Career Center

Principal of Ethical Culture

July 1, 2024

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS) invites applications, nominations, and inquiries as it embarks upon a search for the next Principal of Ethical Culture, which encompasses 400 students in grades PreK-5 at the School’s Manhattan campus, for the 2024-25 school year. The successful candidate will demonstrate a deep commitment to the founding principles of ethical learning, academic excellence, progressive education, equity and inclusion, and empowering both the children and adults within a community. 

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School offers a world-class progressive education for 1,700 Pre-K–12th grade students at two historic campuses in Manhattan and the Bronx. Founded in 1878 as The Workingman’s School by humanitarian Felix Adler, ECFS remains committed to his vision for ethical learning, academic excellence, and progressive education. The core of the educational program is the study and practice of ethics, where students explore and think critically about what they are learning in order to question and evaluate their own actions, choices, and decisions, as well as those of other individuals and communities. Progressive education at ECFS focuses on the whole child, ensuring that education is responsive, relevant, experiential, and playful. ECFS inspires a diverse and joyful community of passionate learners, critical thinkers, and ethical individuals who aim to make the world more humane and just.

Housed in a landmark building overlooking Manhattan’s Central Park, Ethical Culture places students at the center of their education, creating opportunities to follow their passions, ask questions, and discover the tools to find answers. The curriculum emphasizes collaboration, problem solving, and creativity. Faculty combine high-quality academics with respect for all people and points of view and emphasize universal critical thinking. Students use the city as their laboratory and take advantage of their proximity to Central Park. 

Ethical Culture seeks a Principal to serve as a collaborative, confident leader who fosters trust and promotes transparency, overseeing all day-to-day aspects of the division. They will work in a highly relational, visible, and authentic way with students, faculty, staff, and families to support their experience in and beyond the classroom. The Principal will embrace and communicate a vision established by the founder for progressive pedagogy, ethical learning, and academic excellence, and demonstrate strong communication skills with the ability to listen, reflect, and respond. They will have experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion work within communities and bring imagination and expansive thinking to their work. 

When available, the detailed position profile will be available here. The salary range for this position is commensurate with experience; the expected range is $250,000 - $300,000. This role also offers a comprehensive benefits package. Evaluation of candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until the Principal of Ethical Culture is named. The start date for this opportunity is July 1, 2024. Inquiries, nominations, and letters of interest with a résumé may be sent in confidence to: ECFSEthicalCulturePrincipal@storbecksearch.com

For more information, please visit ECFS at www.ecfs.org.

About Ethical Culture Fieldston School

Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK to 12 independent school serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs. Committed to academic excellence, ethical learning, and progressive education, ECFS offers a rich and challenging curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A coed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 1,700 students from PreK to 12 on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, and the other in Manhattan.

Connections working at Ethical Culture Fieldston School