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GERMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLCHICAGO
Chicago, Illinois
Academic DirectorStart Date: July 1, 2021
(Sooner if possible)www.germanschoolchicago.com
OVERVIEW
German International School Chicago (GISC) is a dual-language, preK–8 International Baccalaureate (IB) World School that prepares students to become well-rounded, creative, and responsible global citizens.
Opened in 2009, the school likes to think of itself as a decade young and growing. It offers the IB’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) and plans to apply for approval to add the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and, when it expands to include the high school years, the Diploma Programme (DP). GISC is committed to an education that supports the IB Learner Profile, which encourages students to be inquirers, thinkers, communicators, and risk-takers who are knowledgeable, reflective, principled, open-minded, and deeply caring.
German International School Chicago seeks a dynamic leader as its next Academic Director starting July 2021, or sooner if possible. The successful candidate will be a highly experienced educational leader devoted to the school’s mission as an IB World School. GISC’s Academic Director will be responsible for leading and strengthening GISC’s overall curriculum, including teacher training and mentoring. The Academic Director serves as the school’s academic leader, fostering a climate of excellence and ethical growth among students, faculty, and staff. This is an exceptional opportunity to help lead a young, but highly-rated independent school with an unwavering commitment to student success.
MissionGerman International School Chicago is a preK through 8th grade full-time school that prepares students to become well-rounded, creative, and responsible global citizens. We provide students with a rigorous world-class German/English dual-language education in a supportive and individualized learning environment.
Fast FactsYear established: 2007Total enrollment: 158Student/teacher ratio: 6:1
Number of faculty: 24Faculty with advanced degrees: 44%Students of color: 34%
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SCHOOL HISTORY
In 2007, a small group of German, American, and Austrian parents and educators got together to explore ways to establish a German immersion school in Chicago. Encouraged by the interest from families and the support of members of Austrian and Swiss cultural and business communities, the group incorporated an independent, not-for-profit, co-educational, preK through 12th grade, German and English dual-language school.
In 2009, GISC rented a former charter school on the North side of Chicago and opened that September with 13 preschool students (three- and four-year-olds) and two German teachers. In the second year, the school added a Kindergarten (five-year-olds) and expanded to 23 students. Since then, GISC has grown steadily to include grades through 7th grade. In 2017, the school purchased a former elementary school campus and sold the original building. In September 2018, GISC opened its new campus in the North Center neighborhood. This new location easily accommodates the 150-plus students, preschool through 8th grade, with room to grow over the next decade. The school intends to expand to include a full high school. Students will graduate with an internationally recognized IB Diploma, a U.S. High School Diploma, and a DSD II certificate (Deusches Sprachdiplom Stufe II).
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THE SCHOOL
German International School Chicago is a young, vibrant, up-and-coming IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Through the PYP, the school curriculum promotes concept-based learning and prepares students to become well-rounded, creative, and responsible global citizens by providing them with a rigorous, world-class German/English dual-language education in a supportive and individualized learning environment.
Why a dual-language program? Dual-language programs foster bilingualism, bi-literacy, enhanced awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and high levels of academic achievement through instruction in two languages. Research consistently finds that the immersion experience also enhances English-language development. Immersion students who complete a full program perform better than non-immersion students on almost every academic measure available. They are well-read, competent, knowledgeable, interested in world affairs, and have strong academic skills in math, science, social studies, and literature. In addition to reaping the social and economic advantages of multilingualism, immersion learners benefit cognitively, exhibiting greater non-verbal problem-solving abilities and more flexible thinking.
Why German? The German language offers benefits to students now and in the future. Germany is the world’s fourth-largest economy, the world’s third-largest exporter in terms of gross exports, and the world’s largest exporter in terms of net exports. German is also the most widely spoken language in the Europe Union with more than 120 million native speakers worldwide There are also more than 1,100 companies in German-speaking countries that have subsidiaries in the United States. Many colleges and universities also recommend or require the study of German for students interested in numerous majors.
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ACADEMICS
GISC’s curriculum evolves from the school’s mission and goals. The PYP is a concept-driven, inquiry-based curriculum. This transdisciplinary learning has six overarching themes that allow students to integrate knowledge and skills across subject areas and build holistic views of the world, their lives, and their bodies. The school also links school learning to the students’ out-of-school lives. Special emphasis is placed on nurturing creativity in all subject areas.
