Shorecrest Preparatory School
Saint Petersburg, FL 33703
Start Date: July 1, 2021
Shorecrest Preparatory School, a PK3-12 independent school of 965 students located in St. Petersburg, Florida, seeks an exceptional educator to lead Shorecrest’s Experiential School of Tampa Bay. The Head of the Experiential School will work closely with the Head of School, the Leadership Team, the Experiential School’s faculty, staff, and students, and the Shorecrest community. The successful candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding and appreciation for early childhood education and a commitment to facilitating and cultivating a progressive, positive, and collaborative educational program.
The Experiential School, our preschool program, presently has fourteen faculty and staff members and serves approximately 95 three-to-five-year-old students. The School believes in a child-centered, progressive philosophy of teaching and learning that values children’s interests, ideas, strengths, and uniqueness. Experiential School students are capable, curious, active and engaged thinkers and doers who learn through playful inquiry, explorations, discovery and play. The teachers are progressive educators who are passionate about teaching and learning, advocates for early childhood education, and committed to providing students with an educational experience that shapes lifelong learning.
The Candidate:
The ideal candidate embraces a child-centered philosophy of teaching and learning and has experience teaching three and four-year-olds, as well as leadership experience. The candidate will be an experienced educator who demonstrates qualities of excellent leadership, has the desire to grow in an innovative professional learning community, is enthusiastic about teaching and learning, and is current with best practices. The candidate should self-identify as a progressive educator and have familiarity with the Katz and Chard Project Approach and/or the Reggio Emilia philosophy of teaching and learning. The candidate should be committed to inclusion and issues of social justice and embrace DEI teaching practices. The candidate is expected to collaborate with faculty and families, contribute to the support and care of the school community, and commit to Shorecrest’s vision, mission and strategic plan.
Essential Functions
Supervise, manage, evaluate and oversee the development of the School’s teachers and support staff
Assist the Head of School with recruitment, selection and orientation of new and replacement faculty and staff
Oversee the evaluation and development of faculty
Oversee curriculum development
Manage budget, Handbook and all regulatory documentation for school
Ensure procedures and policies for faculty, staff, students and families are upheld
Conduct regular staff meetings; serve as a consultant to faculty in manners of classroom management, teaching methods and school procedures
Ensure communication of information that impacts department members, students and families
Oversee teaching material selection and recommend library books, materials and other learning media additions
Provide academic guidance to students and families
Serve as a member of the Administrative team
Maintains expertise in subject matter through professional development
Participate in a variety of school-wide community functions
Assists Enrollment Management Team with tours, observations, selection of students, orientations and parent/guardian support
Communicate and collaborate with The Learning Center
Coordinate grade level representatives for classes and encourages parental volunteers as we as provide roles and guidelines
Performs other duties as assigned by the Head of School
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred)
Pinellas County Program Director Credentials or willingness to acquire
A minimum of five years teaching and administration experience in a school environment, independent school preferred
Experience in early childhood education
Experience and knowledge of inquiry and project based learning (specifically the Katz and Chard Project Approach and the Reggio Emilia philosophy of teaching and learning)
Excellent verbal and written communications skills
Strong interpersonal skills
Demonstrated leadership and facilitative skills
Committed to inclusion and issues of social justice and equity
Able to use basic office equipment
Proficient in using technology in instructional and web based tools
Physical Requirements and Work Environment
Work in a highly involved, very busy environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines and a varied and diverse array of contacts
May work at a desk and computer for extended periods of time
Spend time sitting on floor or child size furniture
Monitor children in classroom, playground, library, and other school areas
Be able to come in contact with children who are ill/ contagious
Be able to occasionally lift up to 45 lbs.
Work primarily in a traditional climate controlled office / classroom environment
Work intermittently in outside weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold
Interested candidates should submit Cover Letter, Resume, Educational Philosophy and contact information for three references to Mrs. Dianna Tucker at DTucker@shorecrest.org by February 22nd.
Interested candidates should submit Cover Letter, Resume, Educational Philosophy and contact information for three references to Mrs. Dianna Tucker at DTucker@shorecrest.org by February 22nd.
Together, we are empowering exceptional education.