Superintendent
American International School, Kuwait (Kuwait)

The American International School - Kuwait

Seeks a new Superintendent
August 2021

AIS is a private, independent, co-educational day school serving students from PK-12^th grade.

AIS nurtures students within a highly engaging, motivating professional culture built on the norms of collaboration and supportive instructional coaching. An AIS educator sees themselves as a role model within a classroom environment that is academically rigorous, inclusive, and driven by the inquiring minds of a diverse student body. AIS personalizes the learning experience in progressive and meaningful ways that challenge the thinking and the actions taken within the classroom. Professional development is continuous and expected, and at AIS, the school is often setting the bar rather than responding to outside influencers. The IB frames the learning and that of the student learning experience. New staff experience the rewards of professional dialogue accompanied with spontaneity and friendship, as well as open and honest communication alongside professionalism and collegiality. AIS also seeks balance and the rich menu of athletics and activities programs, as well as social communities and gatherings, help achieve this outcome. 

AIS is located in Salmiya, a popular shopping district in Kuwait. The location of the school is close to the junction of the Fourth Ring Road and the Fahaheel Expressway in a residential area. It is only a short walk to the Corniche, a beach-side promenade that skirts the Arabian Gulf.

AIS’s mission is to inspire students to become critical thinkers and contributing world citizens through rigor and balance in a nurturing educational environment.

Our community believes that:

• Education has the power to make the world a better place.
• Individuals can achieve personal excellence and balance in all aspects of their lives.
• Intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual development are important facets of education.
• Families and communities play an integral role in a child’s development.
• Everyone has rights and responsibilities and that we are all accountable for our actions.
• Respectful and responsible behavior is essential for cooperation and collaboration.
• Interaction with individuals of different backgrounds fosters an appreciation for diversity.
• Others with different ways of thinking can also be right.
• Critical thinkers are inspired by the joy of learning.

MSA is the first accrediting lens and frames the focus on continuous improvement across the school’s operation in standards areas from governance to health and safety, to our educational program and assessment. AIS was first accredited by MSA in 1994 and reaccredited in 2003 and 2013. The most recent accreditation process utilized the Excellence by Design protocol which has helped AIS to nurture a stronger planning ethos.

The IBO has been part of AIS culture since 2005, when AIS was first authorized to teach the Diploma Program. In 2006, AIS was authorized to bring the MYP to students following closely by the PYP in 2007. AIS has since been reauthorized in all three programs multiple times and have become a stellar example of the impact a strong IB Continuum has on students, staff, and the Kuwait community.

AIS has a total of 239 teaching staff. Of which 118 are North American, 28 are regional, and 10 are from the United Kingdom. AIS has over 2000 students consisting of 53 nationalities; this ethnic diversity provides a stimulating environment for the IB Learner Profile. 11% of the student body is North American and 66% come from the Middle East region.

AIS is governed by the Board of Owners, which oversee the school’s long term educational and financial health. The board works closely and in conjunction with the Superintendent who is responsible for the day to day administration, programming and policies. Their combined talents are focused to support the school’s mission and ensure the fiscal sustainability of AIS.

The AIS campus is three to four acres in area. The space provided is well designed to provide essential facilities and services for an inviting and welcoming learning environment.

Our facilities include:

The Superintendent of AIS provides vision, leadership, and serves as the face of the educational program. He/she is responsible for the following:

