Bellevue Discovery seeks to hire a new Head of School and invites qualified candidates to apply. The search will run this school year and the position will begin between March 1 and June 1, 2020.

Bellevue Discovery is a non-profit independent early childhood school serving highly capable toddlers through pre-kindergarteners and their parents. Our preschool has a 1:4 teacher-child ratio, a professional staff of early childhood educators, and a commitment to social-emotional learning, creativity, and inquiry-based curriculum. We follow state licensing guidelines for early learning centers; we are a part-time school and do not offer child care services or kindergarten at this time. Since 2007 we have built strong relationships with the local independent schools the majority of our alumni students attend. Almost 90% of our children move on to gifted programs in public and private schools.

The current Head of School, who founded Bellevue Discovery, will retire at the end of this school year. The ideal candidate will build on our current strengths and solidify Bellevue Discovery’s status at the forefront of early childhood education in the Seattle area.

We seek an experienced administrator who shares our focus on early childhood gifted education, build community with all stakeholders, and collaborate with the team of professional educators who nurture and challenge the children in our care. We believe all children deserve to have a joy-filled preschool experience that supports their innate desire to learn.

BELLEVUE DISCOVERY MISSION STATEMENT

Bellevue Discovery Center for Early Childhood Education supports highly capable children, their families and the community. We accomplish this by:

1. Challenging the children's limitless potential and creativity in our early childhood learning center
2. Nurturing the whole child by seeking and appreciating each child’s diversity, including temperaments, learning styles and family cultures
3. Supporting our families in the development of each child's unique gifts
4. Fostering understanding in the community of the educational, social and emotional needs of highly capable young children through our parent education program

SCHOOL PROFILE

• Name of School: Bellevue Discovery
• Location: Bellevue, WA
• Grade Range: Toddler – Pre-Kindergarten, with a strong parent education program
• Founding Date: 2007 as a private school; 2012 as a non-profit organization
• Size of Board: 8 Trustees
• 2020-2021 Enrollment: 24 pre-kindergarten; 24 preschool; 24 parent-toddler class
• Total Current Staff: 14 part-time employees: 10 Teachers, 2 Early Childhood Specialists, an Admissions, Marketing and Development Director, and an Administrative Assistant
• 2020-2021 Tuition: 4-day part-time preschool; $15,400 5-day part-time pre-kindergarten; $18,900
• Fundraising: 12.5% of annual revenues over the past 5 years

JOB DESCRIPTION

We seek a Head of School who will bring many of these qualities and areas of expertise to our non-profit organization:

• Administration: As the sole full-time employee, work closely with the administrative team and Early Childhood Specialists to accomplish day-to-day operations and admissions
• Non-Profit Leadership: Work closely with a dedicated Board of Trustees to follow the school’s mission and execute the strategic plan; commit to leading the school for a minimum of 3 years; balance multiple constituencies and make decisions that won’t please everyone
• Financial, Legal, Development, Information Technology, Marketing and Facility Management: Project management; work with outside professionals, the Board of Trustees, staff and parent volunteers to manage organizational areas; ensure Bellevue Discovery follows state early learning guidelines
• Human Resources: Celebrate the diversity of our community; hire, supervise and support a highly creative staff whose expertise is valued by our families and Board; maintain a joyful environment where teachers love to teach
• Inquiry Learning: Serve as an ambassador in the larger community for Bellevue Discovery’s inquiry learning approach, teacher-designed curriculum, and commitment to nurturing the whole child; provide high level oversight of the preschool and parent education programs to ensure they follow best practices in child development and inquiry-based gifted education 
• Early Childhood Gifted Education: Be passionate about supporting the unique needs and abilities of children who are outside the norm, and parents who experience the joys and challenges of raising highly curious and creative children; actively support an admissions process that identifies children and parents who will thrive in our programs; foster communication between staff and parents

JOB SPECIFICATION

We require our Head of School to have the following educational qualifications, qualities and level of experience, technical and communication skills required to perform this role.

• Personal Qualities: Be a visionary leader with strong communication skills; enjoy curious, creative children and their families; possess integrity, warmth, and strength of character; respect our team of professional early childhood educators as leaders in the field of inquiry-based early childhood gifted education; inspire a community to move forward while following our strategic plan 
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required of the Head of School, as well as all our preschool teachers, Early Childhood Specialists, and Admissions Director
• Work Experience: Previous experience leading a non-profit organization, working in school administration, or running a successful small business; early childhood or elementary education experience and an understanding of child development and how young children learn is highly desired

BENEFITS

• Competitive salary; sick leave, paid federal holidays, and a professional development fund
• 8 weeks of paid vacation (5 fixed to school calendar plus 3 flexible weeks)
• Personal stipend which may be used for benefits at the discretion of the HOS
• Flexible work hours (beyond school hours)

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please see our website for a PDF of the job description and a candidate overview about Bellevue Discovery.

Qualified individuals are invited to contact HOS_Search@BellevueDiscovery.org. Please attach:

• Letter of Interest addressed to the Search Committee
• Your resume
• Personal Statement