Middle School Principal
Munich International School e.V. (Germany)

Search for Middle School Principal

Grades 5 through 8

Description of Vacancy

Munich International School invites applications from highly qualified and enthusiastic candidates to become our next Middle School Principal. The position will begin in July 2017 for the academic school year 2017/18.

The Principal is among the most important educational leaders in a school. The Principal is the chief champion, guardian and guarantor of high quality teaching and learning. (S)he is responsible for instructional leadership, curriculum development and the daily success and management of the school. The Middle School Principal reports to the Head of School and collaborates with the School Leadership Team (SLT) to ensure that the educational, pastoral and physical systems of the school support a professional, highly competent, caring, holistic and effective educational experience for students in grades five through eight.

The Middle School Principal at Munich International School serves the students, parents, teachers, staff, administration and Board of MIS in leading and overseeing the strategic development and daily management of the school. In doing so, (s)he must comply with relevant local laws, the Board Policy Manual, relevant school handbooks, employee contracts (including the School's collective bargaining agreements), works council agreements and the school's guiding statements.

The Middle School Principal is both an aspirational leader and a hands-on contributor. The Principal models the educational outcomes of the school and inspires and encourages others to do the same. The Principal's duties include both defined responsibilities that can be enumerated as well as obligations that may arise spontaneously from the nature of the office and position.

Munich International School in Brief

Munich International School is a highly successful, well-established, private, independent, non-profit, parent-owned, co-educational day school. It was founded in 1966 and has been an IB World School since 1980. The School takes pride in supporting its students not only to achieve academic excellence, but also to develop physical, social and metacognitive competencies necessary for success in a rapidly changing world.

The School is governed by a parent Board of Directors, the members of which are elected for three-year terms. The Board appoints a Head of School who is the chief executive officer of the School.

The School's Curriculum

Munich International School educates students between the ages of 4 and 18. The School delivers three International Baccalaureate curricula: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). The PYP is offered from early childhood through grade 4. The MYP is offered in grades 5 through 10. The DP is offered in grades 11 and 12. MIS is one of only a few schools world-wide that has selected to implement an MYP "Transition Year" in grade 5 (rather than conducting the PYP through the end of grade 5).

Our Faculty

The strength of a school lies primarily in the strength of its people. MIS is fortunate to host 217 outstanding faculty and staff members, who come from 27 different countries. All teachers and school leaders are certified educators in their home countries and have been additionally evaluated by the educational authorities of the state of Bavaria to ensure a high level of preparation.

Campus and Facilities

Located on 26 acres of protected nature preserve, MIS has a campus that is spacious, integrated with nature and endowed with modern teaching facilities and exceptional outdoor spaces. Facilities include:

• the historic Schloss (palace),
• the Junior School Building with a dedicated auditorium, library and full-service cafeteria,
• the Middle School Building with rooms for individual music instruction, a dedicated auditorium, science laboratories and a student kitchen,
• the Senior School Building with a 400-seat performing arts centre, science laboratories and a library,
• the Gymnasium, with three sports halls, a dance studio and a fitness & weights room,
• the newly completed Languages, Arts and Design Centre, which boasts visual arts studios, specialised design classrooms, a fourth auditorium, a counselling centre and collaborative spaces for students and teachers,
• and our Olympic-sized, eight-lane track and field complex.

 Primary Responsibilities of the Middle School Principal at MIS

• Instructional Leadership - Develop policies for and oversee the deployment of instructional strategies aimed at effective teaching and learning for all students. This includes the selection and implementation of resources, materials and methods to support students in acquiring conceptual understanding, developing target skills and learning selected content knowledge (in collaboration with the relevant Coordinators, Heads of Departments and the School Leadership Team).
• Assessment of Student - Implement and interpret the results of systems to monitor student learning. This includes external assessments used for benchmarking and policies used internally to determine how, when and why teachers employ assessment strategies to regularly measure and promote student learning (in collaboration with relevant Coordinators, Heads of Departments and the School Leadership Team).
• Reporting on Student - Oversee and continuously seek to improve the school's reporting processes, including report cards and digital platforms for documenting and communicating student progress and transcripts (in collaboration with the School Leadership Team).
• Curriculum - Develop, document and continuously improve the educational curriculum of the Middle School, using student performance data and feedback from students, teachers and parents, and maintaining alignment with the Junior and Senior Schools (in collaboration with relevant Coordinators, Heads of Departments and the School Leadership Team).
• Teacher Recruitment - Recruit, screen, select and provide orientation for the most competent, committed and caring teachers (In collaboration with the Head of School and Heads of Departments).
• Student Support - Develop, monitor, evaluate and continuously improve systems to provide academic, language and pastoral support for students (in collaboration with the Deputy Head of School, relevant Heads of Departments, relevant Coordinators and specialist teachers).
• Implementation of IBMYP - Possess sophisticated understanding of the aims and methods of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and implement that programme effectively and efficiently in grades five through eight (in collaboration with the MYP Coordinator and the School Leadership Team).
• Student Admissions - Recruit, screen and select students for admission to grades 5 through 8 (in collaboration with Heads of Departments, Coordinators, the Admissions Team and the School Leadership Team).
• Professional Development - Diagnose professional needs, seek high quality and relevant professional development experiences and administer the PD budget to support teachers in becoming knowledgeable, innovative and effective practitioners for their students (in collaboration with the Head of School, Deputy Head of School and Heads of Departments).
• Teacher Appraisal - Conduct regular lesson observations, provide constructive feedback and document regular, standards-based evaluations of teachers with the purpose of maximising the quality of instruction for students (in collaboration with the Head of School, Deputy Head of School and Heads of Departments).
• Communication - Initiate and sustain meaningful and clear communication between school and home regarding students' progress and goals and school events and developments (in collaboration with Head of School, Deputy Head of School and the Communications Department).
• Strategic Planning - Think strategically about school improvement and development and participate proactively in the strategic planning and implementation process (in collaboration with the School Leadership Team).
• Scheduling - Oversee the scheduling of lessons and the assignment of teachers and classrooms to maximise conditions for student learning and growth.
• Daily Management - Manage staff and resources, including substitute teachers, to ensure smooth and effective daily operation of the Middle School.
• Promotion - Participate actively in school events and promotional activities meant to increase community spirit and positive relations with the wider community.

