POSITION SPECIFICATION

The School and Its History

Saint Ann's School is one of a kind. It gives no grades, even in the high school. It offers its faculty tremendous freedom in creating curriculum. It views the arts as essential to the mission of the school: student paintings and sculptures crowd the main building's display windows in an anarchy of whimsical beauty; student poetry covers the stairwell walls; the notes of Bach, Coltrane and Nirvana, performed not only by the school's musical prodigies but, bravely, by its young scientists and historians, fill the grand, high-ceilinged lobby.

The school's emphasis on creativity enhances its intellectual energy and rigor in all disciplines. Both classicism and eccentricity electrify Saint Ann's. Infused by deep academic engagement in an atmosphere of informality and exuberance, the school represents an alternative — successful by any standard — to more traditional primary and secondary education. Its graduating seniors are matched with and accepted at outstanding colleges.

Located in Brooklyn Heights, in New York City, the school community includes 1,090 students from preschool through 12th grade, and 267 faculty, administration and security staff members on an eclectic campus: a main 13-story building with a freshly restored 19th century facade, a new lower school building, two adjoining brownstones, and a preschool and kindergarten located nearby.

Non-sectarian and co-educational, Saint Ann's was founded in 1965 with 63 students and seven teachers in the basement of the St. Ann's Episcopal Church under the aegis of the vestry of the church and several interested parents. They engaged the founding headmaster, Stanley Bosworth, a singular, charismatic man whose vision of how to inspire children — how to fill them with the sheer love of learning, or rather, how to foster a love he viewed as innate — still informs the core values of the school. (In 1982, Saint Ann's School formally disaffiliated from the church, having been granted a charter from the Board of Regents of the State of New York.) When Stanley retired five years ago, Larry Weiss, formerly the head of the upper school at Horace Mann, began his tenure as head of school at Saint Ann's. Larry took on the challenges of transition, and today the faculty is as inventive and inspiriting as ever, and the pool of applicants eager to become Saint Ann's kids has never been larger. Saint Ann's is now beginning its search for a leader who will continue to celebrate the school's magic, who will become immersed in it, and who will steer the school — its writers and mathematicians, its chemists and dancers — vibrantly forward.

The Culture and Core Values

Saint Ann's is a community defined by the love for teaching and learning — a community with each individual student at its heart. It is a world that has been conjured and structured to allow children and adolescents a great deal of guided independence; this nurturing and this freedom lead students not only to value learning but to value each other. Intellectual radiance is born of experimentation, idiosyncrasy, tolerance and mutual respect. In a school without grades, prizes or rankings, each student is assessed by teachers and appreciated by peers as an individual. Saint Ann's is not a school where curriculum or culture is determined by committees or other forms of collective action. There is no parents association or student government.

The culture of independence is balanced with high standards and personal responsibility. Weaknesses in work are addressed carefully, while each student's interests and abilities are encouraged and lauded. Teachers and students see themselves as allies in learning. Students consider teachers as resources, friends and mentors, and come to form close intellectual and artistic relationships that frequently extend past graduation.

The Students

The school is organized into four divisions — preschool, lower, middle and high school. Admission is highly selective. The vast majority of the students are from Brooklyn and Manhattan, although other boroughs are represented. Approximately 22 percent of the student body receive some level of scholarship aid (8.5 percent receive tuition remission; 13.5 percent receive financial aid); nearly 10 percent of Saint Ann's students are faculty children. Approximately 21 percent of the student body are students of color.

Saint Ann's students are intellectually motivated and able to thrive in a climate combining extraordinary freedom with demanding academic standards. The school offers a rich variety of electives in the middle and high schools, ranging from Non-Euclidean geometry to African Dance to Archaic Greek Poetry to Independent Science Research. Every effort is made to facilitate student innovation; high school students may generate courses, seminars and extra-curricular activities. Students are encouraged to manage their own educational experience with the advice of faculty and staff.

