Escuela Campo Alegre

The American International School

Caracas, Venezuela

seeks a new

Superintendent

-- effective July, 2009 --

The School

Escuela Campo Alegre (ECA), founded in 1937, is a private, coeducational school offering a program for students from nursery (3 yr. olds) through grade 12. The school year is comprised of two semesters extending from August to June. Located on Calle La Cinta, the campus is in Urbanization Las Mercedes and offers a central, easily accessible environment which is removed from the daily congestion in Caracas. The school serves as a gathering area for the expatriate community. Many community activities are offered during the school year.

Governance:

The School is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Directors, which has 12 members including the Superintendent. It is recognized by both the Venezuelan and U.S. governments as a tax-exempt organization.

Curriculum:

The curriculum is similar to that of a U.S. college-preparatory school, with additional emphasis placed on the Spanish language and the history and culture of Latin America, especially Venezuela. All instruction is given in English. The curriculum also emphasizes the use of technology, problem-solving, and authentic assessment. The IB Diploma Program is offered for students in grades 11 and 12. The curriculum is standards based and a full review of the standards and benchmarks is occurring with the use of a curriculum consultant. A full range of extra-curricular activities is available. ECA is accredited by AdvanceEd (the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), the Council of International Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the Association of American Schools in South America. A great majority of the graduates go on to universities in the United States or Europe.

Faculty and Staff:

There are 104 faculty members, including 50 U.S. citizens, 30 host-country nationals, and 24 coming from 10 other nationalities. ECA also employs instructional assistants as well as a large support staff. The administrative team consists of the Superintendent, three principals, an academic dean, an Elementary Assistant Principal, the Director of Support Services, and the Director of Admissions.

Enrollment:

Current student enrollment totals 620 students representing 39 countries. The Elementary School has 290 students, the Middle School 150 and the High School 180 students. Each division has its own principal and counselor.

Facilities:

ECA is situated on an eleven-acre site which is nestled into the side of a hill. The physical property consists of 77 classrooms, including purpose-built science labs, music, art and technology centers, a 630-seat theater/auditorium, an Astroturf field, 3 gymnasiums, 2 basketball courts, a climbing wall, a weight room, a swimming pool, 3 tennis courts, a cafeteria, 2 fully equipped multipurpose meeting areas and a library/media center with over 52,000 catalogued items. A seven-year facilities master plan has been developed for the renovation and building of facilities to meet program needs.

The Position:

The Superintendent is responsible to the Board of Directors for the effective leadership of the school including the management, supervision and coordination of the various divisions. The Superintendent provides educational leadership to develop and maintain the best possible educational program and services.

Specific Responsibilities:

1.Implement all school policies as described in the Board Policy Manual and as amended by subsequent Board actions.

a.Act as chief executive of the school;

b.Advise appropriate administrator or teaching staff of decisions to be implemented;

c.Attend and participate in all meetings of the Board and its committees, except when own employment or salary is under consideration;

d.Remain cognizant of the Society’s By-Laws, Board Policy Manual, all school internal policies, schedules, Venezuelan Commercial Code, Labour law, etc;

e.Make recommendations to Board of Directors concerning staff needs, proposed salary and benefits, and other administrative policies.

2.Provide Educational Leadership.

a.Implement teaching and instructional curriculum;

b.Evaluation and assessment of the educational program, activities and needs of the school;

c.Presentation of future plans for improvement of academic programs;

d.Leadership of the administration and faculty, with the purpose of giving clear direction to educational program;

e.Plan and implement in service staff training program;

f.Keep informed of modern educational thought and practices by advanced study, by visiting school systems elsewhere, by attending educational conferences, and by other appropriate means, and keep the Board of Directors informed of trends in education.

3.Direct all operations.

a.Recommend facilities additions and capital acquisitions and oversee the master plan;

b.Prepare and present to the Board of Directors the annual budget, its revisions and monthly financial statements and operate the school within approved budget guidelines;

c.Monitor the overall direction of day-to-day business operations including building, purchasing, enrollment, payroll, and other business activities pertaining to the total school operations;

d.Supervise all matters relating to recruitment, appointment, assignment and evaluation of teaching staff and administrative personnel;

e.Act as the school’s representative in community affairs to promote a harmonious relationship between ECA and its constituencies.

Required Qualifications:

1.Organizational ability, communicative skills, and initiative;

2.Minimum of ten years of experience in education, two of which are classroom teaching;

3.M.A. / M.Ed. / M.S. Degree and certification in educational administration;

4.Minimum of three years experience in senior administration;

5.Demonstrated ability to supervise and evaluate transportation, food services, human resources, facilities, and development activities.

Preferred Qualifications:

1.International Experience;

2.Spanish Language.

Salary and Benefits:

The salary will be competitive and will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include:

• furnished housing;
• use of an automobile;
• round-trip airfare for administrator and dependents;
• shipping allowance;
• free tuition at ECA for school-age dependents;
• health insurance plan;
• life and disability insurance coverage;
• professional dues allocation;
• annual attendance to administrators' conference;
• membership in a professional education organization;
• pension plan, bereavement leave, personal and sick leave;
• three-year initial contract;
• computer and Internet connection at Superintendent’s residence.

Procedure for Filing Application:

The Board of Directors of Escuela Campo Alegre has appointed International Schools Services (ISS) to act as consultant in the search for a new Superintendent. Candidates who wish to apply for the position must establish a professional file with ISS to facilitate the application process and ensure that credentials are provided to the school in a uniform and consistent manner.

Candidates who wish to establish professional files with ISS, or who must activate their professional files may find complete application details at the ISS <candidate portal>.

Candidates who currently have active professional files with ISS need only to submit a one to two page letter of application addressed to Dr. Ralph Jahr citing the strengths they feel qualify them for consideration for the Superintendent position at ECA. Application letters should be forwarded to the address noted at the end of this announcement.

The deadline for letters of interest is June 1, 2008. Candidates must have an active ISS professional file by July 15, 2008. Candidates are asked to submit their letter of interest as early as possible as the Board reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is found. Semifinalist candidates will be identified by ISS and their dossiers forwarded to the ECS Search Committee for review. Finalist candidates and their spouses, if applicable, will be interviewed in Caracas and will have the opportunity to meet with faculty, parents, students, and non-teaching staff. The new Superintendent will be appointed shortly after interviews of the finalist candidates have been completed. Additional information about ECA can be found at the school’s web site at <www.eca.com.ve>.