Director of admissions and enrollment (lower & middle schools) - LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNIT Y PALO ALTO, CA
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L E A D E R S H I P O PP O RTU N IT Y PA LO A LTO, C A director of admissions and enrollment (lower & middle schools)
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY We empower students with the creativity, critical thinking, content knowledge, and compassion they need to thrive, serve, and lead as global and digital citizens of a complex and interconnected world.
leadership opportunity LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY Khan Lab School (KLS), a year-round, co- educational, K–12 school in Northern California, seeks a talented, mission-driven, flexible and warm relationship-builder in its next Director of Admissions and Enrollment for Lower & Middle Schools. The Director of Admissions and Enrollment As a member of the senior administration team, the will be familiar with and have an appreciation for Director of Admissions and Enrollment for Lower Khan Academy and Salman Khan’s book, The & Middle Schools will report directly to the Head of One World Schoolhouse; Education Reimagined. The School and will work collaboratively with the Director ideal candidate will be a strong communicator of High School Admissions, Division Heads, Faculty who can promote and clearly convey KLS’s and Family Association to implement all aspects of mission and unique educational philosophy to the K-8 admissions process from point of inquiry prospective students and families to ensure the through matriculation. The Director of Admissions and best applicant match. Moreover, the Director will Enrollment will play an integral role in helping to shape expand outreach efforts to attract a diversity of the direction and vision of the school; therefore flexibility, families in the greater Silicon Valley community. creativity and a willingness to pivot are valuable traits. Rachel Skiffer, Head of School since 2018.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Strategic Priorities/ The Director of Admissions and Enrollment for
the Lower & Middle Schools is responsible for all
Opportunities for the Director aspects of the K-8 admissions process from point
of inquiry through matriculation, and manages the
of Admissions and Enrollment re-enrollment process to meet budgeted enrollment
goals. The Director promotes KLS’s mission and
educational program to prospective families and
Working with the Head of School, High School plans and implements admissions, recruitment,
Admission Director, and Leadership Team, the and onboarding events and activities. The Director
Director of Admissions and Enrollment for the Lower serves as a patient and calm resource for applicants,
& Middle Schools’ strategic priorities include: families, organizations and educators, and as the
school’s ambassador, provides appropriate and
• Developing, creating and managing accurate information about the school and its unique
strategies, processes, systems and programs educational philosophy and program.
related to the recruitment, selection, and
enrollment of a diverse student body;
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Collaborating with the Director of
Strategic Communications and Marketing The Director of Admissions and Enrollment for the
to create, expand and/or improve marketing Lower & Middle Schools will, among other things:
strategies and materials pertaining to
admissions in both digital (e.g., website, • Manage strategies, processes, systems, and
social media) and paper forms; programs related to recruitment, selection, and
enrollment of a diverse student body.
• Developing and deepening new and
• Represent KLS to professional and membership
existing relationships with mission
organizations, and build and maintain long-
aligned external organizations, along with
standing relationships with mission-aligned
professional and membership organizations
external organizations.
in order to expand KLS’s pool of interested
prospective families; • Recruit, enroll and retain diverse families and
students at KLS.
• Creating and developing inclusive outreach
strategies and programs to inform diverse » Work with and/or develop relationships with
communities about KLS; to attract diverse community groups and other professionals
communities to consider KLS; and to expand KLS’s outreach to a more diverse
ultimately, to convince diverse communities population.
to enroll at KLS, and
» Represent KLS at school fairs.
• Designing and implementing dynamic and » Collaborate with the Leadership Team and the
creative ways (in person and virtually) in Equity, Inclusion and Justice (EIJ) Team to
which prospective students and families identify outreach strategies and opportunities.
can observe and learn about the unique
aspects of the KLS classrooms and campus • Continuously stay abreast of pedagogical
while being sensitive to the impact on daily developments by communicating with faculty
teaching. and coordinating regular classroom observations
the position
in order to gain a stronger understanding of the » Organize annual Welcome Picnics, New Family
pedagogy behind the program. Information Session, and other events related to
and welcoming new families.
• Collect, track and maintain applicant data,
information and statistics to help meet admissions » Communicate information to internal
goals and budget targets. stakeholders about new students.
• Coordinate, schedule and lead tours and » Determine strategy for reaching out to
presentations for prospective families in and communicating with new families
collaboration with the Division Heads and Faculty. with digital communications platforms,
• Plan, coordinate and host admissions events and email newsletters and notifications,
ensure team and volunteer participation, including enrollment database tools, and events for
Open Houses and shadow days, in collaboration with new families.
Division Heads, Faculty and Family Association.
