D S D , N c h S D 2020 - Carney Sandoe & Associateschallenged to develop superior thinking skills and reach ambitious academic goals, while developing self-confidence and self-reliance

Duke School

Durham, North caroliNaheaD of School

Start Date: July 2020www.DukeSchool.org

overview

Duke School is a nationally recognized project-based learning school serving students from preschool (age three) through eighth grade. Since its founding in 1947, Duke School has been lauded for the ways in which it nurtures and embraces childhood while pioneering what teaching and learning can be for young people. Above all else, Duke School has always been and continues to be a safe place for its students; the School’s unique environment allows emerging adolescents to become confident and poised and helps them find lifelong academic interests and skills. Duke School faculty and staff love working with lower and middle school aged students and take great measures to alleviate any pressure their students might feel to grow up too fast. Duke School is, in every sense, a celebration of what childhood can be.

Students leave Duke School with the ability to think independently and critically—the cornerstones of active citizenship. They are distinguished by their self-awareness, competence, and confidence to be upstanders by putting innovative ideas into action for the greater good. Duke School students not only master skills of traditional academic disciplines, they also are self-directed and comfortable identifying and researching issues without requiring large amounts of hand-holding and guidance. They develop a sense of self, community, and culture. Duke School graduates are given the tools to confidently solve many types of problems, focus on important details, work cooperatively, and resolve conflicts.

At this time, Duke School seeks a new Head of School who can embrace the wonder of childhood while continuing to spearhead evidence-based initiatives that enhance the School’s position as a frontrunner in project-based elementary and middle school education. Strong candidates will look to students’, teachers’, and the institution’s future, rather than being tethered to the past. (For example, Duke School’s Strategic Plan involves exploring the potential of opening an upper school or partnering with another institution to open an upper school.) Above all else, the incoming Head will appreciate that Duke School’s primary goal is for its students to be equipped to thrive in a volatile, uncertain, and complex world.

2The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

Fast FactsYear founded: 1947Student enrollment: 485Total number of faculty: 67Student to teacher ratio: 7:1Faculty with advanced degrees: 66%Students who identify as a person of color: 34%Faculty who identify as a person of color: 17%Students who rely on Indexed Tuition: 26.3%

Mission

Inspire learners to boldly and creatively shape their future.

School hiStory

Duke School was established in 1947 as a lab school for the benefit of students in the departments of psychology and education at Duke University. Duke School became independent of Duke University in 1984 when a group of parents made it a nonprofit organization with the support and assistance of Terry Sanford, then president of Duke, and the previous governor of North Carolina.

the School

Duke School roots all of its work in three driving principles:

Duke School is learner-centered: Learners are the center of a dynamic and collaborativelearning, inquiry, and discovery process. Duke School promotes active inquiry: Intellectual curiosity through project-based learningpropels learners to explore multiple paths to creative solutions. Duke School nurtures bold thinkers: Sustaining a deep love of learning and respect for community forms bold, critical thinkers for life.

Duke School’s curriculum has two key strategies that allow the School to support all types of learners. The first is Systematic Instruction: teachers plan activities to help children acquire skills and strategies. The second is Integrated Project Work: Students conduct in-depth investigations of important topics and apply skills and strategies to solve real world problems.



Duke School is designated as an official Project Based School. Projects, which are the foundation for a Duke School education, are in-depth investigations that challenge students to apply skills, knowledge, and strategies from different content areas as they do authentic research, analyze data, think deeply about problems, and draw conclusions. As projects evolve, students build on their unique interests and talents and become experts in a particular area of the project topic. Through project work, students not only learn new concepts and content, they also develop the competencies essential for future learning.

Learning and exploration is not just reserved for students at Duke School: Duke School hosts bi-annual Educators Institutes that bring in educators from across the world for onsite project work, curriculum training, and exploration. The Institute welcomes preschool, elementary, and middle school teachers; curriculum specialists; team leaders; and school administrators.

Diversity is of great importance to the Duke School community, and in 2008, the Board of Trustees established a Board-level Diversity Committee. The Committee guides the School’s strategic planning for and about diversity and helps develop diversity objectives across all stakeholder groups on the campus. It reviews the School’s policies and governance on an ongoing basis to ensure they promote diversity and takes actions to guarantee that adequate resources are allocated to forward the School’s diversity work. In recent years, the School has made significant strides in its percentage of students of color.

