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The Colorado Springs School (CSS) is a rigorous college-preparatory, day school serving 340 students from preschool through grade 12. The board of trustees and the CSS community seek a dynamic educational leader to guide the school well into the next decade and build on the foundation of success achieved over the last six years. The new head of school will focus their efforts on highlighting The Colorado Springs School’s innovation in the field of experiential, hands on, student-centered education. CSS is recognized as a school where every child is known and will have an opportunity to explore new experiences and be challenged to grow beyond what they believed was possible.
The School’s distinctive philosophy of education guides the school as it balances tradition and innovation to provide students with an exceptional experience influenced by constructivist educational theory and brain-based educational research. Faculty at CSS place students at the center of every educational experience. Students learn actively, collaborate with their peers and take time to reflect on their learning. The Colorado Springs School holds the belief that each student comes to the school as a unique individual with distinct interests, talents, and motivations. As a school dedicated to preparing students for a dynamic future, CSS’ curriculum and programs encompass the entire city, region, nation, and world. Faculty utilize a variety of best practices in teaching and learning to develop mastery and connect students’ work to deep and authentic commitments. The School has a strong commitment to teach social emotional skills, leadership, and teamwork fostering ingenuity, enabling CSS graduates to lead purposeful lives. The Portrait of a Graduate of The Colorado Springs School is:
“Through superior academics and mentoring, The Colorado Springs School prepares students to think independently and to meet the challenges of a dynamic world with leadership, ingenuity, problem-solving skills, and personal integrity.”
Mission: Overview
Overseeing the academic program is the associate head of school and the two division directors, assisted by the registrar. The middle school and upper school divisions share a single director. A Director of Student Programs assists in the organization of the experiential learning seminars and service learning in all divisions. A learning specialist and school counselor, who are members of the Learning Team, identifiy and support students who might encounter learning challenges.
The CSS program is known for its rigor and personalized approach. In speaking with alumni, current students, parents, and faculty, the experiential, hands on approach is central to The Colorado Springs School curriculum; as are the opportunities to experiment with new ideas, struggle, fail, and try again. At CSS, academic rigor is balanced with social emotional learning, leadership, character development, and service learning. The school has long been known to educate every aspect of each student’s personal development.
The Children’s School, preschool beginning at age 3 through grade 5, focuses on foundational skills and knowledge, enabling life-long learning. Faculty select developmentally appropriate goals and activities and differentiate instruction to meet learning styles and needs. For more information on The Children’s School please go here.
The ProgramTotal Enrollment: 340 studentsGrades PreK – 5: 158Grades 6 – 8: 82Grades 9 – 12: 100International students: 1235% Students of Color
Indexed Tuition:PreK: $8,800 - $12,750Grades K-5: $4,300 - $17,200Grades 6 – 8: $5,300 - $21,200 Grades 9 – 12: $5,775 - $23,100
Faculty & Staff:63 faculty, staff, & administrators
Board Of Trustees:16 members of the board5 committees6 meetings a year
Finances & Fundraising:$6.5 million operating budget$2.3 million tuition assistance & remission $655 thousand total giving for 2018 - 2019
Membership: ACIS, NAISAssociation of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS) re-accreditation in 2018
By The Numbers
The Middle School, grades 6 through 8, provides a strong transitional bridge between the Children’s School and the self-reliant approach of the Upper School at CSS. There are weekly advisor meetings focusing on organization and study skills, peer relations, self-esteem, and social and emotional growth. For more on the middle school curriculum, please go here.
The Upper School, grades 9 – 12, provides a student-centered, rigorous college preparatory education at The Colorado Springs School. Sudents direct their learning with highly skilled faculty as facilitators, mentors, and advisors. The curriculum offers college preparatory, Advanced Placement, and advanced classes in the core curriculum with French and Spanish offered as world languages. Class periods are 45 or 90 minutes. The fine arts at CSS are exceptional with a wide range of offerings, which include the opportunity to participate in an iron pour and a multitude of sculpture classes. To learn more about the curriculum, please go here.
Middle and Upper School
Experiential Learning is at the core of The Colorado Springs School mission to prepare students for a dynamic world. It begins in The Children’s School and includes on and off campus activities that expose students to outdoor education and includes overnight camping during Fall Adventure. Children’s School classes study the culture of the region through their Colorado Expeditions, which includes additional overnight experiences across the state. Students in the Children’s School conclude several of their in-class learning units with a Dessert Theatre performance. Dessert Theatre, which began 46 years ago at The Colorado Springs School, is more than acting. The program allows kindergarten through 5th grade students the freedom to explore the world through characters, while solving problems and growing their communication skills and confidence.
Experiential Learning becomes more in-depth in the middle school with off campus seminars which occur several times throughout the year, and the eighth grade Walkabout experience, which is 9-day, student driven, exploration of Utah’s canyon and river country.
