Xiamen International School

Xiamen, China

seeks a new

PreK-12 Principal

-- effective August, 2009 --

The School

Xiamen International School (XIS), established in August 1997, is a not-for-profit, independent, co-educational day school that offers an international curriculum for expatriate students, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. XIS is the first school in Fujian Province that is authorized to offer all three International Baccalaureate (IB) programs: Primary Years (PYP, Grades PK-5), Middle Years (MYP, Grades 6-10) and Diploma (DP, Grades 11-12) and is one of a handful of full IB schools in China. XIS has been very recently re-accredited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC) and the National Center for Curriculum and Textbooks (NCCT), which is under the authority of the Chinese National Ministry of Education.

Student Body

The current enrollment of over 320 students from Pre-K through Grade 12 represents more than 25 countries and regions of the world, over 80% of which are Taiwanese, Korean, American, Saudi Arabian, Singaporean, Malaysian, British and Australian.

Faculty

The present faculty consists of 50 credentialed teachers and administrators who come from the United States, China, Philippines, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore and other countries.

Curriculum

Xiamen International School (XIS) was originally founded to present a western curriculum for students from North America. Over these past years, because of our growing diversity, the school has purposefully planned for the adoption and full implementation of the PYP, MYP and DP curricular frameworks. The school has recently undergone a reauthorization of its PYP and MYP Programs. It was authorized two years ago for its Diploma Program and has graduated its first class of DP students. It offers a highly academic program culminating in the IB Diploma granted by the IB. All students also have the opportunity to earn the XIS Diploma which is equivalent to an American high school diploma. In the upper school, there is a ten-day block schedule with four 80-minute academic blocks per day. The language of instruction is English, with Korean and Mandarin offered within the curriculum.

Facilities

The school has its own beautiful facilities located in the Xinglin/Jimei area outside the downtown area of Xiamen. The school is located on 3.3 hectares (about 33,000 square meters). The buildings occupy 20,000 square meters. It is built to house approximately 500 students. We are working on plans for the school that will absorb growth (currently at 15% annually). XIS has a partner school with whom we share buses as well as some sports and cultural events (i.e, Ying Cai, a private Chinese school located across the street from XIS). Both XIS and Ying Cai are under the same Board Chair authority.

Location

Xiamen International School is located on the southeastern coast of China in Fujian Province. It is about halfway between Shanghai and Hong Kong and directly west of Taiwan. It is a charming city of approximately 2.5 million people. It has a temperate climate. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures typically running about 95F/35C in the daytime. Falls are mild and sunny with temperature of about 70F/20C. Winters are relatively mild and dry, with the average temperature about 55F/15C. Springs are usually rainy with mild temperature of 70+F/20+C. In addition, the city has a reputation for being one of the cleanest and most livable cities in China. Air and water pollution are low, and the city itself is attractive and well maintained. Because the city is a well known vacation spot for the Chinese people and because of its status as a Special Economic Zone that attracts foreign investors, Xiamen is a pleasant blend of East and West, modern living and traditional values. As a resort town, the city boasts lovely beaches, fine hotels and a wide range of restaurants featuring both local food and Western dishes. As a growing city, it also lays claim to good shopping - both in the traditional neighborhood markets and in stores like Wal-Mart, Metro, Carrefour and other modern shopping centers.

Governance and Administration

XIS is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors composed of former Xiamen Government Officials, the school's private investor, and two parent members elected by the parents. The Board of Directors meets on a quarterly basis.

The Head of School holds responsibility for the overall development of both the academic and ancillary support programs. He reports to the board and supervises the PreK-12 Principal, Deputy Headmaster, Assistant Principal, the Controller and the Director of Personnel.

