Position Statement Executive Director of Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education at Breck School

The Role

Breck School seeks a proven and inspirational leader for the position of Executive  Director of its Peter Clark Center (PCC) for Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE), one of two centers of its kind in a P12 school in the country. The Executive Director is responsible for the continued development of groundbreaking work that is at the intersection of cognitive science, psychology, and education. This person will hold deep content knowledge in the field of MBE, carry an ambitious vision for the advancement of the school's work, and be passionate about developing the PCC as a premier school-based national leader in MBE. The Director will work collaboratively with all stakeholders to be an outward facing leader who guides the PCC to the next level of excellence. The position reports to the Head of School.

Strong candidates for this role will be visionary leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit who are driven by bridging research and practice in teaching and learning.  The ideal candidate will bring a high level of energy and passion to explore ways to further promote the PCC locally and nationally through program development, fundraising, and innovation. Candidates should also demonstrate the qualities that Peter Clark, a longtime faculty member, brought to Breck School for nearly 30 years: generosity of spirit, visionary guidance, and unwavering advocacy for all students.

Recognizing that each learner is unique, the mission of the Peter Clark Center is to foster a learning environment within Breck School that:

• Supports all students, preschool through grade 12, as they construct an understanding of themselves and develop strategies to advocate for their needs and interests, empowering them to become independent learners.
• Provides research-informed training and educational resources for faculty, deepening their knowledge of best practices to cultivate student engagement and learning.
• Facilitates opportunities for parents to enhance their understanding of child development, cognition, and learning.
• Establishes and maintains partnerships within the broader academic community in support of research and professional development.

Key Accountabilities:

 Leadership

• Oversee totality of PCC work including PCC Program Director
• Supervise Faculty Fellows
• Manage projects to ensure the Center’s goals
• Create metrics to articulate effectiveness of program
• Establish and build relationships with national leaders in the field of MBE
• Engage actively in research in the field of MBE
• Steward the EE Ford Foundation Leadership Grant
• Facilitate, host, and lead workshops with outside speakers
• Develop and lead an annual summer institute
• Advance the field of MBE by presenting nationally and locally and writing for publications
• Lead quarterly meeting with PCC Advisory Board
• Collaborate with Program Directors and Senior Leadership Team

Fundraising

• Collaborate with Advancement to fundraise effectively for current programming and future sustainability
• Articulate vision and ongoing work to steward key donors and strategic partners
• Steward strong relationships with current donors
• Develop relationships with new donors
• Identify and write grants

Communications

• Collaborate with Breck communications team to tell the story of the PCC
• Build external communications tools and practices that extol the work of the PCC
• Communicate with parents and work with parent education
• Cultivate relationships with schools and research institutions
• Translate the work of MBE to the general public
  
  

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be an articulate and inspirational leader who is excited about joining the ground-breaking work of a Center focused on the science of Mind, Brain, and Education. They will bring a collaborative and innovative spirit to their work and represent the brand nationally and internationally.

Key attributes and abilities include:

• Demonstrated and unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and able to build capacity of constituents surrounding research at the intersection of MBE and DEI
• Deep content knowledge in the field of Mind, Brain, and Education
• Connections, interest, and active engagement in current research in the field of MBE
• Demonstrated motivation to produce innovative, industry-leading work – and the skills to deliver.
• Collaborative, flexible, and innovative.
• Visionary program developer.
• Creative and articulate with strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills
• Highest ethical and professional standards: possessed of great integrity and tact and able to maintain confidentiality.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, positive attitude, and energy to implement new strategies.
• Top-notch communication skills – demonstrated strong writing with a fresh perspective.
• Excellent organizational and presentation skills.

 The Purpose:

Creating confident learners for life.

Intellect and curiosity. Reflection and collaboration. Breck is where teachers apply relevant research in psychology, cognitive science, and education to their practice. The goal? For students to thrive in the classroom, the community, and the world.

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Confident Learners

Unlock Potential. Students who understand how they learn become bold thinkers and self-advocates. We transform teaching practice to strengthen student self-knowledge and build success.

Informed Teaching

Promote Inquiry. Curiosity drives learning. We partner with teachers to create the context for intellectual discovery as an ever-evolving process.

Transformed Learning

Spark Success. At the heart of intellectual growth is a collaborative teacher-student relationship. We illuminate the path to confident learning and personal excellence.

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The Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education honors the legacy of a beloved Breck educator. Peter believed that learning how to learn transforms every child's education and that informed teaching raises the profession to its highest standard.

Inspired by his vision, we are committed to empowering our teachers and students to know themselves as independent thinkers and confident learners for life.

The School

 Mission of Breck:

Prepare each student for a college whose culture is compatible with the individual’s needs, interests and abilities.

Help develop each student’s unique talents and potential to excel by nurturing independence and self-worth.

Instill in each student a deep sense of social responsibility.

Outcome Statement: Breck graduates are prepared for a life of intellectual curiosity, self-knowledge, and social responsibility.

Breck believes in:

1. Academic Press.

Students’ intellectual curiosity thrives in cultures of high academic expectation.

2. Personalization.

Rigorous academic programs in a caring environment unlock potential.

3. Inclusivity.

Working tirelessly to create an environment where all students feel a deep sense of belonging and thrive. 4. Spirituality.

All faiths and cultures are welcome at Breck.

5. Social Responsibility.

Investment in our community is central to being a student at Breck.

Breck School Fast Facts

• Total enrollment of 1,157
• Three divisions: Lower School (P-4), Middle School (5-8), Upper School (9-12)
• 11:1 student/teacher ratio
• 31.4% student diversity

 Accreditations & Memberships

• Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)
• National Association of Independent Schools
• College Board

For more information, visit:

www.breckschool.org

_{https://peterclarkcenter.org or breckschool.org}

For more information or to send your credentials, please email employment@breckschool.org.  All inquiries will remain confidential.

 Breck has an institutional commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge, national origin, or any other characteristic.