Associate Head of School

Germantown Academy is a PreK-12th grade coed, nonsectarian, college preparatory school, serving more than 1,200 students in a day school environment. Located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, a close suburb of Philadelphia, GA is committed to creating a learning environment that is as diverse as the broader, global world of which we are a part. We value this diversity because it makes us a stronger community, enriches our thinking, and helps us to develop our collaborative spirit. A talented faculty of 170 teachers pursues a developmentally appropriate and challenging curriculum geared toward educating the whole child, including extensive extracurricular, artistic, and athletic offerings.

Rich Schellhas is beginning his ninth year as Head of School in 2024-25 and 16th year overall at Germantown Academy. He is seeking an engaging, dynamic, experienced leader as the Associate Head of School, a position that will commence on July 1, 2025, in the school’s 266th year. Salary and benefits are highly competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition, 100% tuition remission is available for a total of two children who qualify for admission and for whom space is available.

The PreK-12 Associate Head of School at GA is a new position for the school and prioritizes school leadership, program, and faculty development. We are searching for a collaborative, consensus-driven educational leader who builds relationships first, listens well, actively solicits input and asks powerful questions, communicates with inspiration and clarity, supervises thoughtfully, and effectively delegates and empowers colleagues.

Qualified candidates will have extensive experience in senior-level school leadership and building and developing curriculum and programs, with expertise in several of the following areas — 21st century skills and innovative programs, experiential learning, ed-tech, equity and inclusion, strategic planning, faculty professional development, and research-based teaching and learning strategies.

“For more than 260 years, we have strived to bring out the best in our students. Our proud alumni/ae, leaders in their own right around the world, are living proof that our mission works. With an ideal mix of independent school excellence and creative, innovative thinking and practice, GA opens doors to new interests and opportunities, lifelong relationships, and a stellar education. In the end, however, we teach our students to find and open their own doors, to stride through them confidently, to hold them wide open for others. Our 126-acre campus affords us the resources necessary to help students become their best selves.” — Rich Schellhas

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT

Germantown Academy inspires students to be…

• Independent in Thought
• Confident in Expression
• Compassionate in Spirit
• Collaborative in Action
• Honorable in Deed

The Mission Statement also serves as GA's touchstone for all curricular and programmatic thinking as well as the philosophic structure under which current and future strategic vision statements will be organized and assessed. GA’s leaders are guided by these 21 words as we evolve our curriculum for a 21st century environment.

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY COMMUNITY COMMITMENTS

We, the students, employees, families, alumni / ae, and Trustees of Germantown Academy, strive to live the Mission by:

• Being honorable members of our community
• We hold ourselves to the highest ethical
• We advocate for others, even when no one is
• We treat ourselves, others, and places with dignity, care, and
• Creating a community of engaged, empowered learners
• We listen actively and seek to understand the perspectives and experiences of
• We express ourselves with humility and share ideas through open
• We cultivate resilience, growth, and confidence to serve and lead in the
• Building an equitable and inclusive school community
• We nurture and value each individual to create a culture of
• We recognize and address the impact of our words and
• We embrace that the path to achieve each person’s potential is

ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES

School Leadership

• Partners with the Head of School in the fulfillment of the school’s Mission, Community Commitments, Equity & Inclusion Action Plan, and Strategic Vision.
• Invests in becoming a highly visible community leader who works closely with the Head to oversee the wellbeing of the school and school community.
• Establishes a presence and the connections necessary to be able to represent the Head of School as
• Serves as an educational leader to manage daily school life and to develop and implement strategic initiatives.
• Advises the Head on matters related to school leadership, vision, curriculum, programming, and personnel.
• Manages the accreditation processes of the
• Participates in all meetings of the Board of Trustees and some subcommittees; assumes co-leadership of the Strategic Vision Task Force.
• Serves on the Heads of Schools Committee, One School Management Committee, Equity & Inclusion Leadership Team, and other groups as needed.
• Leads school-wide curriculum
• Thinks strategically to grow the school’s experiential- and service-learning

Academic Program Development and Oversight

• Ensures congruency between and among the school’s Mission, Community Commitments, Equity & Inclusion Action Plan, Strategic Vision, and all academic programming.
• Supervises curricular integrity, alignment, and articulation, and facilitates collaboration across all three divisions of the school in collaboration with the Division Heads and Academic Department Heads.
• Leads the articulation, documentation, publication, and review of a comprehensive, coherent PreK-12 curriculum.
• Supervises the school-wide Counseling, Health & Wellness, College Counseling, Tech., and Equity and Inclusion Teams.
• Works with Division Heads and other faculty and administrators to ensure a smooth transition for students between divisions.
• Oversees the program and development of new and expanded offerings in innovation & special programs (e.g. ed-tech initiatives, maker spaces, nature programs, experiential learning, ).
• Stays abreast of educational trends and supports best practices in curriculum and pedagogy, based on current research on teaching and learning.

Faculty and Professional Development

• Co-creates a vision for talent management and workplace culture to continue to attract, maintain, and grow programs and support so that GA is a destination of choice for top
• Serves as the director and coordinator of faculty professional development and faculty growth and renewal.
• Establishes programs for the orientation of new teachers, for inservice training of all teachers, and for the evaluation of classroom teachers, to ensure that teachers are familiar with and adhere to school policies in all areas of the school operation.
• Oversees the annual budget and application processes for graduate work, summer grants, and school-wide professional development as well as the nomination processes for annual faculty/staff/admin awards and recognition.
• Oversees the annual Faculty/Staff Survey and appropriate follow-up discussions and presentations.
• Oversees the Pennsylvania Act 48 and Teacher Induction programs.

Teaching

• Teaches an academic class in an area of expertise and interest

QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of a master’s degree is required;
• A minimum of 5 years of successful senior administrative experience as a school leader;
• Extensive supervisory and mentoring experience;
• Significant experience with and knowledge of students, their developmental needs, and PreK-12 curriculum;
• Outstanding teaching credentials and the ability to teach one course;
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic, forward-thinking, innovative academic leader;
• Flexibility, imagination, and outstanding interpersonal and communication

TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically, and as separate documents, the following materials:

1. Current resume, including phone number and email address
2. Detailed letter of interest
3. Statement of philosophy of education and leadership
4. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
5. List of three references with contact information, including at least one current supervisor (references will not be contacted until the candidate is notified)

To John Faubert ([email protected]), and Sabrina Zurkuhlen ([email protected]). Please do not contact the school directly.