Shanghai american School

Shanghai, chinahead of Puxi camPuS

Start date: July 2020www.saschina.org

overview

Shanghai American School (SAS) seeks a dynamic, visionary educational leader to be its next Head of Campus for the Puxi Campus beginning in July 2020. SAS, which has operated for over a century, is the largest international school in China, enrolling 2,750 students of more than 40 nationalities. With an operating budget of over $110 million, 390 faculty members, and two campuses, SAS is a challenging school environment calling for exceptional senior leadership. The Head of Campus will be the first line officer of the Puxi campus and a primary resource for the Head of School as well as the Chief Academic Officer who is accountable for the academic program whole school. S/he will report to the Head of School and be a member of the senior leadership team. The School seeks a strong community builder, with excellent strategic and communication skills, one who thrives in a diverse international environment and is excited to lead a passionate, motivated and engaged faculty and staff and a dynamic campus leadership team. The Head of Campus will spark innovative thinking and bring a demonstrated passion for the education of young people.

School hiStory

Established in 1912 and one of the oldest international schools in the world, Shanghai American School (SAS) continues a long legacy of educational excellence with an extraordinary array of academic programs and extracurricular activities. SAS serves Shanghai’s expatriate community, and the vast majority of students hold foreign passports. Already outstanding educational opportunities are constantly enhanced in this self-reflective culture. SAS offers its students a comprehensive educational program from pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 on two state-of- the-art campuses. Educational technology, libraries, laboratories, playing fields, and other learning resources are among the best in the world. Located on both sides of the sprawling city of Shanghai, the two SAS campuses serve as educational and cultural centers for much of the expatriate community in Shanghai. Since 1993, growth and enrollment have been dramatic, driven mostly by the rapid increase in Shanghai’s international business community.

Shanghai American School has a long history in China’s largest metropolis. When SAS first opened its doors on September 17, 1912, the school boasted 38 students. By

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Mission Statement

Shanghai American School inspires in all students:• A lifelong passion for learning• A commitment to act with integrity

and compassion• The courage to live their dreams.

Core Values

We believe that:• Embracing diversity enriches

individuals and communities• Acts of compassion and generosity

of spirit create a better world• When individuals take

responsibility for their own decisions, they are empowered to make positive impact

• Each individual has intrinsic value and the potential to contribute to society

• Collaboration is key to overcoming complex challenges and achieving common goals

• Integrity is the foundation of enduring rela¬tionships, quality institutions, and well- func-tioning communities

• As global citizens we have a duty to care for the earth and its inhabitants to ensure the well-being of humankind

• Creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong passion for learning are essential to personal fulfillment and to meet the challenges of the future.

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the 1920s, SAS had attracted over 500 students in grades K-12. Students came from expatriate missionary, diplomatic, and business families. Many of them went on to distinguished careers in academia, research, medicine, or diplomatic work. SAS closed in 1950, following the change in government in China.

The school reopened in 1980 on the grounds of the US Consulate General. A growing foreign community and expanding foreign business activity quickly drew increased enrollment, prompting a move in 1989 to the campus of the Shanghai Number 3 Girls’ Middle School. When that campus became too small, SAS gradually moved to new locations—one in suburban Jhudi, in Puxi (the west side of Shanghai), and the other on the east, or Pudong, side of the Huangpu River. SAS began to serve expatriate children in Pudong from September 1996 onwards at a temporary campus at Hua Xia Cultural Park and later relocated to its permanent home in Shanghai Links Executive Community in 1998. From 1980 until 1992, the school offered classes through grade eight. Beginning with the 1992-93 school year, a middle school was established for grades six through eight, and in 1993-94, a ninth grade was added. Beginning with the 1994-95 school year, grades 10, 11, and 12 were added and SAS began to provide the complete pre-K3 through 12th grade educational program that thrives today. The school’s growth since then has been tremendous: from approximately 20 students when it reopened in 1980, it has grown to nearly 2750 for the 2018-2019 academic year. The first graduation of high school students in 50 years took place in 1995 with a class of six students. The concept of “one school on two campuses” emerged and was promoted beginning in 2005.

