General Director at Fundacion Liceo Ingles, Pereira in Colombia
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General Director
Fundacion Liceo Ingles, Pereira (Colombia)

Appointed - Dr. Eloisa Rodriguez
May 13, 2022
May 23, 2022

 

 

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Eloisa Rodriguez, a Honduran national, as the General Director of Fundación Liceo Inglés, an accredited and growing school of 827 students founded in 1986, in Pereira, Colombia.   Eloisa has served for the past eight years as the Superintendent of DelCampo School in Honduras, a private, proprietary school accredited by Cognia which currently has 1,100 students.  Eloisa was originally hired by DelCampo as the Curriculum Director, a position in which she served for one year before being promoted to Superintendent.  Prior to DelCampo, she was the Director of Faculty Development at UNITC, a university in Honduras, where she worked on improving teacher performance.  She has also served since 2003 as a consultant for Purdue University’s Study Abroad Program in Honduras. Eloisa’s career began as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at National Pedagogical University in Tegucigalpa.   Eloisa has experience as a teacher of all levels including adults at various schools in Honduras. 

Eloisa earned a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Curriculum and Instruction in 2011 which was preceded by an M.S. degree also from Purdue in Curriculum and Instruction. 

 

         

FUNDACION LICEO INGLES

Pereira, Colombia

Seeks a new

 

General Director

Start Date:  July 1, 2022

 

The School

The Fundación Liceo Inglés (FLI), established in 1986, is a private, nonprofit school located in Pereira, Colombia offering a college preparatory program for entrance into both Colombian and international colleges and universities. The Liceo Inglés follows an American-style academic program and is accredited by Cognia.  Liceo Inglés has a clearly defined mission that focuses on developing bilingual leaders with strong values. The mission, philosophy, and slogan, “Learning to learn, learning to think, and learning to be,” guide the curriculum, the programs, and the focus on the students’ personal development.

Currently there are 827 students divided in four sections: WeeCare for 2 and 3-year olds, preschool for 4 and 5-year olds, elementary school for first to fifth grades, middle school for sixth to eighth grades, and high school for ninth to twelfth grades. Middle school and high are currently combined into the secondary section but will be split into 2 sections in 2022-2023.

Preschool- 226 students

Primary- 325 students

Middle school –130

High school - 146

151 people make up the FLI staff that is divided in 4 sections: Preschool, Primary, Secondary, and Administration and operations. The highly dedicated staff consists of 85 instructional staff and 66 administrative/operational staff. There are 20 foreign-hired teachers coming from the USA, New Zealand, and Czech Republic. Many of our teachers have postgraduate degrees, and most of our Colombian staff have been at school for more than 7 years.

    

 

The Community

Pereira is the capital city of the department of Risaralda and is the sixth largest city in Colombia. Located in the foothills of the Andes in the Coffee Region of Colombia at an elevation of 1,500 meters, it has a mild year-round climate and a large degree of biodiversity. Founded in 1863, the population is about 600,000. Including the surrounding metropolitan area, the population is more than 1,000,000. It has a diverse economy based on agriculture, manufacturing, trade and commerce. Located in the center of the Coffee Cultural Landscape of UNESCO, it is an important center of tourism. 

Mission

The mission of the Fundación Liceo Inglés is to build a community of bilingual leaders by incorporating quality US and Colombian academic standards into a comprehensive educational program that promotes an environment where students learn to learn, learn to think, and learn to be.

    

Vision

We will be recognized at the local, national, and international level for academic excellence, high ethical standards and commitment to society.

Values

Leadership, Personal Best, Integrity, Caring, and Citizenship. 

            

 

Governance

The nine-member Board of Directors consists of parents elected by the parent’s annual general assembly. The director manages the school along with three principals (preschool, elementary school, and secondary school) and a finance head. FLI is accredited by the Colombian Ministry of Education and Cognia.

