New York, New York
Posted: 16-May-25
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Type: Full Time
Salary: $125,000 - $150,000 annually
Categories:
Required Education:
Interim Head of Middle School (Grades 5-8)
Begins July 1, 2025
The School
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School (www.bernardzell.org) is an independent Jewish day school for the 21st century where academic purpose, collaborative learning, and deep commitment to humanity develop engaged, confident learners and compassionate leaders for a stronger, more vibrant community and world. A pluralistic community day school, Bernard Zell welcomes students and families of varied religious beliefs and observance. The school combines Jewish learning and tradition with the best of innovative educational practice in a challenging and nurturing learning environment.
The Position
Our next Interim Head of Middle School is an innovative and purposeful school leader and effective communicator who believes in the school’s mission to develop students who think critically and act with creativity, empathy, and Jewish purpose. They are charged with the comprehensive responsibility for all activities involving students, faculty, and parents in the Middle School. This position reports to the Assistant Head of School.
The incoming Interim HoMS will have significant input into their team’s leadership and support structure. They will serve as the immediate supervisor for the Director of Student Life and Middle School Faculty.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
I. Leadership and Management of the Middle School:
- Act as educational leader of the Middle School, responsible for its day-to-day operation, including directing the activities of the instructional staff.
- Lead, motivate, and inspire an exceptional team of teachers.
- Ensure a safe working and learning environment conducive to personal, professional, academic, and social-emotional growth.
- Ensure best practice in Middle School education.
- Clearly articulate the Middle School’s programs, standards, guidelines, and other information necessary to all constituencies.
- Direct and collaborate with grade-level team leaders, instructional leaders, and specialists.
II. Serve as a member of the school’s senior administrative team:
- Senior Administrative Team Participation.
- Partnering with Other Directors and Division Heads.
III. Family Engagement and Support:
- Serve as a resource for parents.
- Execute weekly grade-level communication to families, ensuring that all communications articulate and connect to the school’s Jewish values.
IV. Faculty Support and Evaluation:
- Partner with Assistant HOS for Curriculum and Instruction to observe, supervise, support, and evaluate faculty, as well as the implementation of curriculum, the teaching process, and academic programs.
- Advise and supervise faculty in matters of classroom management, parent relationships, teaching methods, and general school procedures.
- Serve as a resource for teachers.
- Conduct regular division/department team meetings.
- Participate actively in the recruitment, hiring, retention, and assignment of faculty.
V. Student Well-being and Discipline:
- In partnership with designated team members, oversee discipline, reflection and restoration (in partnership with the Director of Student Life).
- Work with Student Services to ensure that the needs of all students are met (in partnership with the Director of Student Services).
- Serve as a resource for students.
VI. School-Wide Events and Extracurricular Activities:
- Oversee and plan division level school wide events.
- Oversee all extracurricular and experiential middle school activities (in partnership with the Director of Student Life).
VII. Jewish Values and Culture:
- Support the integration of Jewish values, culture, tradition, and learning (in partnership with the incoming Director of Jewish Studies).
VIII. Scheduling and Budget Management:
- Oversee the production of student, teacher, and class schedules in partnership with Operations & AHOS.
- Manage the entire division budget including recommendations for program investment.
IX. Admissions, Retention, and Recruitment:
- Represent the Middle School in Admissions, Retention and Recruitment activities.
X. Other Duties:
- Fulfill Other Duties as Assigned
QUALIFICATIONS & QUALITIES
The ideal candidate will have the following:
- Earned bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred
- Relevant experience as a leader in independent day schools and/or Jewish day schools
- Experience in supervision of faculty and staff
- Love for children and commitment to making decisions in their best interests
- Demonstrated school leadership experience or potential
- Familiarity with educational best practices and day-to-day school leadership responsibilities
- Collaborative approach to leadership, including responsiveness to parents and teachers
- Experience and/or training in Responsive Classroom
- Skill in prioritizing and gauging urgent vs. important
- Strong executive functioning
- Emotional intelligence and a sense of humor
- Demonstrated success building relationships with parents, teachers and colleagues
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills
- Appreciation of pluralistic Jewish education and a wide range of Jewish practice
- Commitment to inclusiveness and diversity
To Apply
Please send resume, cover letter, and 2-3 writing samples (parent communication, school newsletter, article, etc.) to Talent Consultant, Sherry Weil at sweil@bernardzell.org.
As a condition of employment, all applicants must successfully pass a criminal background screening.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School has a long-standing policy of equal employment opportunity for every person regardless of age, race, color, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or citizenship.
Bernard Zell recruits, hires, and promotes individuals without regard to these characteristics, and all staffing decisions are based solely on the qualifications of each individual and the legitimate educational needs of our students.
The school does not discriminate in working conditions, physical facilities or any other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, including transfer, compensation, training, promotion, demotion or separation based on age, race, color, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry or citizenship. Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School seeks to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, and harassment based on any of these or other characteristics.