Charles Armstrong School, a premier school in the San Francisco Bay area serving students with dyslexia and related learning differences in Grades 2–8, seeks a Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging to begin July 1, 2022 (or earlier if available).

Primary Responsibilities

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

The Director is responsible for strategic initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion including faculty/staff training, DEI curriculum implementation and audits, collaboration with parent/guardian DEI facilitators, and participation in the Board of Trustees DEI committee. The Director is a guide and resource for the entire Armstrong community in the school’s ongoing journey to be the most equitable and inclusive school it can be. All of these responsibilities are in partnership with the Head of School, Leadership Team, Board, and other key Armstrong stakeholders:

• Develop a strategic plan for Armstrong’s DEI work that outlines high-level strategic priorities and major steps for achieving each priority

• Analyze and evaluate current systems, policies and practices to identify areas of improvement that provide the foundation for a just community

• Obtain and use evaluative findings, from the Assessment of Inclusion and Multiculturalism (AIM) and other sources, to examine program effectiveness through a DEI lens

• Design pro-active DEI education and training for faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, volunteers, parents, alumni, incoming families, and students; engage third-party trainers and speakers as needed to fulfill this responsibility

• Support the development of culturally responsive teaching and pedagogy, and ensure teachers’ access to and use of culturally diverse and relevant teaching materials and resources

• Coach faculty to employ culturally responsive instructional practices that create equitable and inclusive classroom communities and an uplifting and affirming learning experience for all students

• Continue implementation of Pollyanna Racial Literacy Curriculum in grades 2–8, in collaboration with the Director of Teaching and Learning

• Identify additional curriculum, in conjunction with the academic team, which support the school’s DEI goals

• Co-lead Board’s DEI Committee and further refine this new committee’s role

• Facilitate monthly Equity and Inclusion workgroup meetings

• Participate in planning and execution of New Teacher Training and Summer Institute in conjunction with members of the Leadership and Program Teams

• Work with the Admissions Committee and all search committees to promote equitable practices

• Participate in the recruitment and hiring of faculty in concert with Head of School and Division Directors

Student Experience

• Foster a strong sense of community, spirit, and belonging among the Armstrong student body

• Assess, design, and implement, along with the Division Directors, academic policies that allow students to flourish, with a specific eye toward equity and inclusion

• Define the community’s needs in terms of student social-emotional and behavioral support, in collaboration with Division Directors and counselors

• Create and implement a Restorative Justice model for responding to student misbehavior, in collaboration with teachers and counselors

• Collaborate with parents/guardians, Division Directors, and counselors, as appropriate, to support students in learning, repairing relationships, and making amends through the Restorative Justice model

• Lead faculty/staff and parent/guardian education sessions regarding Restorative Justice

• Coordinate and support the Middle School Advisory program, in collaboration with the Director of Middle School

• Participate in the life of the school by attending community meetings, sports, musical performances, community fundraisers, and other school events

Qualifications & requirements

The ideal candidate will be a relational leader who has the ability to meaningfully engage students, faculty, staff, parents, and trustees in this work. In addition, this person should be a confident and competent communicator who consistently upholds the values of the school and leads by example. In addition to the qualities noted above, the ideal candidate will possess the following experiences, dispositions, and competencies:

• Experience with and/or understanding of children with learning differences

• Experience coaching and collaborating with educators

• Experience facilitating faculty and parent/guardian meetings

• Ability to lead and facilitate courageous conversations, welcoming diverse perspectives and thoughts

• Be a team player with a positive attitude, sense of humor, energy, and dedication to collaborative work

• Ability to develop and sustain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders

• Ability to research, identify, and implement best practices in DEI relevant to Armstrong’s program and community needs

• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, and to research, develop, present, and promote relevant projects and initiatives

• Ability to evaluate instructional programs and teaching effectiveness through a DEI lens

• Understanding of Restorative Justice practices and, ideally, Responsive Classroom practices

• Ability to provide leadership and supervision for the planning, development, and establishment of new, modified, and/or improved programs

• Valid teaching credential

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred

The School

Charles Armstrong School is the premier school for children with dyslexia and related learning differences in the San Francisco Bay Area and has a national reputation for excellence. It is a non-profit, independent, coeducational day school of approximately 240 students in grades 2–8.

Student Experience

The school believes deeply that how students learn is as important as what they learn. The goal of the academic program is to nurture confident, self-aware learners who can understand and articulate their learning strengths and areas of growth; pursue areas of interest and develop passions and talents; advocate for their learning and social-emotional needs; and approach academics and life with confidence and enthusiasm.

All practices at Armstrong are informed by research and data. The school’s partnership with the University of California San Francisco Dyslexia Center allows it to continually be aware of and incorporate proven methodologies. For example, teaching in all content areas incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements. Flexible seating options such as stools, wiggle cushions, standing desks, and thera-bands are available to students. There is also small group instruction for both the literacy and the numeracy programs with 1:1 iPads and assistive technology available to students.

Because academic success is inextricably tied to building social-emotional competencies, Responsive Classroom approaches are used by faculty and staff at Armstrong to provide a strong, consistent foundation for classroom instruction and positive school culture. There are lower and middle school counselors on-site and mindfulness practices are incorporated into the program.

Outside of the classroom, students are engaged in leadership opportunities, sports, drama, art, school trips, middle school dances, and even an overnight outdoor education program for students in grades 5–8. To put it simply, student life at Armstrong is no different than it is anywhere else in California and its campus looks and functions like any other school in the Bay area. The students are typical children that happen to be dyslexic.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Armstrong recognizes that diversity isn’t just about learning challenges as a dyslexic community. It believes that diversity encompasses — among other things — race, socio-economic class, cultural heritage, gender, age, and sexual orientation. It’s what makes a community unique, rich, and ever-growing.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force team at Armstrong works hard to educate its community on what it means to be truly inclusive. The school wants all members of its community to be seen, to feel respected and valued, and encouraged to show up as their fully authentic selves. To this end, the staff and teachers regularly engage in classes, readings, and discussions—many designed by some of the best consultants on diversity—to build on their sensitivity to, and understanding of, the school’s eclectic community.

Armstrong is also aware of the importance of affinity groups, such as the GSA (Gender and Sexualities Alliance). While still in its infancy, this group will eventually provide support and solace for students who belong to the LGBTQ+ community and/or whose family members do.

Armstrong’s outreach is not just confined to its campus. It has a resource list of books, feature films, short films, podcasts, etc. that raises awareness about DEI and its importance in building a stronger, safer, better world for everyone. In addition, every month, parents and caretakers are encouraged to take part in a discussion group whose aim is to promote understanding and empathy for all the people in the school community and the world at large.

At Armstrong, they hope not just to unlock the minds of its dyslexic students, but to inspire its entire community to carry on the important work of social justice.

Location

Charles Armstrong is located in Belmont, California on the San Francisco Peninsula, halfway between San Francisco and San Jose with a population of approximately 26,000. The city is known for its gorgeous landscape, open spaces, and views of the San Francisco Bay. Conveniently located roughly 20 miles away from San Francisco, one of the most diverse cities in America, Belmont is a quiet residential community in the midst of the culturally and technologically rich Bay Area.

SEARCH CALENDAR*

Priority Application Due Date
March 28, 2022

Semi-finalist Interviews
April 4–8, 2022

Finalist Interviews
April 25–29, 2022

Announcement
Early May, 2022

*Approximate dates subject to change