The Pudong and the Puxi campuses have evolved into unique academic institutions and both boast fine new facilities specifically built to support a comprehensive and carefully coordinated curriculum. Classrooms; science labs; facilities for drama, art, and music; and gymnasiums and sports fields are all state-of-the-art, and comparable to the best any international school has to offer. The Pudong campus moved into new facilities in 1998 and the Puxi campus completed the move to its new campus at the start of the 2000-2001 academic year. Since then, facilities on both campuses have

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been continually expanded and improved, and academic programs have kept pace with enrollment in both scope and sophistication. In recent years, SAS has invested heavily in extensive technology resources and enhanced the way they are used to support student learning.

The school also has a 1:1 Apple laptop program for all middle and high school students and has expanded the use of digital media resources in all three divisions.

SAS is proud of its unique history and broad community of accomplished alumni who have made a difference in every corner of the world. Graduates hold regular reunions in the United States, and smaller gatherings take place annually. Renewed outreach efforts are underway to engage the burgeoning population of graduates from the post-1980 era.

SAS cherishes a long legacy of educational excellence and a reputation for keeping ahead of the changing demands of 21st century education. Providing the technology, creative teaching, and opportunities for real life and service learning continue to be of utmost importance to all of the SAS constituents.

the School

SAS is an international school with a comprehensive, American standards-based curriculum. SAS takes pride in its student-teacher relationships and a climate of mutual trust and respect is encouraged within the school community. Individual learning styles are recognized, and teachers use diverse teaching strategies to encourage independent learning. Classes have a maximum of 20 students and a concerted effort is made to balance classes according to background, language, academic ability, nationality, and gender.

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Learning begins in the Early Childhood Program, which provides a safe and nurturing learning environment for pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten children. The children come to school with a variety of backgrounds, learning styles, and interests. Teachers devote themselves to the development of each child’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social growth. Within a stimulating, developmentally appropriate environment, they foster creativity and encourage children to become problem solvers. Children work together and make connections between what takes place in the classroom and in their own lives.

The SAS elementary school offers a complete English language program in a developmentally appropriate, American core curriculum. From pre-Kindergarten through grade five, the typical daily schedule includes language arts, science, math, and social studies. All children also benefit from specialists, whom they see for Chinese language, physical education, library, computers, music, and art, as well as guidance and counseling.

The Middle School program combines a rigorous academic curriculum with a wide range of supplementary student activities. Based on the National Middle School Association principles, the Middle School program provides developmentally appropriate challenges in cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and moral development. All students participate in year-long courses in language arts, social studies, science, math, physical education, foreign languages (Spanish, French, or Chinese), and music (choir, orchestra, band, or general music).

The SAS High School provides a rigorous academic program while promoting personal growth for all students. A talented teaching staff, supported by exceptional resources, provides the opportunity for all students to reach their full academic potential. The aim is to create an environment of high achievement without antagonistic competitiveness, where academic rigor and creativity are celebrated side by side. A core college-preparatory curriculum prepares students for further study

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and offers a broad range of options enhanced with an international perspective, including fine arts (music, art, and theater), foreign languages (Chinese, French and Spanish for beginning through advanced-level language learners), as well as courses in computer science. Students at both campuses have the option of taking the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program and Advanced Placement courses in 16 subjects. One third of SAS students take the full IB Diploma, one third focus on AP courses, and one third take a combination of AP and IB certificates. Extensive college preparatory support is provided for all students by a team of experienced guidance counselors.

SAS provides students with opportunities to participate in interscholastic athletics, music, and drama. As a member of the Asian Pacific Activities Conference (APAC) and the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS), SAS students compete and perform with other schools from around the region. The Model United Nations program enables students to gain a better global view on a variety of issues, while promoting public speaking skills and personal confidence. Participants in these extra-curricular activities travel to events hosted by international schools around Asia. Cultural travel opportunities are also part of the middle and high school curriculum.

College Placement

The following is a partial list of colleges and universities at which SAS graduates have recently enrolled:

Boston CollegeBoston UniversityBrown UniversityCarleton CollegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityColumbia UniversityCornell UniversityDartmouth CollegeDuke UniversityEmory UniversityGeorgetown UniversityHong Kong University of Science & TechnologyJohns Hopkins UniversityKorea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyMcGill UniversityMITMiddlebury CollegeNew York UniversityNortheastern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityPomona CollegePrinceton UniversityPurdue UniversitySwarthmore CollegeUniversity College in LondonUniversity of British ColumbiaUC BerkeleyUCLAUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of EdinburghUniversity of MichiganUniversity of Notre DameUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of TorontoUniversity of VirginiaVassar CollegeWellesley CollegeWilliams CollegeYale University

