Overview

Bentley School is a thriving K–12 independent day school located on two beautiful campuses in Oakland and Lafayette, California. The school seeks a dedicated and talented independent school leader who values academic excellence, student life balance, and a strong sense of belonging among all constituencies. Bentley is an inclusive community of 650 students and 150 employees in which a shared vision of transformational learning and respect for the individual is paramount. The next Upper School Director will lead a hard-working, committed group of faculty and staff who value growth and collaboration and 300 college-bound students who evidence on a daily basis their enthusiasm for learning within and beyond the classroom.

Opportunities and Challenges

Reporting directly to the Assistant Head of School and serving as a member of the Senior Administrative team, the Upper School Director oversees and supports key aspects of school life, including, but not limited to: school programs both curricular and co-curricular; hiring, retention, and evaluation of faculty and staff; parent engagement and partnership; admissions outreach; and communications. The Upper School Director embodies and embraces the hallmarks of a Bentley education, where students are encouraged to be inspired learners and leaders. Throughout the School, creative engagement and authentic intellectual work abound. Academically enthusiastic, principled, and vibrant, our students bring their joy for learning, leadership, and sense of self to Bentley every day.

The next Upper School Director will be an experienced, student-centered, and community- oriented educational leader. The Director will join a dynamic division that is celebrated for a deeply committed and energetic faculty who love teaching, genuinely care for their students, and help students engage in their learning. The Upper School faculty and staff appreciate Bentley’s commitment to their professional growth and feel supported in putting forward and exploring new ideas. The key opportunities and challenges for the next Upper School Director include:

Articulate a Shared Vision for the Upper School

The next director will identify and prioritize curricular and pedagogical initiatives for the Upper School, focus energy and attention on those priorities, and inspire a sense of momentum and collaboration among the faculty. Recognizing the abundance of good ideas and possible paths forward, they will clarify and communicate the Upper School’s priorities and keep attention focused on agreed upon goals.

Sustain and Prioritize a Balanced Program

The Upper School Director will monitor and manage the natural tension between faculty autonomy and programmatic coherence. Likely areas of focus include balancing whole-child wellness with the pursuit of academic achievement and strong college acceptance outcomes, as well as strengthening curricula in a program rich with AP courses, a week-long Mini-Term, and innovative college-level seminars.

Strengthen Faculty Culture

The next Upper School Director has the exciting opportunity to strengthen new faculty onboarding, orientation, and professional growth. The Upper School faculty appreciates clearly defined standards of professionalism and accountability. Additional opportunities to strengthen faculty culture include implementing transparent systems and processes and clarifying roles and responsibilities. The Upper School Director will recruit, mentor, and retain a faculty that reflects the diversity of the Bentley student body.

Work Collaboratively with the K–8 Director

The next director will relish the opportunity to advocate for the Upper School, while remaining open to and supportive of the specific needs of the Lower and Middle Schools. Possessing a growth mindset, they will consider how programmatic alignment and cross-divisional collaboration can be improved through the wisdom of the group.

Qualifications and Personal Attributes

• A proven track record as an Upper School leader in an independent school (or similar level of responsibility), preferably K–12;
• a love of high school students and a desire to engage with great energy, warmth, and humor;
• a deep understanding of developmental challenges and milestones;
• Exceptional interpersonal and communications skills, including the ability to listen carefully and reflectively, speak confidently and persuasively, and write skillfully to the full range of school constituencies;
• The ability to manage an expansive agenda by delegating, appropriately calibrating the pace of change, and identifying the resources required;
• A track record of building a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative organization;
• Strong experience with recruiting, hiring, supporting, and mentoring educators;
• Significant and successful classroom teaching experience and demonstrated success as an effective instructional leader and manager;
• Grounded and fluent in cultural competency, equity, and inclusion work;
•  A collaborative spirit combined with a willingness to act decisively;
•    Strength in building and maintaining connections and community between colleagues, divisions, parents, and students;
•    Able to manage a range of personalities with strong EQ and emotional bandwidth;
•    A sense of humor.
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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 statement of philosophy that addresses both your approach to working with students and faculty;
• A list five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted later in the process and only with candidate permission) to:

John Faubert

Consultant john.faubert@carneysandoe.com

Karen Whitaker

Senior Consultant karen.whitaker@carneysandoe.com

The full-time equivalent salary range for this position is $175,000-$225,000. The starting salary is based upon, but not limited to, several factors that include years of experience, education level, and expertise.

About Bentley School

Connections working at Bentley School