• Coordinate and manage the re-enrollment of
• Oversee and manage admissions marketing current students for the succeeding year, including
materials including relevant website pages, in programming and events.
collaboration with the Director of Strategic
Communications and Marketing. » Monitor and track retention and attrition data.
• Schedule, conduct and coordinate parent/guardian » Conduct exit interviews.
and student interviews.
• Work in collaboration with the High School
• Lead the onboarding process for new students and Director of Admissions on all admissions issues
families. and tasks.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
QUALITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF
ADMISSIONS AND ENROLLMENT
The successful candidate must be an open-minded
and empathetic leader capable of addressing a
myriad of responsibilities ranging from managing
complex admissions and enrollment processes to
maintaining key relationships with city agencies and
professionals, to outreach and relationship cultivation
in diverse communities, to strategic planning around
enrollment forecasting. The Director of Admissions
and Enrollment will be a self-starter, highly relational,
high-EQ admissions professional who is energized
by working with students and families. This person
will have the ability to cultivate new and maintain
strong existing relationships and partnerships. The » Ability to understand KLS’s educational
successful candidate will be able to take on multiple philosophy and to present clear messaging so
responsibilities simultaneously, while prioritizing that families have an understanding of KLS’s
mission critical projects. A commitment to and mission and educational approach.
experience working with and cultivating diverse
students is essential. A Director of Admissions » Ability to communicate clear expectations and
and Enrollment who is highly empathetic, flexible goals to all constituencies including families,
and creative and is excited to work in a dynamic students, faculty, administration and trustees.
environment where innovation, pilot testing, and » Ability to compose letters and other
iteration are embraced will find great professional correspondence; and ability to proofread and
satisfaction at KLS. edit documents independently.
• Strong interpersonal and problem solving skills,
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS and the ability to elicit input from others and to
exercise appropriate independent judgment.
• Bachelor’s degree is required; graduate degree is a plus.
• Exposure to and knowledge of teaching pedagogies,
• Familiarity with and appreciation for Khan and a willingness to visit classrooms regularly in
Academy and Salman Khan’s book, The One World order to stay up-to-date on latest curricula highly
Schoolhouse; Education Reimagined. desired; teaching experience is a plus.
• Three to five years of admissions experience. • Adept in using Google Workspace; working
• Demonstrated skills in cross-cultural collaboration knowledge of Ravenna and Finalsite highly desirable.
and building a diverse student community through • Understanding of and experience with elementary
admissions. and middle school students desired.
• Superb organizational and administrative skills. • Familiarity with the educational landscape in the
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and San Francisco Bay Area is a plus.
written. • Open-minded, approachable, sensitive, discrete,
and possessing a sense of humor.
the school
At KLS, each student is empowered with the right MASTERY-BASED LEARNING
combination of knowledge, skills, and experiences
to fully engage in the world and create their own KLS uses a mastery-based learning model, creating
meaning in it. KLS educators strive to follow students’ the time and space for what matters most. Students
curiosity and passion as a guide for how to engage are expected to demonstrate an understanding of all
them in academic rigor. The school believes in fully competencies and skills identified in a course before
preparing students so they have options that matter to moving on, thereby reducing the number of “gaps” in
them as well as the tools of discernment to navigate their education. Students achieve mastery when they
their own life choices. As a community, everyone can demonstrate competency in learning outcomes
learns together and is committed to empowering each autonomously and consistently in multiple contexts.
other in continued growth and reflection. Students can correct past work and receive support
until they have achieved mastery.
Based on Salman “Sal” Khan’s philosophy as described
in “The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined,” At KLS, students are expected to solve the problems of
KLS implements mastery-based, mixed-age, and the future, and so are given real problems to solve. In
blended learning with a departure from traditional project-based learning, students dive into real-world
letter grades. KLS enrollment is strong and continues problems over an extended period of time, which
to grow - a school of 30 students in 2014, KLS will requires them to apply their knowledge instead of just
have over 230 students for the 2021-22 school year. repeating it onto a test.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
MIXED-AGE AND PERSONALIZED Learning is supported through weekly advising, real-
LEARNING world application, and a culture that fosters student
agency. Faculty and students do not simply adhere to
Academic progress in a discipline is decoupled the status quo in education. As a lab school, KLS is a
from age, and every student at KLS is assigned to a model for innovation in education.
mixed-age cohort. While the time it takes a student
to finish a course may vary, the depth of mastery
remains constant. KLS creates space within and BLENDED LEARNING
beyond the core academics for students to explore
their passions. In this space, they further develop their Blended learning happens when a portion of
skills and apply their learning within contexts that are instruction is delivered via computer-based educational
meaningful to them--and quite often develop expertise tools with some element of student control over
at a far younger age than many would expect. time, place, path, or pace. With teacher support and
guidance, computer-based educational tools such as
Students in Lower School, Middle School, and High Khan Academy may be utilized in order to provide
School are grouped in mixed-age learning cohorts KLS students with a more personalized learning
based on a holistic review of the student. In these experience. At KLS, technology is a tool that will
cohorts, students are encouraged to collaborate with never replace student-teacher interaction.
one another and provide each other support. The
mixed-age environment is one of the many building
blocks for community development at KLS. The DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
mixed-age setting fosters authentic relationships rather
than competition and students remain in their mixed KLS is committed to fighting systemic injustices:
age cohort for multiple years.
