ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL Houston, Texas

HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOLStart Date: July 2022

sjs.org

OVERVIEW

St. John’s School (SJS) is an independent, co-educational K-12 day school in Houston, Texas, that provides students with a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum and a wealth of enrichment opportunities carefully designed to prepare students for lives of leadership, service, and personal fulfillment. St. John’s graduates are renowned for their academic, athletic, and artistic accomplishments but learn to be most proud of their hard work and acts of kindness.

Students of all ages and beliefs feel safe to explore the many dimensions of their developing personalities and interests at St. John’s. Whether attending chapel, serving the needs of others, or experiencing the environment and cultures outside the classroom, there are always opportunities to sample diverse experiences that bring out individual talents and to share unique experiences together. As such, the entire St. John’s community is shaping the next generation of leaders—servant leaders for Houston, for Texas, and for our country.

SJS seeks a new Head of Upper School to assume the role starting in July 2022. Strong candidates will be adept at furthering academic excellence and helping students and faculty find balance by fostering a learning environment that combines challenge with support, work with play, and individual success with the common good. Leading confidently in service to the SJS community, the next Head of Upper School will be conscious of what it takes to prepare a young person to be a leader who serves others. Finally, the next Head of Upper School will have a genuine commitment to practices that honor community and inclusion, further integrating a celebration of diversity into daily life at SJS.

MissionSt. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school presenting a 13-year sequence of college preparatory training. A non-profit institution, it was founded in 1946 to provide the community with a school of exacting standards in the development of individual, spiritual, ethical, intellectual, social, and physical growth. While the means to achieve that purpose may change, it remains the basic mission of the School.

The School seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of personal fulfillment and contribution to society. In particular, it is dedicated to the enhancement and the expansion of future leadership for Houston and the country. The School offers talented, motivated, and energetic students a genuine challenge for academic accomplishment and for development of a sense of self-worth and of personal responsibility. The School in turn holds itself responsible for providing that challenge.

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SCHOOL HISTORY

In January 1946, Alan Lake Chidsey, former Headmaster of the Arizona Desert School and the post-war Assistant Dean of Students at University of Chicago, was asked to fly to Texas to speak at a gathering of members of the Houston community. Chidsey excitedly convinced those present that creating a “school of exacting standards” in Houston was a worthy cause and its rewards could be great.

A proposal was drafted that entailed combining forces with St. John the Divine’s nursery school to create a school of academic excellence, focused on cultivating leadership skills, teaching moral and spiritual values, and making a high caliber education available to all, regardless of economic circumstance, was a high priority. And so the School was born. St. John’s first 344 students filed into St. John the Divine’s Chapel on Opening Day, September 27, 1946. Although the School’s size has grown, the number of students per classroom remains small, in alignment with the founders’ original ideals of an individualized development of the “whole person.”

Bringing the School into the present while still honoring its rich traditions is of paramount importance to St. John’s as an organization. The School is continually growing academically, technologically, and, most noticeably, physically. Six acres in 1946 has grown to 45 acres today. Making available the quality of a St. John’s education to individuals of all different backgrounds continues to be a priority endeavor of the Board of Trustees.

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Fast Facts• Founded: 1946

• Total students: 1,419

• Students in Upper School: 696

• Students of color in Upper School: 44%

• Total faculty: 191

• Faculty in Upper School: 97

• Faculty of color: 26%

• Faculty with advanced degrees: 80%

• Financial aid budget (2020-2021 SY): $4.2M

• Annual operating budget: $49M

• School mascot: The Maverick

A virtual tour is available here.

THE SCHOOL

Since 1946, St. John’s School has encouraged dedicated students to study, inquire, play, and thrive. Combining accomplishments in academics, athletics, and the arts with selfless service, St. John’s students today join and continue the SJS tradition of action, distinction, and service on and off campus.

St. John’s academic offerings and co-curricular programming instill in its students intellectual enthusiasm and an appreciation of discovery. Faculty and staff encourage students to focus on achievement with a willingness to explore varied paths to reach their goals. “We’ve been absolutely amazed by how faculty and coaches have rallied around our children and cared and supported them in their interests and goals,” reflected a current parent. Because the SJS community revels equally in scholarly, athletic, and artistic endeavors, day-to-day life at St. John’s is filled with the joy of learning and doing, both for students and for faculty. “This a playground for intellectual minds . . . It’s a heady place to be,” noted a faculty member. Another commented, “The people I teach with are an inspiration to me. They bring their love of kids and their subject matter every day.”

