Head of School

Head of School - Palo Alto

Mission and Priorities:

At Children’s Health Council, we believe in the promise and potential of every child, teen and young adult. Our mission is to transform young lives by providing culturally responsive best-in-class learning and mental health services to families from diverse backgrounds regardless of language, location, or ability to pay. We specialize in ADHD, Learning Differences, Anxiety & Depression and Autism. Our strategic priorities include: being people first and empowering our workforce, creating systems built on equity, access, and inclusion, elevating technology and strengthening our community partnerships.         
      
Could this be you?          
 

• Do you like to work in an environment where we live our mission?   
• Do you value celebrating our differences and learning from them?   
• Are you passionate about the work you do?   
• Do you value collaboration?   
• Are you looking to be empowered as a professional to help us grow as an organizational community?
• Are you a skilled cross-cultural communicator, helping cultivate a place of acceptance?   
• Do you value cross-cultural competence and communication with individuals, teams, and systems within our organization?   

         If you can answer “yes” to these questions, this job could be for you!          
         
About the role!

The Head of School is responsible for the leadership, management, and effective operation of the assigned site of Esther B. Clark School.  As such, this individual ensures the school functions in compliance with CDE regulations across all domains – academic, behavioral, therapeutic, and personnel. The Head of School serves as the official representative in all school matters at the respective campus. This position currently reports to the Vice President of Schools.

As the Head of School, you will:

• Program management: Overseeing the development and implementation of programs, including Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
• Compliance: Ensuring compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
• Staff management: Supervising and evaluating the performance of all operation team members.
• Collaboration: Working with students, parents, and staff to ensure the educational benefit of students.
• Communication: Disseminating expectations and changes in practice, by communicating with stakeholders.
• Budgeting: Creating and managing site budgets. 
• Professional development: Providing strategic professional development to support the dynamic needs of the site and in alignment with the larger organization.
• Program coordination: Coordinating with districts, parents/guardians, and staff to ensure successful outcomes for students.

What we’re looking for:

• Passion for the CHC mission and diversity, equity and inclusion, and commitment to ensure that EBC views all of its work through a DEIB lens.
• Strategic thinking skills to work with the Director of EBC Schools to ensure programmatic decisions align with best practices.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving/conflict-resolution skills.
• Mediate and facilitate difficult conversations with stakeholders (internal & external).
• Knowledge of best practices in teaching and learning.
• Proven ability and desire to lead an inter-disciplinary school setting.
• Possesses strong interpersonal and written communication skills with demonstrated sensitivity to lay and professional audiences.
• Flexibility in scheduling appointments and punctuality in meeting all commitments. 
• Knowledge of evidence-based practices across the program.

About your background (education/experience):

• Must have at least one (1) of the following qualifications:
  • Administrative Credential or two years of experience with pupils with disabilities or;
  • PPSC, LCSW, LMFT, LPCC or;
  • Masters degree in Special Education or a related field or;
  • Educational Specialist Credential with at least 5 years teaching before becoming an administrator or;
  • Licensed Educational Psychologist
• At least five years’ experience as an administrator at a site with at minimum 12% special education and self-contained programs.
• At least five years of direct experience working with students with social-emotional skill deficits and their families.
• Highly Preferred: Master’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
• Continued professional development on an annual basis is expected.

Working Conditions

Physical Requirements:  

• Must be able to frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

Special Job Requirements: 

• It will be necessary for the Head of School to occasionally attend after-school or agency-wide events that take place after regular school hours. 
• The Head of School is expected to attend such events as they are scheduled. 

Contact with Others: 

• Extensive interpersonal interaction with peers and outside contacts.

Compensation:

Range: $120,000-$155,000

Pay Type: salary

* The starting base salary for this position is as shown above. The actual base salary is dependent upon a variety of job-related factors such as professional background, training, work experience, location, business needs, and market demand. This pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.