“As a school, it is incumbent upon us to reflect upon
Students also partner with faculty to explore their our teaching practices and renew our commitment
passions and deepen their learning. The quality of to racial justice, gender equality, the promotion of
learning remains high but as a lab school, instructional LGBTQ+ rights, and socioeconomic equity. It is not
methods are constantly being reimagined and tested. sufficient for us to only teach tolerance, but rather we
must empower students to take action in fighting for
equity, inclusion, and justice. Young people have an
inherent sense of fairness. We trust them to continue
demanding liberty and justice for all.”
In 2020, KLS officially formed the Equity, Inclusion
and Justice (EIJ) Team, which includes faculty
and staff who focus on professional development
opportunities for the KLS team. KLS students, in
turn, formed their own EIJ committee. The two
committees work together to plan programming for
classrooms and community forums. Recently, five
KLS student representatives attended — for the first
time — the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership
Conference (SDLC) to learn more about social justice
issues and collaborate with like minded students on
how they can help resolve them.
the school
PROCEDURE TO APPLY
As a young school, KLS is building the resources to 230 students
meet its commitment to socioeconomic equity. Thus, Total Enrollment for Fall 2021
in the fall, KLS has plans to launch a campaign to, in
part, grow its financial aid capacity.
160
Number of Lower & Middle School Students
GEOGRAPHY
70
Plans are underway to develop two KLS campuses Number of High School Students
for the 2021–22 school year: a Palo Alto campus
for Lower and Middle School students and a Los 10
Altos Hills campus for High School students. Both Average Class Size
campuses are located in Northern California, in the
heart of Silicon Valley — the home of technology
giants like Google, Apple and Facebook and 50
technology startups alike. Total Faculty and Staff
The Palo Alto campus is just minutes away from Free on-campus lunch and snacks provided
Stanford University and a myriad of hiking and
biking trails in the Skyline mountain range. In
the immediate area are world class restaurants and
hole-in-the-wall burger joints. San Francisco is a Mission
45-minute drive north along Interstate 280 and
pristine beaches are nearby in San Gregorio and
“Khan Lab School is a
Pescadero. The area is serviced by two international community of learners
airports in San Francisco and San Jose. As with much
of the Bay Area, the weather is mostly sunny with an empowering every student to
average temperature range between the low 50s (in
winter) to the low 80s (in summer).
navigate their own path.”
As a laboratory school, KLS is dedicated
to research-based instruction and
furthering innovation in education.
The power of technology is leveraged
to better personalize the student
experience. The school strives to find
the right balance between hands-
on guidance and creating space for
autonomous learning. By cultivating
strong relationships as a community
of learners, KLS can offer the right
support and truly empower every
student with the skills and knowledge
needed to navigate their own path
and become lifelong learners.
procedure to apply
Khan Lab School is an EOE and does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, creed, place of national origin,
sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation or physical
handicap in its employment practice.
1
The school believes that standard hiring practices SEARCH CALENDAR*
disproportionately hurt those most marginalized in
society — including but not limited to Black and
Indigenous people of color, people from working class July 1, 2021
backgrounds, women and trans/gender-nonconforming Applications Due
individuals, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Hence,
applications from people with these identities or who July 13–16, 2021
are members of other marginalized communities are Semifinalist Interviews
strongly encouraged to apply.
July 20–23, 2021
Interested candidates must submit the following Finalist Interviews
materials (in Word format) confidentially via https://
bit.ly/Admission-Dir-of-KLS: July 26, 2021
• Cover letter expressing interest in the Khan Lab Announcement
School Director of Admissions and Enrollment for
the Lower & Middle Schools position; *Approximate dates
• Current résumé;
• Statement of educational philosophy and practice
which expresses who you are and how you connect
to this work (no more than 2 pages), and
• List of three references including name, title,
phone number, email address, and professional
relationship (references are contacted only with the
candidate’s permission)
Please email any questions to orpheus@strategenius.org
or by phone at 510-685-0861.You can also read