In the upper school, Experience-Centered Seminars (ECSs) are an integral part of the program and give students the skills necessary to conduct large-scale investigations in college and beyond. Each March, students participate in a single three-and-a-half-week course of study chosen from a wide variety of seminar offerings. By demanding direct, active participation, and hands-on engagement in an experiential setting, ECSs optimize critical thinking, organized inquiry, and in-depth analysis. Students are expected to synthesize their learning in oral and written presentations, journals, group projects, and assessments. The ECS experience—local, regional, national, and international—sets CSS students apart as they move into the collegiate world and beyond. It is often referenced when talking with alumni and parents about the CSS experience. You can find more on ECSs here.
Signature Programs
Senior Capstone Experience is developed in consultation with Project Director, Academic Advisor, and a Committee of faculty and outside mentors. The Capstone Experience reinforces the school’s focus on project-based, individualized learning. It requires students to “own” their learning as they transition to a new phase of their education and prepares them to prosper in college.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): The school recently adopted Yale University’s RULER program to encourage students’ social and emotional learning. SEL is incorporated into classroom discussion regularly in The Children’s School and in classroom and advisory conversations in the middle and upper schools.
Digital Portfolios are used by all CSS students, throughout their school experience to record important artifacts to demonstrate their most important learning each year.
Athletics begin in 5th grade and The Colorado Springs School supports athletic teams in basketball, cross country running, lacrosse, mountain biking, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. The program has an inclusive philosophy with character development, participation, and sportsmanship prioritized above winning. The athletic department focuses on player development by offering a tiered program which begins with elementary and middle school physical education.
College Counseling begins officially in the sophomore year at CSS with the focus on finding the best fit college or university for each student. Through a variety of workshops and one-on-one meetings, students are well prepared for the college process at CSS.
Activities and Clubs: Students at CSS also participate in a variety of activities and clubs. Upper School students are required to participate in at least one school club each year. Clubs in the Upper School provide leadership opportunities. Some current options include: art, drama (Upstagers), robotics, world cultures, Matchwits/Knowledge Bowl, disc golf/ultimate frisbee, book, poetry, garage band, Model United Nations, and outdoor adventure.
Leadership is also incorporated in many of the upper school activities and clubs. The Upper School Forum (representational leadership) and the Judicial Council are elected leadership opportunities that meet during club time. Service-based clubs include National Honor Society (which is very active in community service) and Kodiaks Investing in Community Service (a club that teaches students how to be community philanthropists).
Service Learning: The Colorado Springs School is committed to performing community service as a component within every grade level. CSS believes that providing service to and within the community contributes to the social-emotional development of students, teaching them to be conscientious, caring, and empathetic individuals. CSS has established working relationships with many community agencies and recently identified those whose mission and projects most closely align with the school’s intended learning outcomes.
Class Of 2019 (23 members):SAT average: 1360ACT average: 30AP score of 3 or better: 94%College acceptance to 86 colleges and universitiesMerit Aid awarded: $3.1 million
College Matriculation For Class Of 2019 (23 members)Art Institute of ChicagoColorado College Colorado State University (Honors College) Cornell University Emory University Grand Canyon University Montana State University (Honors College)Northern Arizona UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRhode Island School of DesignSan Diego State UniversitySavannah College of Art and DesignUnited States Air Force AcademyUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of Colorado at Boulder (3)University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (2)University of DenverYale University
Colorado Springs is the second largest metro area in Colorado. In 2018, Colorado Springs received several accolades: U.S. News named Colorado Springs the number one most desirable place to live in the United States, and number two on their list of the 125 Best Places to Live in the USA. It is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado College, the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 17 public school districts, and nearly two dozen private schools. Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic Committee and its largest training center. The Pikes Peak region also hosts several military installations and is one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
The Colorado Springs School is a historic and beautiful 28-acre campus in the Broadmoor neighborhood of Colorado Springs. There are seven buildings, including the Louisa Performing Arts Center (LPAC), the Tutt Fieldhouse (gym), Maytag Cafeteria, Early Childhood Center (PreK - Kindergarten), Children’s Academic Center (Grades 1 - 5 ), the El Pomar Academic Center (Grades 9-12), and the Trianon building, home to the Middle School (grades 6-8) and central administrative offices.
Location and Campus
The 2008 economic downturn impacted The Colorado Springs School’s enrollment. However, the school has successfully navigated a remarkable recovery and enrollment has grown steadily in the last five years and is projected to reach 370 in the next two years. Achieved through the use of indexed tuition and tuition-lock, along with a focused marketing program. With a primary role of solidifying enrollment and fundraising, the new head of school should also be engaged and active in the following areas:
Educational Program: The head of school must model a deep appreciation and understanding of the mission, values, and guiding principles of the school. The head will work collaboratively with the associate head of school, division directors, and faculty to clarify, align, and deepen the philosophical beliefs and practices of a comprehensive experience-based education that develops the mind, hands, and heart of each student.