Leadership Qualities of the Middle School Principal at MIS

• Focus on Student Learning - Possess thorough understanding of curriculum and instruction at Middle School-level, collect meaningful data on student learning and proactively improve teaching, curricula and organisation of Middle School to maximise student learning.
• High Integrity - Possess clear principles that drive decision-making and the treatment of people across the organisation. Have a high level of emotional intelligence, self-control and appreciation of difference.
• Transformational Leader - Be not only individually effective, but promote institutional effectiveness by setting-up and orchestrating successful teams, removing impediments to progress and articulating a compelling vision that inspires others to want to contribute and do their very best work.    
• High-impact Leader - Make an impact, influence others and gain commitment. Employ thoughtful, deliberate and systematic strategies to move people to action and achieve meaningful change and progress over both the short and long term.
• Vision and Conviction - Communicate and be motivated by an ambitious vision of student learning and school development. Believe strongly in the value of international education and be driven to tackle difficult challenges in the name of achieving excellent results for students, teachers and families.
• Fact-based Decision-making - Base decisions on data, factual analysis and the school's guiding statements and policies, rather than on consensus or mandate. Use data and factual analysis in such a compelling way that others are persuaded, and data analysis and consensus become nearly identical. Be willing to change decisions based upon new evidence and additional input.
• Able Communicator - Listen actively and communicate clearly and respectfully. Empower others by creating channels for meaningful communication and authentic input.
• Strategic Thinker - Recognise and reflect on patterns and connections and think creatively and analytically about school improvement. Cut through complexity by creating models that assist others in understanding situations and wanting to contribute to solutions and improvements.
• Respectful and Caring - Explicitly value the contributions of others, express confidence and positive expectations and recognise and address the needs of all members of the community.

Timing:

• Applications accepted until 31 July 2016.
• Start date is 1 August 2017.

Minimum qualifications:

• Education: Preferably a master's degree (with at least one degree in the field of education or educational leadership)
• State/national teacher's and/or administrator's certification
• Significant experience/leadership with the IB Middle Years Programme
• A record of successful leadership in a position at Middle School level

What we have to offer:

Munich International School (MIS), based in Starnberg, South of Munich, is an outstanding and innovative international school for students aged 4-18. Inspirational teachers and staff create an exceptional learning environment that motivates all students to be globally-minded, academically successful, well balanced and prepared for future challenges and responsibilities.

We offer a work environment with an exceptional team of educators and staff members. With over 50 years of experience as an international school and more than 35 years of experience as an IB World School, MIS is an excellently-quipped, knowledgeable and caring centre of learning for students from more than 60 countries and faculty and staff from 26 nations.

We offer a competitive benefits package, a tuition grant for dependent children attending MIS and the opportunity for continued professional growth and development. The initial contractual term is for two years.

How to apply:

Please send the following items as a single PDF to employment@mis-munich.de:

• Letter of interest (limited to one page, please)
• Statement of educational philosophy (limited to one page, please)
• Current résumé, listing work experience and educational qualifications
• List of current references with e-mail addresses and telephone numbers

Where to direct questions:

You can find out more about Munich International School from our website, www.munich-is.de or by contacting our Human Resources Department at employment@mis-munich.de .

Munich International School e.V. · Schloss Buchhof · 82139 Starnberg, Germany

Human Resources Telephone Number: +49 (0) 8151 366 122

Attention: If you apply for this position, please inform the school and us (Admin@searchassociates.com) that you saw the notice on the Search Associates website.