The Position

The PreK-12 Principal is appointed by the Headmaster to provide instructional leadership for the school. S/he is responsible and accountable for the management of instruction (i.e., teaching and learning). S/he keeps the Board informed in this area through regular meetings and coordinates the development of short and long-range goals and improvements. The PreK-12 Principal may delegate appropriate authority and duties to other personnel, but will remain responsible and accountable for any action taken. Duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Collaborate with the Head of School for the successful implementation of the school's mission, master plan and short- and long-range objectives.
• Establish annual work objectives that are consistent with the school's Master Plan and accepted program direction.
• Assist the Head of School in providing sound educational leadership and in planning appropriate professional growth programs for faculty in line with the school's mission, master plan and short- and long-range objectives.
• Assume responsibility for implementing the Self-Study Action Plan and directing faculty toward the achievement of this goal.
• Work with the staff, faculty, administration and finance office for sound financial management, budget planning and fiscal accountability.
• Ensure that all teachers and support staff have a clear understanding of their performance expectations.
• Assist the Head of School in the observation and evaluation of staff and faculty and make recommendations to the Head regarding hiring/firing.
• Establish a willingness to be a mentor to faculty and saff as well as encouraging their professional growth.
• Promote and improve the observation/evaluation process for faculty and staff.
• Demonstrate leadership of, support for and active improvement of all three International Baccalaureate Programs.
• Provide leadership in maintaining WASC accreditation.
• Ensure that curriculum documentation defines what the students are to learn, what the teacher should be teaching and how the learning and teaching will be assessed.
• Assume shared responsibility with the Curriculum Coordinator for the full development of a unified curriculum document that is practical and useful.
• Develop the leadership capabilities of teachers so that instructional leadership becomes a shared responsibility.
• Review all student admission applications in accordance with the procedures and regulations established and take overall responsibility for the admissions process and grade placement in conjunction with the admissions office and counselor.
• Work collaboratively with the Head to maintain a cooperative working relationship with the PRC government, the Board of Directors and the school community.
• Instill a sense of unity and common purpose toward the achievement of goals and the decision-making process.
• Seek the involvement of staff, faculty, students and parents in a wide variety of school activities.
• Work with the Head in setting up an appropriate line of leadership that maximizes teacher performance and student learning.
• Work with the other members of the administration to create an efficient, productive and caring building atmosphere where everyone has the opportunity to be recognized for their best efforts.
• Ensure that all of the school's resources are identified and being used to serve the needs of students, staff and faculty to reach full performance potential.
• Be able to successfully manage student, parent, faculty political pressures that come with any key administrative role.
• Demonstrate willingness to seek constant professional learning and professional growth.
• Be a willing and active participant in committee and group program discussions.
• Work with all members of the school community to try to achieve Win-Win solutions to problems.
• Support and assist developing the After School Program.
• Perform such other duties and responsibilities as delegated by the Head of School.

Position Qualifications

Required minimum qualifications of the new PreK-12 Principal include the following:

• Strong educational background - graduate degree in the field of education
• Certification/qualification as a school administrator
• Previous administrative experience - at least three years
• Knowledge and experience with the IB Programs (especially DP & MYP)
• Demonstrated knowledge of budget development process and procedures
• Excellent English language communication skills - verbal, non-verbal and written
• Commitment - at least three years, longer preferred

Preferred Qualifications of the new PreK-12 Principal include the following:

• Presents a clear vision of how an international school could serve its students
• Presents a strong commitment in the school achieving academic excellence
• Demonstrated success in working to recruit and retain high quality staff/faculty
• Sound understanding of the class scheduling process
• Knowledgeable in the areas of student assessment
• Working experience in Asia
• Knowledge / experience with WASC accreditation and review procedures
• Strong supporter of professional development and turnkey training to faculty/staff
• Sense of humor
• Ability to build rapport with students, staff, faculty, administration, board and local government
• Strong leadership skills - ability to inspire others
• Collaborative leadership style
• Cultural sensitivity - a must in working within an international community
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• High energy level / high visibility in classes and around school
• A good listener, warm, open, and willing to listen to the opinion of others
• Strongly supportive of both primary and secondary school
• Flexible with good organization skills
• Strong technology skills (e.g., computer literacy and familiarity with Administrator's Plus)

Terms of Employment

The principal will receive an initial three-year contract. The work year will be 200 days. Working hours will generally be 8:00am-4:45pm. The salary will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate and the enrollment level of the school. Benefits include allowances for furnished housing, transport and travel, shipping, medical insurance and retirement. A shared car transport to/from school is allotted. Employment opportunities for a spouse may be available.

Procedures for Filing Application

Xiamen International School has appointed International Schools Services (ISS) to act as its consultant in the search for a new PreK-12 Principal. 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 Search Committee in a uniform and consistent manner. Candidates may establish or reactivate their professional files through the ISS candidate application.

Candidates who currently have an active professional file with ISS need only send a cover letter that includes a specific expression of interest in the Xiamen International School PreK-12 Principal position. The letter of interest should also include strengths the candidate feels qualify him/her for consideration for the position. Application letters should be forwarded to the address noted at the end of this announcement.

Additional information about the Xiamen International School can be obtained from the XIS website at www.xischina.com.

The deadline for applications is October 15, 2008.

Semifinalist candidates will be identified by ISS and their dossiers forwarded to the Headmaster/Search Committee by November 1, 2008.

Finalists will be identified by the Headmaster/Search Committee by November 14, 2008.

The finalist candidate(s) with his/her spouse, if applicable, may be interviewed in Xiamen by the Headmaster/Search Committee. The new PreK-12 Principal will be selected by the Head of School immediately after the conclusion of the interview(s) and will begin the position August 1, 2009.

NOTICE - Should an outstanding candidate be identified early in this process, the Headmaster/Search Committee reserve the right to hire immediately and give notice.

Address application letter should be addressed to HEADMASTER/SEARCH Committee and sent to: