Kirby School in Santa Cruz, an independent grade 6-12 school, is looking for a full-time, in person, Assistant Head of School (AHOS) beginning June 2025. We are seeking individuals with administrative experience to assist the Head of School in maintaining a dynamic environment at Kirby School. This position reports to the Head of School and candidates should have at least five years of teaching or other relevant experience in leadership positions, preferably with middle and high school students. Candidates holding advanced degrees are preferred. 

Kirby’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in our hiring process; members from diverse communities are encouraged to apply including racial and ethnic minorities, veterans, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ community. This is a great opportunity for an individual with excellent experience and strong people skills to join a highly respected independent school. For information about our academic program, mission, and philosophy, please visit https://kirby.org.

Overview of position: 

The Assistant Head is a senior leadership position and reports to the Head of School. The Assistant Head for Student Culture works with students, parents, and faculty to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for student learning. At Kirby School, we take a restorative, compassionate approach to student discipline. The Assistant Head for Student Culture ensures that students at Kirby are fundamentally respected by their peers and staff, even when their behavior needs to change. The Assistant Head for Student Culture also works to ensure that students are inspired, mentored and given opportunities to be the best version of themselves.

Desired qualifications:

• An effective collaborator with experience managing students in a variety of settings (classroom, clubs, field trips, overnights, etc.)
• Organized and attentive to communication and documentation
• Has knowledge and understanding of restorative justice and restorative process in dealing with student behavioral management
• Sophisticated emotional intelligence and multicultural competency
• High levels of self-awareness and a calm demeanor to navigate the complexities and ambiguities of managing challenging situations
• Capacity to build strong relationships with students, families, and faculty
• Keen understanding of students’ developmental needs across age levels

Principal Responsibilities: 

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

• Coordinate the Club Fair and gather applications to maintain a comprehensive list of school clubs with advisors and locations
• Expand and implement Kirby’s Community Involvement
• Plan and coordinate the annual Community Involvement Day activities
• Develop and launch recognition program for student community involvement
• Assign staff to Advisories in partnership with Head of School
• Create Advisory rosters, paying close attention to known social dynamics
• Develop a rough framework for advisory programming each summer
• Work with senior leadership to update and circulate the weekly announcements
• Develop and share the agendas for In-Service days, Faculty Meetings, and Monday Huddles
• Serve as the point person for hiring outside consultants or coordinating with faculty for guest presentations for Professional Development
• Regularly attend Cultural Center team meetings to help facilitate their projects and priorities
• Lead the coordination of the Retreat program
• Work with senior leadership team to identify leaders and chaperones
• Work with Business Office to develop budget and track expenses
• In partnership with senior leadership, develop topic-based professional development presentations for staff meetings and in-service days
• Develop refresher presentations on staff-student boundaries as needed
• Update the Family Handbook and Employee Handbook annually with senior leadership team
• Serve on the Tuition Assistance committee to allocate funds to qualified applicants
• Lead the Emergency Response Team and hold quarterly meetings to ensure roles are delegated appropriately
• Schedule and run one fire drill and one earthquake drill per year
• Schedule staff and student training for emergency procedures

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AND STUDENT CULTURE

• Supervise the Athletic Director and work to uplift athletes and improve participation in athletic programs

• Lead planning of First Day of School activities and work with senior leadership to complete planning documents to share with faculty at fall in-service
• Coordinate, schedule, and develop plans for Drug Education and Pure Praxis programming
• Serve as the teacher advisor for Student Government
• Support Student Government with events such as dances, movie nights, etc.
• Support Student Government with coordination of Spring Festival
• Work with senior leadership to staff Spring Festival activities
• Tone set for school culture, using the Mission Statement and Core Values as guiding principles 
• Support students in using restorative practices for conflict resolution
• Review student Admission files annually to ensure faculty are prepared for any known behavioral management history concerns
• Gives feedback to Admissions Director when student behavior does not match the Admissions profile
• Assist Admissions Office regarding potential or actual student retention issues
• Initiates timely investigations when academic dishonesty, student harassment, discrimination, or assault complaints are issued
• In partnership with the school psychologist, make reports to child protective services and law enforcement when appropriate 
• May need to coordinate time outside of typical work hours to handle time sensitive situations and communications.
• Coaches faculty with classroom management when needed
• Trains new faculty on behavioral management process, including restorative practices
• Rolls out behavioral policy changes with faculty and students in faculty meetings and all school meetings
• Maintains thorough records of student behavioral management history, including parent communication, when relevant
• Coordinates Conduct Review Committees when appropriate
• Keep accurate and up to date records of students with repeat or severe behavioral problems
• Gather grade level data from teachers to follow up with support
• Oversees the Conduct section of the Kirby Portal and trains staff in Portal use
• Communicate clearly and in a timely fashion, both verbally and in writing, with students, parents and appropriate school staff regarding any disciplinary event or consequence
• Occasionally offers reminders of school rules at all school meeting
• Monitor student attendance and contact home to follow-up when absence is not cleared
• Consistent communication with the School Psychologist, Assistant Head for Academics, and HOS to ensure comprehensive student support
• Oversee referral service (or alternative disciplinary strategy) assignment and supervision
• Plays a primary role in student supervision as well as training student supervisors in how to deal with students in behavioral management situations
• This includes student supervisors on staff as well as parent volunteers

• Other duties as assigned by the Head of School

About Kirby School

MISSION STATEMENT: Through intellectual challenge in a responsive environment, Kirby empowers students to shape their futures with confidence. Our students learn to think critically, develop their creativity, and engage diverse communities with thoughtfulness and respect. THE SCHOOL: Georgiana Bruce Kirby is an independent, co-educational day school for grades 6 through 12 and is a member of, and is accredited by, the California Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Kirby’s CEEB Code is 053290. Established in 1994, Kirby was named for a Santa Cruz pioneer who devoted her life to education, freedom, and enfranchisement. The School was founded on the belief that students who are respected and encouraged will exhibit great enthusiasm for learning and achieve at the highest levels.

Connections working at Kirby School