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The School functions as it does in large part because of its student-run honor system. At SJS, honesty, respect, and responsibility are basic precepts of honor. Actions or attempted actions that run counter to these precepts are violations of the Honor Code. The Code highlights the belief that students can and should take responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards for their own behavior, thus protecting personal freedom and community standards. By relying on this honor system, SJS daily life becomes more productive while also showing the next generation that, in order to secure greater civil freedom, individuals make a commitment to the community out of trust and mutual concern.

St. John’s School is accredited by ISAS (Independent School Association of the Southwest) and is a member of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools).

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ACADEMICS

The St. John’s community fosters lifelong learners. In its dynamic classrooms, students develop skills to think critically and creatively in an atmosphere that promotes determination and resilience through healthy challenge and loving support. “Our teachers go out of their way to help us succeed . . . They’re our mentors,” commented one student. “We’re pushed by them and other students to be our best,” noted another.

The Upper School curriculum provides a solid base of common, foundational components freshman and sophomore year and allows for more personalization junior and senior year. With 19 Advanced Placement courses, numerous honors and elective classes, and opportunities for independent study, students are able to pursue a course of study that is both challenging and unique to them—surrounded by a passionate faculty and a stimulating environment. A focus on writing and reasoning skills prepares students for the academic rigor and challenges of college.

The experiential education program at St. John’s offers outdoor and hands-on education in support of and within the context of the school-wide curriculum. The program strives to provide authentic and challenging experiences that help students develop an understanding of self, others, and environment.

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The Independent Studies Project (ISP) is designed for disciplined and self-motivated students in Classes 10-12. The goal is to allow students the flexibility to pursue an area of study of personal interest at their own pace and in greater depth than the standard curriculum allows. All critical aspects of the ISP are determined by the students, in partnership with their mentors. At the end of the projects, students present their work to an audience that includes faculty evaluators.

Engineer Your World, a collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering, is a three- or four-year sequence through which students design, develop, and innovate a diverse array of engineering projects. Capstone courses provide students the opportunity to pursue independent design projects, ultimately leading students to develop a prototype design solution that is presented to and evaluated by a panel of engineering professionals. Scientific Research and Design (SRD) offers students an opportunity to perform independent scientific research under the mentorship of a faculty member. Students identify and propose a topic for research, write a summary paper, and present their findings to the SRD faculty. Laboratory research is typically conducted during the summer at a local university.

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The College Counseling program uses a balanced approach to college admissions that focuses on helping students find colleges that fit their interests, values, and needs while also prioritizing their well-being. Students are assigned to a college counselor at the end of the sophomore year. Counselors provide a personalized, student-centered approach which informs and supports students and their families. College counselors empower students to explore their interests, reflect on their values, and find their own voice. The program is intentional in its approach, practices, and conversations with students and their families around the topics that impact life after SJS. The School Profile may be viewed here.

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College MatriculationCollege matriculations for the classes of 2017-2021 include:

Amherst College Barnard College Boston College Boston University Brown University Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Davidson CollegeDuke University Emory University Fordham University Georgetown University Harvard College Johns Hopkins University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Middlebury College New York University Northwestern University Occidental College Princeton University Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRice University Sewanee: The University of the South Southern Methodist University Stanford University Swarthmore College Texas A&M University The University of Texas at Austin Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University University of Chicago University of Pennsylvania University of California-Los Angeles University of Southern California University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Wake Forest UniversityWashington and Lee University Washington University in St LouisWellesley College Yale University

ARTS AND ATHLETICS

The St. John’s Fine Arts Department delivers Upper School students a high-caliber, authentic arts experience that is developmentally appropriate, honors the creative process, and provides a foundation of solid technical training. Across the department, instructors and courses foster creativity, curiosity, and fun through disciplined training and self-expression. Eighty-six percent of students are involved in the arts. Upper School course selections, co-curricular ensembles, and productions offer a wide range of opportunities for students of all levels of interest and training and fall under the broader categories of choral, dance, instrumental, theater, and visual and digital media. Athletics are an integral part of the School’s educational program. Each scholar-athlete is encouraged to compete honorably and with integrity. As in academics, the athletic program provides powerful opportunities for students to strive for excellence, deal with adversity, and learn how to live within and grow beyond their limitations. At all levels, the program teaches the value of hard work to achieve meaningful goals, with attention given to skill development, conditioning, and fitness. Approximately 83% of Upper School students participate in one or more of the 44 varsity and junior varsity teams which include cross country, cheerleading, field hockey, football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming and diving, track and field, baseball, wrestling, golf, lacrosse, softball, and tennis. St. John’s School is a member of the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC).

