HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Overview:

Louisville Collegiate School strives to be the healthiest place possible for students to grow up! Every student at LCS has multiple environments where they can be known, work within small purpose-driven communities, be depended upon, and depend on others.  Creating environments where students feel that their actions and their growth have significance to a community that needs them is, at LCS, the catalyst that makes the discrete elements tied to academics, character, and global citizenship gain purpose and venerability. 

The Lower School is responsible for building foundational academic and social-emotional skills for LCS junior kindergarten through fourth-grade students. Faculty and staff provide experiences inside and outside the classroom at each grade level to foster growth and development among the school’s youngest students. 

The Lower School has self-contained English, math, and social studies classrooms from junior kindergarten through fourth grade. The academic program is enhanced by specialists who teach art, music, Spanish, physical education, science, character education, library, and computer science/robotics. Age-appropriate technology instruction begins in first and second grade and continues through fourth grade. Lower School students are provided differentiated instruction and encounter experiential learning activities that broaden their perspectives as they steadily become active community members and global citizens. 

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Lead the Lower School with a one-school, collaborative perspective, communicating effectively with all constituencies of the Collegiate community 
• Serve as a constructive, collaborative, and sensitive problem-solver
• Support the school, its leadership, and its mission by serving as a member and contributor to the Administrative Team, the Admission Committee, and the Academic Affairs Committee 
• Collaborate with the Administrative Team and faculty to foster high retention and cohesion among the school’s three divisions
• Coordinate with the Dean of Faculty, Department Chairs, and Assistant Head of School regarding professional development opportunities, hiring and management of faculty and staff, and faculty evaluation

Division Responsibilities: 

• Serve as an effective role model for the Lower School faculty and support staff. 
• Oversee the daily operations of the Lower School and the cultural health of its students and faculty
• Develop and communicate a vision and identity for the Lower School that responds to the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of LCS Lower School students and supports the school's overall mission
• Empower faculty to grow as professionals and work to remove obstacles to that growth
• Cultivate a working knowledge of each Lower School student’s experience within the Lower School program to foster strong relationships with students and families. 
• Coordinate with the Admission Office to meet prospective students and recruit new students to the Lower School 
• Manage Lower School budgets responsibly
• Oversee the maintenance and use of Lower School facilities and resources

Academic Responsibilities: 

• Evaluate and develop the Lower School academic program
• Collaborate with the Dean of Faculty and Director of the Center for Learning Advancement to facilitate ongoing pedagogical review, professional goals, and commitment to best practices within the Lower School
• Supervise and evaluate faculty and staff within the Lower School 
• Analyze, interpret, and respond to Lower School standardized test scores 
• Oversee the reporting of grades, comments, and students' records 
• Manage the academic probation process 
• Meet regularly with department chairs to discuss ongoing curricular efforts to challenge, engage, and meet the diverse needs and interests of the Lower School students 

Communication: 

• Maintain ongoing communication with the Lower School Community, including weekly letters highlighting recent efforts and achievements and announcing upcoming events 
• Host regular on-campus forums with Lower School parents to provide programmatic updates, discuss parent questions, and actively listen to parent concerns 

• A professional and personal commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive learning community 
• High personal integrity and impartiality 
• An advanced degree and a commitment to lifelong learning 
• Demonstrated administrative experience
• Significant experience working with lower school students and curriculum 
• Strong written and oral communication skills 
• Understanding of the demands of excellent teaching 
• Understanding of the unique developmental needs of early childhood and intermediate-grade students 
• Educational leadership experience, including collaborative work with administrators, teachers, and parents
• Strong organizational and management skills 
• Fiscal responsibility and dependable budgetary decision-making 
• Warmth, consistency, transparency, and a sense of humor

About Louisville Collegiate School

Louisville Collegiate School is a JK-12 independent day school located in the heart of historic Cherokee Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

Connections working at Louisville Collegiate School