Duke School holds the following accreditation and memberships: Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS), North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education (NCMLE), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and Durham Chamber of Commerce.


acaDemicS

Duke School offers learning through project work, small class sizes, and a rigorous academic approach. The School’s integrated curriculum is taught in a hands-on learning environment where children collaborate in an atmosphere of acceptance, respect, and appreciation. Faculty and staff are proud to note that the experiences of Duke School alumni affirm that their time at Duke School provides powerful long-lasting experiences that position them for success in upper school and college; preparing students to be successful and happy at the next level is critical to the thinking of both teachers and administrators at Duke School.

Preschool (Ages 3-4)Duke School’s preschool program provides a full day of developmentally appropriate experiences designed to advance the cognitive, language, emotional, and motor skills of each child.

The daily routine includes a balance of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. This balance successfully facilitates the growth of independent decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills. The preschool provides children with frequent opportunities to express themselves creatively through music, movement, art, and scientific exploration, which is complemented by substantial time for outdoor activity each day. All students participate in a physical education, music and art.

Lower School (Kindergarten-Grade 4)Duke School’s Lower School program maintains a low teacher-student ratio (average of 1:11) in the academic classroom. This allows for teachers to respect students’ individual differences and set challenging but achievable goals for each student. Each day, Lower School students have sustained


opportunities for reading, writing, math workshops, and project work. The latter is integrated work that focuses on helping students achieve science, social studies, and technology goals.

Technology is integrated into the classroom, rather than provided as a discrete subject area in a computer lab environment. For example, students use a weather website to track hurricanes along the North Carolina coast, use Microsoft Excel to create a graph representing data they have collected, and program LEGO-built vehicles when studying simple and complex machines.

Each week children attend physical education (PE), music (which includes chorus), modern language, and art classes. Kindergarten through fourth grade students receive 90 minutes per week of Spanish instruction. Working in collaboration with classroom teachers, special teachers frequently integrate art, music, and PE concepts into classroom project work.

Middle School (Grade 5-Grade 8)Early adolescence is a unique stage of human development in which unprecedented physical, social, and emotional changes occur simultaneously with intellectual, conceptual, and moral development. It is with understanding of and respect for young adolescents that Duke School has designed its Middle School.

The driving goal of Duke’s Middle School is to enable each young person to successfully develop intellectual and personal potential. The Middle School is a community of learners where teachers are guides and partners with students in a relationship of mutual respect and trust. Students are challenged to develop superior thinking skills and reach ambitious academic goals, while developing self-confidence and self-reliance. Curiosity and creativity are valued in an atmosphere that celebrates a zest for living and learning. Individual differences are recognized and cherished, while cooperation and a sense of community unite the School.

Duke School’s Middle School continues the tradition of the Lower School by offering an integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and by applying sound educational practices based on research and the experience of its teachers. Students are actively engaged in an experientially rich, hands-on program of study in classrooms that serves as working models of curriculum design and instructional methods. Faculty and staff are committed to sharing Duke School experiences with the broader educational community and participating in the public dialogue regarding effective middle schools.

In addition, the School recently launched Prime Time, a highly innovative after-school program, which allows Middle School students to discover their passions, engage in healthy activities, and reach meaningful purposes in a safe, supportive, and enriching environment.

artS aND athleticS

Visual arts are integrated across the Duke School curriculum, and are a key vehicle for students’ self-expression, as well as a way in which students hone skills of creativity. Duke School also offers a number of performance opportunities for Middle School students including chorus, band, and drama. Students in band and chorus perform in a Winter and Spring Concert, and there is a fall production and a spring musical production for cast and crew members. However, one of the most salient parts of the Arts programming at Duke School is its Collaborative Arts Program. This Program reaches beyond the Duke School campus to students without access to a performing arts program. Enrolled students visit Duke School weekly for combined rehearsals with Duke School students. Offerings include string orchestra, beginning band, concert band, and jazz/rock ensemble.


Duke School’s interscholastic sports are available to rising sixth through eighth grade students. The program operates on the premise that each participant will grow and develop physically, intellectually, personally, and socially from the experience of playing on an athletic team. Students achieve personal growth and development by increasing their self-confidence and self-discipline, learning how to compete fairly and cooperate effectively, understanding good sportsmanship and respect for authority, and developing leadership skills. Social growth comes from developing an understanding of teamwork, the responsibilities and rewards of team membership, meeting new people, developing friendships, and having fun. Sports offered include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.