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SCHOOL LIFE

With care as the School’s cardinal virtue, SJS students, families, faculty, and staff contribute actively to a caring and welcoming culture for all. On a daily basis, this means respecting differences in ability, age, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and thought. At SJS, honoring diversity and practicing inclusion are considered essential to a full education and the development of well-rounded future leaders. The School’s Strategic Plan for Community and Inclusion supports its work in these areas. In accordance with these principles, the oldest tradition at St. John’s School, the Chapel Program, ministers to students’ individual and collective well-being by setting aside a special time and place for communal contemplation of religious faiths, virtues, spirituality, and community. Chapel purposefully celebrates a community of students whose religious, philosophical, and ideological diversity is sought and valued. In practice this means that Chapel offers an inclusive Christian orientation and liturgy, sensitive in developmentally appropriate ways to students from other faith traditions, while remaining faithful to the Judeo-Christian Episcopalian roots from which the School sprang.

Clubs and affinity groups further embrace diversity and promote inclusion. Club offerings—140 at last count—are fluid, often changing to reflect students’ passions and interests. Current clubs cover topics ranging from political affiliations to neuroscience to mountain biking.

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In the Upper School, where students have increasing opportunity to direct their own actions, more than 92% choose to participate in community service projects, accumulating over 36,000 hours of service each year. Projects can be individual, small group, or whole class. They include local and international projects, some meeting once or twice annually and others meeting monthly, weekly, or even daily. Typical large group projects include cleaning-up Galveston beach, volunteering at Houston’s annual Race for the Cure©, painting and landscaping an “Extreme Home Makeover,” joining Middle Schoolers with the Special Olympics track meet, serving dinners at the Ronald McDonald House, hosting birthday parties at the Star of Hope, leading the Senior Citizen’s Prom, and teaching English in rural Costa Rica.

With a strategic focus on wellness, the School has a multidisciplinary committee which includes members from Clinical Services, Counseling, Athletic Training, Athletic Conditioning, Diversity, Spiritual Life, Fine Arts, and Academics. The Team provides education and enrichment for students, parents, and faculty. Topics include substance use/abuse, healthy relationships and boundaries, digital citizenship, stress management, and athletic training.

In addition, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is fundamental to the School’s commitment to supporting the SJS mission and nurturing the whole child. SEL skills and strategies are taught at each grade level. Throughout their Upper School experience, students are given the opportunity for personal reflection, positive interactions, and demonstrations of collective empathy.

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HOUSTON, TEXAS

As America’s fourth-largest city—and the largest city in Texas—Houston is a dynamic and evolving city. Home to nearly seven million residents in the metro area, Houston today is truly a global city, making meaningful contributions in the arts, sciences, and education. The city is the most diverse in the U.S., with residents from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, as well as a substantial and growing international community. Not surprisingly, its attractions are also diverse. Houston is home to several professional sports teams, a space exploration center, a world-class zoo, a top-notch symphony, the Houston Rodeo—and more.

Houston’s city limits contain the second-highest number of Fortune 500 headquarters of any U.S. municipality, after New York City. Houston’s top industries include energy and oilfield equipment, healthcare, aeronautics, manufacturing, tourism, and transportation. The greater-Houston area has 14 major institutions of higher learning, including the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, and Rice University. The Texas Medical Center contains the world’s largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions, among them MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital, as well as a wide range of medical, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacy programs.

The city’s central urban center is enclosed by the square-ish Interstate 610—what locals refer to as “the Loop.” Living inside the Loop comes with all the perks of city life: an easier commute, an elevated bar and restaurant scene, and a high concentration of museums and cultural events. Neighborhoods inside the Loop feature vibrant dining and antique scenes, historic buildings, park systems, libraries, and walkable communities. Areas outside the Loop have a more low-key and suburban feel, with golf courses, green space (Houston has the highest total park acreage of any U.S. city with over one million residents), and convenient dining and shopping.

