Responsibilities and Duties:

Instruction and Implementation

• Collaborate with Falk faculty in developing and implementing inclusive, social-justice-focused curricula and programs at all grade levels.
• Coordinate and teach social justice lessons for middle school students.
• Develop and implement a social justice curriculum for K-5 classrooms.

School Strategy

• With the Director and other members of the administrative leadership team, build a shared vision for school improvement with faculty and staff.
• Oversee the planning of activities and putting programs in place to ensure the attainment of the School’s progressive educational mission and philosophy surrounding justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Identify, analyze, and apply research findings (e.g., practical school correlates) to promote school improvement.
• Chairs search committees to fill teaching vacancies within the middle school division and works with the leadership team to orient new faculty to the School and its culture/systems.
• Communicate with the various constituencies that make up the School community.
• In collaboration with the Director and administrative leadership team, work to establish goals for and plan professional development activities and weekly faculty meetings.
• Contribute to the school’s long-term faculty and staff recruitment and retention strategy.

Student and Family Concerns

• Develop effective and trusting working relationships with Falk students, faculty, staff, and families, and help the community respond meaningfully to diversity and equity-related issues as they arise, particularly within the student body.
• Ensure student discipline is appropriate, equitable, and just, and follow the Student/Family Handbook and Code of Conduct, as well as within Falk’s progressive educational mission and ethos.
• Conduct conferences about student and school issues with parents, students, and teachers.

 School and Community Relations

• Build relationships with diversity coordinators and leaders at other schools—both independent and public—as well as the University of Pittsburgh Office of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
• Build relationships with off-campus cultural resource organizations to support the learning experiences of Falk’s students.
• Confidently articulate and share the school’s progressive mission, vision, and values with and to the community.
• Demonstrate awareness of school and community needs and initiate activities to meet those needs. Use appropriate and practical techniques to advance inclusion and belonging for all. Assist with prospective family school tours during the admissions season.  Attend admissions and/or advancement-related outreach events and activities, such as the welcome back family picnic, parent night, prospective parent information events (daytime and/or evening, where applicable), family nights, reunions, and so on.

Professional/Personal Demeanor, Comportment, and Growth

• Continue developing and attaining the necessary professional skills appropriate to the senior leader position in a school setting.
• Demonstrate professional, ethical, and responsible behavior at all times.
• Serve as a role model/exemplar for all faculty and staff.
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills and have the ability to lead meetings with a variety of stakeholders.

Additional: Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Maintain emotional control under stress; frequent prolonged and irregular hours, with the ability to be on call in high-intensity/crises after-hours.  This role requires the individual to move around the school to various rooms frequently.

Minimum requirements

• Being an experienced and visionary practitioner in leading transformative, organizational change through a social justice lens
• Bachelor’s degree required.  Master’s degree preferred.
• Strong preference will be given to individuals who have experience in one or more of the following: Administrative and/or program management; classroom teaching; working with students in grades K-8

About Falk Laboratory School

Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School is a coeducational K-8 laboratory school affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Connections working at Falk Laboratory School