• Supporting and promoting the AIS school mission and beliefs throughout the AIS community.
• Overseeing the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation and the review process of the International Baccalaureate Organization for all three programs. - Leading and facilitating the continued implementation of the MSA Plan for Growth and Improvement. - Ensuring and supporting the implementation of the IB Programs PreK through Grade 12.
• Developing and nurturing relationships with the parent community by establishing and maintaining a working relationship with the Parent Advisory Council.
• Working with the Human Resources Office in the recruiting and orientation of faculty, staff and administrators.
• Coordinating human resource needs with the Business Office and Human Resources Office.
• Developing and implementing the AIS faculty handbook which delineates procedures derived from school policy.
• Communicating with the school community regularly in a variety of ways that promote understanding of school initiatives, events, policies, and procedures.
• Modelling and ensuring a standard of excellence throughout the school.
• Reporting to and advising the Board on all aspects of the school’s educational program.
• Managing the AIS Board policies by recommending policy revisions and adoption.
• Promoting the School, its achievements, programs, and reputation within Kuwait and across the international school community.
• Supporting data collection and analysis of data reflecting student achievement and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
• Developing and managing the educational side of the budget, in conjunction with the Business Office.
• Representing the school with organizations of which AIS is a member.
• Participating in the Faculty Advisory Council and recommending actions to the Board.
• Establishing and maintaining contact with local school administrators.
• Establishing and maintaining contact with the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools, the International Baccalaureate Organization, and the European Council of International Schools.
• Attending meetings of the Middle East Schools Activities Conference and representing the interests of AIS.
• Maintaining contacts with consulates, key businesses, and business associations that have an interest in the school.
• Promoting and marketing the school by raising the public profile of the school. 

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in education.
• Master’s Degree in education.
• Principal’s certification/credential.
• Superintendent’s certification/ credential.
• Experience with PYP, MYP and DP - IB programs.

Preferred qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in education.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in school leadership.
• Minimum of three years’ experience as a divisional principal
• Minimum of three years of experience as a Director/Head of School/Superintendent.

Desired personal characteristics:

• One who embodies and models the attributes of the IB Learner Profile.
• An effective communicator who has command of strong writing, presentation, speaking and listening skills
• Possesses the ability to easily develop positive relationships with all members of the AIS community as a result of being approachable, being an excellent listener and being an effective communicator to include capably presenting when both speaking and writing.
• One who can successfully build consensus across the school community while providing leadership which serves to further unify all constituent groups around the achievement of the AIS mission.
• One who models the capacity to provide leadership to developing high performing teams across the school through the use of agreed upon protocols for communication, interaction, consensus development and embracing of those strategies that promote 21^st century teaching and learning.
• A leader with a demonstrated history of success in recruiting, retaining and further developing outstanding faculty, staff and administrators in support of the school’s mission.
• A person who embraces, respects, understands and values the culture of Kuwait, the broader Middle East region and the diversity represented within the AIS school community. 
• A leader who possesses the ability to creatively solve problems and consistently brings a solution-oriented approach to her/his work with members of the school community.
• A person who has experience in developing facilities that serve to further underpin the quality of the student learning experiences that are made available to students at AIS.
• A leader with a calming effect on constituents while inspiring and energizing to embrace changes that will translate into improved student learning experiences.

The salary and benefits will be competitive and dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. 

The Procedure for Completing an Application

The American International School - Kuwait has appointed Search Associates to act as the consultant in the search for the new Superintendent with Brent Mutsch serving as the lead consultant. The deadline for application for the position is April 10, 2020. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials as early as possible, as the Search Committee reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is found.

The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. Finalists will be selected by the Search Committee by late April. These candidates, along with their spouses, will be invited to the AIS campus for a multi-day campus visit most likely in late April or early May  Finalist candidates will visit the campus and meet with students, parents, faculty, non-teaching staff, administrators and members of the Board. The new Superintendent will be selected after the conclusion of the school visits and most likely appointed in May of 2020 to take up the leadership position in August of 2021.

Candidates should send the information listed below as a single PDF file attached to an email:

• A letter of application, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Superintendent position at the American International School - Kuwait.
• A statement describing your management and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages.
• A one-page list of references who have served as an immediate supervisor with a current address, telephone number and email address.
• A maximum of three letters of reference that may already be in your possession

Total document size should be kept to less than 5MB if possible. Applications should be sent to: bmutsch@searchassociates.com

Additional information about the American International School - Kuwait can be found on the school’s website at:  www.ais-kuwait.org

Dr. Brent Mutsch

Email : bmutsch@searchassociates.com                

Telephone:  970-368-6879  USA (Mountain Time Zone)