As a major city, Houston has no shortage of entertainment and cultural attractions. The marquee event in Houston just may be the annual Houston Rodeo, the largest in the world. Millions of people visit the 20-day event each year, including world-class performing artists. The Johnson Space Center, a complex of 100 buildings spanning 1,620 acres, serves as NASA’s hub for human spaceflight. Parts of the center are open to the public, giving visitors the opportunity to take a close-up look at space exploration. Houston’s Downtown Aquarium is a six-acre entertainment and dining complex home to more than 300 species of aquatic life. The 55-acre Houston Zoo is the second most visited zoo in the U.S. and is home to more than 6,000 animals, representing 900 species.

Houston is a city that celebrates art in all forms and is home to a robust arts scene of its own, with everything from colorful graffiti parks to modern museums and theaters. Houston’s Theater District, whose residents include the Houston Ballet and Houston Opera, offers more downtown theater seats than any other city in the U.S. except New York. Originally an old furniture factory that had been scheduled for demolition, Winter Street Studios is a unique space of 75 art studios representing the work of more than 80 local artists. The Houston Museum District is a collection of 20 museums within a 1.5-mile radius that attracts approximately 6.5 million visitors a year.

Buffalo Bayou Park is a 2.3-mile-long, 160-acre municipal park located along the banks of the Buffalo Bayou near downtown. The park includes beautiful gardens and native landscaping; hiking and bike trails; paddle craft and bike rentals; the go-to dog park in the city; public art; a creative nature play area; two visitor centers; and gathering places for visitors to picnic, relax and enjoy outdoor activities. Houston’s location in southeast Texas means that Gulf of Mexico beaches are just a short drive away.

Houston is one of the premiere athletic destinations in the U.S. The city hosts world-class sporting events that range from Olympic qualifying soccer matches and the NCAA Final Four to rodeos and Super Bowl LI. Houston’s six professional sports teams—the Houston Astros (MLB), Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Dynamo (MLS), Houston Dash (NWSL), and Houston SaberCats (MLR) —have long winning traditions and loyal fans. The city’s four stadiums hold over 150,000 fans collectively and feature a wide array of events throughout the year.

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OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The next Head of Upper School will have the opportunity to work with a talented and dynamic student body and faculty, supportive and collaborative senior and Upper School administrative teams, and tremendous institutional resources. The priorities, opportunities, and challenges ahead include:

• Honoring and supporting SJS’s commitment to academic excellence and continuing to expand the definition of what excellence and success might look like;

• Ensuring the SJS educational experience remains relevant and supportive of students’ futures, supporting and exploring educational innovation and tempering perfectionistic inclinations in the spirit of thoughtful risk taking;

• Further nurturing the wellbeing of the student and adult communities;• Continuing to work towards the goals articulated in the Strategic Plan for Community and Inclusion;• Evaluating the Upper School administrative structure to ensure it provides sufficient and clear

support for the division;• Helping to implement the inaugural January Plan in 2023;• Striving to stay connected and aligned with the Lower and Middle Schools and seeking ways to

connect students and faculty across divisions; and• Recruiting, retaining, and supporting high-quality faculty.

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DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

The most competitive candidates will offer most or all of the following qualifications and qualities:

• Capacity to keep pace with a highly intellectual and high achieving community and the EQ to modulate the pace to support and care for others;

• A thorough and demonstrated understanding of and affection for working with Upper School students with great energy, warmth, humor, and commitment to their intellectual and social emotional development;

• Eagerness to engage actively with students and faculty and willingness to prioritize visibility amidst the demands of a busy professional schedule;

• Creative, communicative, student-centered, and collaborative approach to decision making;• Experience leading and managing adults in a complex organization;• Classroom teaching experience and a track record of supporting and developing teaching faculty;• Knowledge of best practices in community and inclusion work and the requisite skillfulness to support

student and faculty growth in this area;• Enthusiasm for building and maintaining connections and community between and among

colleagues, divisions, parents, and students;• Experience recruiting and retaining talented, diverse, and value-aligned faculty;• The confidence and humility to advocate for new ideas, invite disagreement, and welcome feedback,

engaging in challenging conversations with grace; and• The necessary habits for self care and wellness to handle the demands of the position and to model,

underscore, and support healthy practice for others.

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:

• A cover letter expressing interest in this particular position; and• A current résumé.

Selected candidates will also be asked to provide the following:

• Responses to writing prompts specific to this position; and• A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each.

(References will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission.)

Candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence and to submit a résumé and cover letter to:

Jennifer Wong ChristensenSenior Consultantjennifer.christensen@carneysandoe.com

Marsha LittleSearch Consultantmarsha.little@carneysandoe.com

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