External Affairs: Enrollment, fundraising, alumni affairs, and the promotion of an experiential, hands-on learning environment will be vital components of the future of The Colorado Springs School and essential work for the new head of school. The head must embrace all aspects of the School’s external affairs program and balance active and joyful engagement on campus with extensive off-campus commitments that will advance CSS’s mission and provide a sustainable future for the School.
Faculty and Staff: To best support the school’s vision, the head of school will continue the growth, development, and professional practice of CSS’s faculty, staff, and administrative team. Well defined recruitment, evaluation, and retention strategies must be among the highest priorities for the head and will include ensuring the resources available to provide faculty and staff with competitive compensation, benefits, and professional growth to remain competitive in the Colorado Springs marketplace.
Administration: The new head of school will inherit an administrative team well-versed in collaborative planning and should be comfortable with a “team approach” in clarifying operating principles, roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines. The head must be comfortable delegating responsibilities and support the development of a shared leadership model that will grow leadership capacity at the school.
Finances: The head of school must be fiscally responsible and wise. Working with the board and the School’s CFO, the head will be responsible for developing the annual operating budget, growing net revenue, and must be a knowledgeable, dedicated steward of CSS’s resources for a sustainable future.
Expectations For The Next Head Of School
The Colorado Springs School seeks an accomplished leader who is a passionate advocate for an experiential, hands on education and who will embrace and model the history, mission, values and vision of The Colorado Springs School community. The new head of school will be an engaging leader who is ready to do his/her best work in guiding CSS as a leader in experiential, hands on education. Candidates should have significant and successful experience in a senior leadership position. Candidates should possess a track record of successful executive leadership and management expertise, including the ability to:
• Develop a shared vision that embodies The Colorado Springs School’s history, mission, core values, and philosophy, and resonates with current and future members of the CSS community.
• Be a visible presence in all facets of school life and enjoy being engaged with the daily life of the students, faculty, staff, and parents.
• Work collaboratively with the administration and faculty and staff to enhance CSS’s curriculum and program to reflect a comprehensive experiential, hands on education.
• Work with the Board of Trustees, senior administrators, faculty and staff to strengthen and advance The Colorado Springs School, both internally and externally.
• Engage with and support a broad external affairs program, which will include significant fundraising, marketing, and enrollment efforts.
• Promote transparency in all actions and all interactions.
The background of the successful candidate will demonstrate:
• Commitment to a hands-on, student-centered learning environment and to supporting incredible opportunities for students, faculty and staff, and their families.
• Lifelong learning with an advanced degree and ongoing professional development.• A captivating communication style characterized by clarity of thought and delivery.• Commitment to being engaged in the local community to promote the school
and its programs.• Exceptional aptitude for financial management and appreciation for the economics
of a small, college preparatory school like The Colorado Springs School.• Robust organizational skills and the ability to establish an environment of collaborative
decision making, management, leadership, and teamwork.• Experience in recruiting, retaining, and nurturing a diverse student body, faculty and staff.• Experience as a classroom teacher is preferred.
The Colorado Springs School will be best matched with an accomplished educational leader who is an outgoing, energetic person with a thoughtful and intellectual curiosity who has a strong sense of self with humility, sense of humor, and a commitment to serving others.
Ideal Candidate Attributes And Experiences
A search is underway to identify a new head of school by late February/early March 2020. The new head of school will assume the position on July 1, 2020.
Colorado Springs School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and will follow NAIS Principles of Good Practice regarding Head of School searches.
The Colorado Springs School is a member of the Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS) and National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
The School has appointed a seven-member Search Committee to conduct the search and has engaged a national executive search firm, Educational Directions, to assist the Search Committee.
Please direct all inquiries, applications, and nominations in confidence to:
Dr. Jerry Larson — [email protected]
The Colorado Springs School is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks a diverse and broad spectrum of qualified candidates.
The compensation package will be within the expected norms of comparable NAIS schools.
Each candidate should submit as soon as possible:• Letter explaining their interest in The Colorado Springs School, addressed to the Search
Committee• Résumé• The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of five professional references
(Finalists will be expected to provide 7 additional references.)• A personal statement that could include educational and leadership philosophy focused on
candidates’ journey to this point in their career
Electronic submission of credentials is expected.
CALENDAR Application Deadline December 27, 2019 at the latestCandidates Notified of Status January 9, 2020 Semifinalists Interviews Between January 14 – January 29, 2020 Finalist Interviews Between January 30 – February 12, 2020
The Colorado Springs School reserves the right to accelerate the search timeline for highly qualified candidates.
Information On The Search Process And Calendar