The Campus

The school has large classrooms with ample playground areas and playing fields. There are science labs for biology, chemistry, and physics. The library is currently being used for large meeting areas due to Covid restrictions and the resources from the libraries have been placed in the classrooms of all sections.  There are workrooms for staff, music rooms, art rooms, and an infirmary. A modern, state-of-the-art restaurant provides a quality lunch service and snack service for students and staff. The Liceo Inglés has excellent sports facilities which include a coliseum that seats over 500 people, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, and a soccer field.

The Academic Program

Starting in preschool, students are immersed in a program for language development where much of the curriculum is taught in English. At the elementary level, the basic subjects, English/language arts, math, science, and social studies are taught in English. In addition, students are taught Spanish, religion and ethics, arts and P.E. in Spanish.

The secondary curriculum meets rigorous requirements: seven years each of mathematics, English, Spanish, social studies, physical education, religion, and art; three years of general science, two years of physics, biology, and chemistry. Most of the math and science classes are taught in English, while two years of social studies and Latin American and Spanish literature classes are taught in Spanish. Virtually all graduates attend institutions of higher learning, either in Colombia or abroad.

Qualifications for the Position

  • Master’s degree in educational administration or its equivalent
  • Minimum three years of teaching experience
  • Minimum 5 years of experience in administrative positions that include supervising curriculum and instruction, staff development, school improvement, and community relations
  • Proficient English speaker
  • Highly proficient/fluent in Spanish, both writing, and speaking
  • Knowledge of current trends in Colombia, American, and international education
  • Experience in Cognia accreditation processes
  • Preferred experience managing the AP Program

Personal Characteristics:

  • Organizational ability
  • Excellent communication and listening skills
  • Culturally sensitive, collaborative leadership
  • Creativity and problem-solving skills

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a diverse faculty in a multi-cultural school

General Objective of the Position:

 The director is responsible for overseeing the correct operation of the institution according to the mission of the school and the policies established by the Board of Directors

 

The Director´s responsibilities include:

  • Acting within the established legal and ethical guidelines to carry out the mission and vision of the school and bring about quality student learning.
  • Creating and maintaining an organizational environment that focuses on enabling all students to achieve at high levels.
  • Representing the Liceo Inglés before the legal authorities, the educational community and other entities.
  • Promoting programs and projects that respond to the needs of the educational community.
  • Formulating and executing annual and long-term improvement plans.
  • Coordinating and presiding over different branches of the school government.
  • Defining the needs and profiles for staff members, contracting and supervising school employees.
  • Leading the Cognia Accreditation process.

Salary and Benefits

The salary and benefits are competitive with similar sized schools in the region and will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

To Apply

Qualified applicants should send the information listed below as a single pdf file attached to an email to Paul Poore (ppoore@searchassociates.com) as soon as possible with the anticipation the application period will close on by May 23, 2022:

  • A letter of application, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the General Director position at Fundación Liceo Ingles.
  • A statement describing your leadership and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.
  • A current résumé not to exceed two pages.
  • Contacts (e-mail addresses and phone numbers) for at least three past and current supervisors. (We do not accept character references or non-confidential letters of reference from colleagues, friends, students, or parents).

We reserve the right to close the search earlier than the stated application deadline if a suitable and qualified candidate is found early in the process. Interested applicants should submit all required materials as early as possible.

Please note that we will not forward-on candidates for further consideration by the hiring school if a candidate is under contract or otherwise encumbered in such a way that would preclude them from freely entering into a new employment contract, if offered, and is available for the start date stipulated by the hiring school. Search Associates will contact the current employer/supervisor to request the completion of a Search Associates Confidential Leadership Reference Form for all Applicants who emerge in the search as a Finalist.

 

Additional Resources:

School Website - https://www.liceoingles.edu.co/es/

FLI Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8ZB6Ayv0ME

Social media:


https://www.facebook.com/LiceoInglesPereira

https://www.instagram.com/liceoinglespereira/

https://www.youtube.com/c/Fundaci%C3%B3nLiceoIngl%C3%A9s

 

 

Did You Know…?

Senior Associate Ray Sparks's over 30-year career as an educator has involved working in Canada, Europe, and Asia.