School focuses on engaging students in their learning process, helping them become active learning agents with the autonomy they need to succeed at the next level. In an era focused on high stakes testing, Harley focuses on depth of learning over the broad general knowledge at the heart of most curricula.Proudly progressive, Harley emphasizes human connection within its educational framework, prioritizing the holistic development of everyone on campus. The School is dedicated to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment by continuously seeking to recognize and understand everyone’s lived experiences. This is an ongoing commitment which places listening, celebrating, and empowering students at the forefront, creating space where all community members feel safe to be their authentic selves.At Harley, Joy in Learning is more than just a motto. From the earliest grades, Harley’s play-based thematic approach sets the stage for hands-on, inquiry-driven learning at all levels. Despite the School’s relatively small size, it offers an impressive range of opportunities for its students. These programs include Sustainability Education and the Commons Building (with bee-keeping!), an impressive visual and performance artistic breadth (including glass working), focused and excellent athletic opportunities in conjunction with Allendale-Columbia School, and civic engagement that includes Horizons at Harley, the Briggs Center for Civic Engagement, and the life-changing Hospice Elective. STEAM programming is the focus of many schools these days, as it is at Harley. What might not be as common is the fact that 44% of Harvey alumni since 2007 are working in STEAM-related fields. Harley's reputation for fostering a supportive and enriching environment is lived out by every person who experiences it.All of these programs are informed by The Center for Mindfulness and Empathy Education, funded by an EE Ford grant. The Center has a mission to:Empower Nursery to Grade 12 teachers, students, staff, and parents with the requisite tools and support necessary to foster a sustained, compassionate presence through the development and nurturing of programs that demand authentic human engagement, stimulating our inborn capacity to compassionately connect to and understand others, embracing their situation as our own. Strengths and the Challenges Ahead In a community-wide survey, the most frequently mentioned strengths of the School were:Strong sense of community and belonging -- you are known at HarleyDedicated and talented faculty and staff, with strong student-teacher relationships Emphasis on individualized learning and a student-centered approach Excellent college preparation and rigorous academic curriculum Variety of unique and innovative programs and offerings, including outdoor activities Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with broad exposure to community members from different backgrounds and engagement with a variety of unique perspectives and identities The same survey identified challenges facing the School: Hiring and retaining a strong faculty and staff. There are strong and long-serving faculty and staff throughout the school, but national staffing challenges are impacting Harley as well.Communication about identity and mission: while Harley is a leading independent school in Rochester, there are also strong public school options available. Community members see a unique opportunity for the next Head of School to embrace the Harley mission, reach out to the community, and make Harley’s commitments and value proposition clear. Financial sustainability: as in all independent schools, work in fund-raising, enrollment, and generating other revenues while examining expenses will be important for Harley’s future. Specific attention to middle school enrollment will be needed.Community fragmentation: turnover among Harley administrators and a strong sense of divisional and faculty autonomy have resulted in a degree of distance among different groups on campus.Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Harley’s strong commitment to this work comes with the challenge of moving the community forward while building a stronger and more connected community.Harley administrators, faculty, and staff are stretched thin while providing so many opportunities to students and supporting the Harley mission: what steps can be taken to support sustainability at the human level at Harley?RochesterAs you research Rochester (Rochester, New York - Wikipedia and Events | Visit Rochester), you will quickly see that the city’s quality of life stands out. In fact, US World and News Report recently placed it ninth among US cities.Speaking to community members, one hears their enthusiasm about the local farm-to-table movement, outdoor and winter activities, outstanding (and accessible) cultural opportunities, the lack of commuting hassles, a low cost of living, and outstanding healthcare and higher-education resources. You also hear that Rochester has been identified as one of the safest cities in the country when it comes to climate-related disasters: Are we ready to be a climate refuge? - Rochester Beacon.CompensationThe salary range for this position is $225,000 -- $300,000, along with a competitive benefits package.Who Should Apply Harley is looking for candidates attracted by the Harley mission and willing and eager to take on the challenges facing the school, including:building a strong sense of community and addressing issues of diversity and inclusiondeveloping a clear curriculum and retaining high-quality facultyshowing strong leadership skills while navigating the changing landscape of educationmanaging finances and overseeing strong work in enrollment management and fundraisingbuilding and maintaining strong relationships throughout the school The experiences and skills sought are independent school leadership experience, strong communication skills, the ability to inspire others, a vision for the future of the school, effective fundraising and financial management skills, experience in curriculum development and educational technology, strong interpersonal skills, empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to work collaboratively.CompetenciesUsing DRG’s proprietary Competency Generator, six core competencies most needed for success in the Harley head of school role were identified:Instills Trust – gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.Communicates Effectively – developing and sharing multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.Decision Quality – making good and timely decisions that keep the School moving forward.Manages Conflict – handling conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise.Ensures Accountability – holding staff and others accountable to meet commitments.Values Differences – recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to the School.Anticipated Search CalendarApplication Deadline: August 30, 2024Semifinalist Interviews: September 17-19, 2024Finalist Visits: October 3-10. 2024Starting Date: July 1, 2025Application Requirements and Search Process DRG Talent Advisory Group is conducting this search on behalf of The Harley School. To discuss this opportunity in more detail, contact our consultants:Andrew WatsonSenior Search Consultantawatson@drgtalent.com Jennifer FleischerSenior Search Consultantjfleischer@drgtalent.comCandidates should submit, as soon as possible, materials including the following:A cover letter indicating how The Harley School interests them and how they are qualified for the positionA current resumeA statement of educational/leadership philosophyThe names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of five references, to include the relationship with the references (we will obtain permission from candidates, at the finalist stage, before contacting references)Optional: other supporting material (articles, speeches, videos, or letters of recommendation) that would be useful to the Search CommitteeThis position description is based upon material provided by The Harley School, an equal-opportunity employer.