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camPuSeS

Puxi Campus (West)The 29-acre campus in Puxi (west side of the city) serves students in pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. The purpose-built facility features separate elementary, middle, and high school buildings, three gymnasiums, music facilities, a cafeteria with separate eating areas for the upper and lower schools, and an operations center that houses offices for technology and support services. Well-equipped playground areas supplement extensive athletic facilities for track and field sports, softball, and baseball. There are eight computer labs, several science labs, a library/media center for middle and high school students and black box theatre. A state- of-the-art performing arts center and an aquatic center were opened in 2005. A new Elementary Library and Media Center was completed in January 2007. The Center for Inquiry and Design, a specially designed open space for innovative teaching and learning, was completed in 2016. The Middle and High School library has been fully redesigned and opened its doors in fall of 2018.

Pudong Campus (East)The 23-acre facility in Pudong (east side of the city) serves grades pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. The purpose-built facility features connected elementary, middle, and high school buildings, modern classrooms, high-tech IT and science laboratories, project areas, and specialized music and art rooms. The cafeteria provides eating facilities for the elementary school while the new food court services the middle and high schools. Well-equipped playground areas supplement extensive sports facilities and playing fields, a double gym for middle and high school students and two physical educational facilities for elementary school students. The campus also boasts a new Library and Media Center for middle and high school students, a black box theatre, an auditorium, a world class performing arts center, and an Aquatics Center.

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Shanghai, china

At the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China, Shanghai is halfway between Beijing and Hong Kong. Shanghai is the largest city in China and, counting the population within the city limits, the most populous city in the world. Shanghai has experienced unprecedented double-digit growth over the last two decades and has been named one of the fastest developing cities in the world. A global city and major financial center, Shanghai is also one of the primary industrial centers of China. The world’s busiest containership port is Shanghai Port. A cosmopolitan metropolis with a rich history dating back over a thousand years, Shanghai offers distinctive architecture, including some of the tallest buildings in the world, cultural attractions including many of China’s finest museums and more than 30 colleges and universities. More than 150,000 foreigners live in Shanghai, mostly Japanese, Americans and Koreans. Shanghai is well-known for historical landmarks including The Bund, City God Temple, and Yuyuan Garden, as well as the extensive and growing Lujiazui skyline.

reSPonSibilitieS of the head of camPuS

• Serve on the Head of School’s General Leadership Team.• Serve as campus leader in supporting long-range program planning for the School set by the

Board of Trustees and the Head of School.• Serve as the campus leader in ensuring smooth and efficient campus operations.• Serve as crisis management leader on campus.• Provide leadership in the school’s relationship with its parent stakeholders; serve as the primary

liaison for the PTSA on campus.• With the Chief Academic Officer/Deputy Head of School and the other Head of Campus, support

the promotion of cross-campus consistency based on the “one school-two campuses” philosophy.• Support the Chief Academic Officer/Deputy Head of School in providing schoolwide efficacy and

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unity in the academic program; ensure fidelity in the implementation of the academic program on campus.

• Support the Director of Human Resources in executing annual recruitment and faculty evaluation cycles.

• Serve as direct supervisor of division principals, inviting collaboration and unity of purpose in the service of pre-K-12 alignment.

• Serve as direct supervisor of the Director of Athletics & Activities, Director of the Aquatics Program, Director of Student Support Services, and Manager of the Performing Arts Center

• Other reasonable duties as assigned.

deSired QualitieS and QualificationS

• Advanced degree in Educational Leadership or related field.• Substantial experience as a Principal or school leader of equal scope and influence.• Strong teaching experience, preferably in more than one division.• Demonstrated history of community leadership through diplomacy and relationship-building.• Demonstrated history of uniting academic and operational resources.• Demonstrated history of effective crisis management.• Demonstrated history of nurturing a strong parent-school partnership.• Demonstrated history of effective collaboration and team building.• Excellent written, oral and multi-media communication skills.• Outstanding organizational skills.• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.• Experience working and living internationally; China or Asia desirable.

to aPPly

Interested 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 the position;• A current résumé;• A statement of educational 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 Consultantjohn.chandler@carneysandoe.com

Art CharlesSenior Consultantart.charles@carneysandoe.com

Ralph DavisonSenior Consultantralph.davison@carneysandoe.com

Fred WessonSenior Consultantfred.wesson@carneysandoe.com