StuDeNt life

TechnologyTechnology is an integral part of the curriculum and student project work at Duke School. Technology tools available to students range from desktops, laptops, and iPads to 3D printing, programming, physical computing, and robotics. Faculty are constantly exploring and updating the School’s technology so that students have the best tools available for any given project. The interactivity facilitated by technology media helps students at all levels extend their learning. Virtual field trips and video conferencing are just a few examples of what is commonly seen in a Duke School classroom. Digital citizenship is taught within the curriculum, and the social curriculum extends to the online world as students are taught how to be caring and ethical citizens.



Service Learning Although there are no required hours of service learning, Duke School students become informed citizens who develop the capacity to contribute to the needs of the local and global community through various service learning opportunities. From managing on-campus recycling to planting trees to collecting and organizing food, students participate in hands-on experiences, helping address real world problems such as hunger, homelessness, and environmental degradation. Over the years, Duke School students have been involved in a number of service learning projects, and currently all students in grades one through eight focus their efforts in a particular area unique to their grade.

Student Support ServicesDuke School is committed to addressing the needs of all students and has thoughtfully built the Student Support Team as a resource for children, teachers, and parents. This team is comprised of classroom teachers, the Student Support Specialist, and the Lower and Middle School director. In the Middle School, this team could also include the Guidance Counselor.

Even though the low teacher-to-student ratio, flexible curriculum, and social-emotional learning program enable teachers to differentiate instruction, the Student Support Team may determine that interventions, specialized instruction through the Learning Center, and/or classroom accommodations are necessary to ensure success in the classroom. The Learning Center is an additional fee service that allows students to become aware of their individual learning styles and develop strategies that address their strengths and challenges. The Student Support Specialist collaborates with teachers so aspects of the classroom curriculum can be integrated into the student’s work in the Learning Center which allows the students the opportunity to apply targeted skills to their classroom work.


campuS

Duke School’s goal was to have one school, on one campus, where curriculum seamlessly connects from grade to grade and stage to stage, and philosophy and practice benefit hugely from interaction among teachers, parents, and students. The buildings were deliberately and carefully designed to harmonize with the Duke School program and philosophy. They were also structured to accommodate growing technology needs surrounding curriculum and administrative functions. Duke School is committed to following sustainability and green building best practices.

Today, Duke School’s physical space fosters a sense of discovery within and beyond the classroom and accommodates the various ways children explore their worlds as individuals and in groups. Well-lit open areas connect with niches for study and social interaction. Spaces were designed and scaled for project-based learning. The buildings are child-appropriate, low dwelling communities that intertwine with one another and are integrated with the land on which they sit, to welcome parents, teachers, and, most importantly, children into a community of learning and respect.

Durham, North caroliNa

Durham is consistently ranked as one of the best places in the U.S. to live, work, and retire. With temperate climate, friendly people, and access to some of the best education and healthcare in the country, Durhamites enjoy a high quality of life. As of 2014, Durham had an estimated population of just over 250,000 residents. With a rich history that includes many economic and social shifts, Durham has emerged as a modern city proud of its diversity, of the way it welcomes newcomers, and proud to be the kind of place that interesting, progressive, passionate people want to call home.


With resources like Research Triangle Park, housing many Fortune 100 companies, as well as a booming startup culture, institutes connected to Duke University and North Carolina Central University, and unique organizations like the National Humanities Center, Durham is able to offer opportunities to businesses and newcomers in a variety of fields. The accolades speak for themselves: Durham has been named America’s eighth leading high-tech metro, as the small city with the second most economic potential, as one of the best cities to start a career in, and more.

Durham is a family-friendly destination with plenty of activities suitable for children of all ages. Places like the Museum of Life + Science provide fun and educational experiences through hands-on, engaging exhibits. Unique businesses like the trampoline sports arenas DefyGravity and Sky Zone give children a fun outlet for their energy. With miles of trails, several lakes and waterways, plus dozens of parks, outdoor spaces, and museums, Durham also offers visitors and residents a chance to enjoy nature and expand their minds. Unique educational opportunities include the Duke Lemur Center where visitors can explore a species that is native to Madagascar. Locals and tourists enjoy Durham’s natural beauty at a variety of parks and gardens, including the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, which has 55 acres with more than 4,500 colorful plant varieties, and the Rolling View State Recreation Area.

Dubbed as the City of Champions, Durham is home to national championships, hall of fame coaches, the site of the first interracial basketball game, and the backdrop for the movie Bull Durham. Visitors can enjoy America’s pastime in the gorgeous Durham Bulls Athletic Park, explore college basketball at the Duke Basketball Museum and Sports Hall of Fame, and enjoy the picturesque Historic Durham Athletic Park. In addition to all its spectator sports, the Bull City also offers ten golf courses, numerous hiking, biking, and walking trails, and water activities at a variety of locations.


opportuNitieS aND challeNgeS

The Duke School looks forward to an exciting future, where there are significant opportunities awaiting the next Head of School. The School is proud of being rigorously academic, befitting a region with many parents who work in higher education.