The Faculty and Administration

Saint Ann's relies on an especially accomplished faculty. History is often taught by published historians, English by published poets, novelists, essayists. The arts are taught by professional artists. The math department includes published mathematicians, and the second grade teacher staging a classroom play may also be hailed by critics for her performances Off Broadway. Teachers are hired for their knowledge and passion about their fields — and for their ability to communicate that passion — not for degrees in educational practice or theory.

Many of the faculty teach a variety of ages and skill levels. They teach without the constraints of a rigidly-prescribed curriculum, and they work in an atmosphere of ingenuity and flexibility. Their immersion in their fields and engagement with their students are crucial to imbuing the school with its love of education. Dedicated administrators, many of whom teach, advise students and maintain ongoing lively conversation with faculty and parents.

The Board

The formal governance of Saint Ann's is entrusted to its Board of Trustees. The board is, in partnership with the head of school, responsible for the financial and related planning that supports the mission and activities of the school. The board conducts much of its work through its Finance, Development, Physical Facilities, Audit, and Admissions and Financial Aid Committees. Reflecting the board's definition of its role within Saint Ann's governance structure, there is no curriculum committee.

Position Summary

The head of school is charged with summoning the ineffable balance of creative chaos and subtle, essential order that defines Saint Ann's. He/She will both provide its public voice and stir its many performers to greater heights.

He/She will be responsible for enhancing the essential culture of the school, ensuring each student is challenged and receives the level of attention and support he/she needs and that the faculty has the time and resources required to consistently deliver excellence in the classroom. In collaboration with the board, he/she will oversee the financial status of the school and the development of mid- and long-range plans. The head will provide focused leadership around critical functions including development, college advising, admissions, curriculum policy and faculty development. He/she will serve as a spokesperson for the school — its mission, values and approach — both internally and externally. Ultimately, the next head's success will be measured by the ability of the school to provide an extraordinary educational environment in a sustainable way.

CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION: KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Ideal Experience

The head of school will have demonstrated intellectual and institutional leadership skills and have the following experience and qualifications:

• A life that demonstrates a love and respect for children and young adults and accomplishment and delight in intellectual and artistic pursuits;

• Proven managerial, problem solving and strategic planning capabilities, preferably in the field of education or in a nonprofit organization that focuses on education, the humanities or arts and culture;

• A track record of motivating and inspiring dedicated faculty or other groups of creative professionals operating in an intellectually rich environment;

• A history of successfully collaborating with a dedicated board or similar governing body whose members have diverse professional skills and perspectives, and building open, trust-based working relationships in this context;

• Experience successfully identifying, recruiting, cultivating and retaining talent;

• Outstanding communication characterized by clarity and impact; and

• Teaching experience and an advanced degree are preferred.

Critical Competencies for Success

• Passion and Authenticity: In an institution dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, often in idiosyncratic ways, demonstrate an abiding commitment to the values that are at its core, namely an unwavering focus on students — their intellectual and developmental needs — and a strong belief in the power and importance of the arts within a classical education. Demonstrate this by making the students a central priority, supporting creativity and experimentation, visibly celebrating the life of the mind, and engaging in scholarly and artistic pursuits with students and faculty. Convey, in a compelling way, the mission and values of the school to the community at large.

• Engaged Leadership: In a community that sees itself as a collection of individuals, each of whom wants to be known and appreciated for his/her individual gifts and contributions, establish collaborative relationships with members of the faculty, staff and board, while at the same time demonstrating the ability to make and implement decisions, mediate conflict and guide the school. Be involved with students' academic, artistic and athletic lives. Be a presence on campus and an essential part of the fabric of the school.

• Organizational Capacity Building: In a school that is not "rules-based" and has experienced two very different styles of leadership, create opportunities for input and participation and frameworks for effective decision-making. Refine approaches to problem solving and decision-making, ensuring that they are flexible and dynamic, honor the primacy of teaching excellence and the focus on students, and have clear end points. Create the conditions for positive relationships between faculty, staff, students and the board.

Confidential: This document and the information contained within has been prepared in good faith by Spencer Stuart but may require future verification or correction. Distribution or reproduction of this document and/or its contents is strictly prohibited.