German is the dominant language of instruction, but students have daily formal instruction in English language arts, and other subject-area units are taught in English as well. Students learn in groups of varying sizes and also individually. Groups can be multi-age and ability or interest-based. The low student/teacher ratio allows for this intensive small-group teaching and learning, high student participation, and the teachers’ ability to adhere to different learning styles.
GISC also puts a special emphasis on STEAM subjects to help students develop an early interest in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. To further promote intrinsic motivation and the STEAM subjects, students are able to choose from a variety of STEAM electives once a week as part of the curriculum.
Smart boards, laptops, and iPads are as much part of the teaching and learning as books, paper, pencils, and paint brushes. In preschool and kindergarten, iPads are a tool in all subject areas. Starting in 1st grade, students use keyboards and laptops as a learning tool. Laptops also facilitate group projects both within GISC and with schools worldwide. All kindergarten and elementary-school classrooms have smart boards which bring the world into the classroom.
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To support the curriculum, parents and other professionals with specific expertise and knowledge often join the faculty for special topics such as world religions, music, biology, or architecture. As the families represent many different nationalities, the school regularly integrates cultural and language diversity into the learning program.
THE ARTS AND ATHLETICS
Students’ creative and artistic minds are enriched through early education in music and art, as well as the performing arts. Student achievements are showcased throughout the school year in events such as the Annual Winter Performance and Spring Concert and Art Showcase. The arts are also integrated into the STEAM curriculum.
GISC offers four sports: ballet, dance, martial arts, and soccer. For soccer, in the early years, dynamic coaches work with every student to develop skills, self-confidence, and teamwork. In the later years, experienced coaches use a specially developed curriculum to introduce sophisticated skills, provide technical improvement and foster physical and social development. The sports take place in a fun, non-competitive environment.
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SCHOOL LIFE
GISC has a vibrant school community that enriches students’ development and learning, nurtures friendships among students and among families, and reaches out to the larger community with cultural programs. Outside of the classroom, students at GISC are deeply involved the school’s shared community life. They also have an opportunity to engage in the vibrant extracurricular program, which includes homework help, coding, chess, music instruction, gymnastics, soccer, yoga, and other activities.
CAMPUS
In 2018, GISC moved to its new, renovated campus in a quiet North Center neighborhood, just north of downtown Chicago. Extensive renovations to the new building have enabled the school to create state-of-the-art classrooms, a library, a music room, and a science lab. The urban campus includes a playground area with over 20,000 square feet and a parking area, all of which provide additional growth opportunities for the school.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States. With more than 2.7 million residents, it is the largest city in both the state of Illinois and the Midwest region. The extended Chicago metropolitan area is home to nearly 10 million residents.
Located along Lake Michigan, Chicago is known as an international hub for finance, commerce, industry, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. O’Hare International is the second busiest airport in the world. One of the city’s strengths is that it has one of the world’s largest and most diversified economies. It’s also one of the most visited cities in the country.
Chicago is a highly livable city. The city is home to some of the nation’s top universities, including the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University, DePaul University, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The city hosts sporting teams in each of the major professional leagues and has a vibrant arts community that includes The Art Institute of Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre, the Goodman Theater, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Joffrey Ballet. Chicago is also well known as a center for live music, especially the blues, and for the long-running Second City comedy club. With its diversity of neighborhoods, plethora of restaurants and cultural opportunities, Chicago is an excellent place to live and work.
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OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES Opportunities:• Playing a central role in driving the growth and development of a strong, young school.• Leading the development of curriculum and instructional innovation for the current school. • Contributing to the growing reputation of a bilingual school that fills a unique niche in the city.• Living and working in the vibrant city of Chicago.
Challenges:• Helping to build the enrollment of the Middle School.• Planning for the eventual addition of a high school.• Recruiting, developing, and retaining a strong faculty.
DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS The Academic Director position requires a highly motivated, organized, energetic team player, who can multitask. The desired candidate will have most or all of the following:
• Administrative/leadership/supervisory experience in K-12• Experience in a bilingual/bicultural environment• Teaching experience at the K-12 level• Experience with the International Baccalaureate or similar progressive approaches• German (Level C1 strongly preferred)• Master’s degree or higher preferred• Strong oral and written communication skills• Demonstrated success in working with teams
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TO APPLYInterested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:
• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;• A current résumé;• A one-page statement of educational or leadership philosophy and practice;• A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each
(references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:
John ChandlerSenior [email protected]
Jess [email protected]
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