The School community looks for a visionary and process driven progressive educator who can guide curriculum and program enhancement, lead strategically, and encourage innovation and creativity in programs and pedagogy. The community values excellence and is poised to welcome a new leader who will bring a thoughtful, collaborative, energetic, and progressive “best practices” mindset.

The next Head will enjoy overseeing Duke School’s unique and highly innovative curriculum that has historic roots in Project Based Learning. The School prides itself on providing a progressive learning environment that promotes innovation, design thinking, upstander work, and pedagogy with clear objectives. The new Head will relish leading a school considered a national thought leader and incubator for progressive ways of teaching and learning. The new Head will be called upon to bring a high level of support to a gifted and dedicated faculty and staff who are excited about the future of Duke School and proud of its past.

The School desires in its next leader an individual who can implement strategies to recruit and retain students in a dynamic marketplace. The new Head will be asked to communicate the value of a Duke School education and differentiate it from its competitors. The future Head will need to articulate and lead others in advancing the School’s compelling story and value proposition, while promoting the School’s vitally important diversity initiatives.


The next Head of School will ensure that the School remains fiscally sound while exploring ways to enhance the School’s financial position and continue to invest in its faculty and programs. The future Head will be asked to lead significant fundraising initiatives, including raising funds for the construction of a highly innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Center, the possible addition of an upper school, and the endowment. The next leader will need to make a compelling case for controlling tuition costs, investing in faculty professional development, and ensuring financial assistance and sustainability.

The new Head will enjoy the support of a highly functional, strategic, and vibrant Board of Trustees; a Board that understands “best practice” governance and commits to working collaboratively with the Head of School.

DeSireD QualitieS aND QualificatioNS

Professional CharacteristicsSuccessful candidates will have a background and skills that include most or all of the following:

• A palpable enjoyment of being an active and visible presence in the life of the School, as a foundation for vibrant, supportive relationships with faculty, staff, and the administrative team, thereby promoting a sense of community and a culture of meaningful professional growth.

• A progressive, process driven educator with a strong academic background who can lead dynamic curriculum initiatives and program enhancement.

• A visionary who can lead strategically and encourage innovation and creativity in programs and pedagogy.

• An ability to connect and communicate effectively with faculty members, administration, parents, students, community members, and the Board so that these groups are appropriately informed


of School events, potential issues, and needs.• Prior experience living and leading diversity and inclusion initiatives, skill in building inclusive

communities, and the ability to respectfully navigate diverse cultural and social situations.• Outstanding communication skills to connect and tell the Duke School story.• A deep understanding of important trends in education and the ability to combine that understanding

with an appreciation for the Duke School’s values and traditions in order to articulate a compellingvision for the School’s future.

• Comfortable being a visible presence on campus and being engaged with faculty, staff, andstudents on a daily basis.

• A deep commitment to an active role in a comprehensive outreach program that includesenrollment management, fundraising, and broader community involvement to provide the financialand human capital to support the School’s aspirations.

• Collaborative problem solver who is a confident risk-taker and possesses the courage to makedifficult decisions.

• Intuitive listening skills.• Financial acumen to lead a complex organization.

Personal CharacteristicsThe next Head of School will have the privilege of leading an outstanding educational institution and partnering with a highly professional, creative, dedicated, and collaborative faculty and staff. The favored leader will be someone who exudes optimism and a growth mindset while being warm, approachable, empathetic, optimistic, joyful, and down-to-earth. The community is eager to find a leader who relishes working with young people, enjoys the challenge of leading a school with a national reputation in progressive education, who can continue to build community and a unifying vision, and who wants to lead the School for years to come.

to apply

Interested candidates can contact the consultants for additional information and a discussion of the position. To be considered, applicants will need to submit (electronically as separate PDF documents) the following materials:

• Cover letter expressing interest in the Head of School position;• Current resume;• Statement of educational philosophy and leadership practice;• List five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be

contacted later in the process and only with candidate permission), to:

Charlie BrittonSenior [email protected]

Bob FrickerSenior [email protected]

Burke [email protected]

Documents

D S D , N c h S D 2020 - Carney Sandoe & Associateschallenged to develop superior thinking skills and reach ambitious academic goals, while developing self-confidence and self-reliance