Modern Languages
Department Head
Leadership Opportunity
September 2013
Trinity School New York, NY
992 students K-12
www.trinityschoolnyc.org
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THE OPPORTUNITY
Trinity School in Manhattan seeks a Head of the Modern Languages Department. Trinity
was founded in 1709 by Anglican missionaries as a charity school at Trinity Church for
40 students. The School has strong roots in the Episcopal tradition, but as an independent
school enthusiastically embraces the diversity of its community’s religious and
philosophical traditions and beliefs. The School moved to its current location in 1895 and
now has an enrollment of 992. Trinity is the oldest continuously operating educational
institution in New York City. With over 300 years of successful educational service and
a long tradition of academic excellence, Trinity School enjoys a strong and enviable place
in New York City’s highly competitive independent school market.
“Trinity is perhaps best understood as a
mosaic: an amazing assemblage of diverse
individuals harmonized by a guiding vision
(see the School’s compelling mission
statement) to become a thriving community
in which the whole is even greater than the
sum of its colorful parts.”
John Allman, Head of School
Trinity’s Modern Languages Department offers
instruction in Spanish, French, and Mandarin.
Mandatory Spanish or French instruction begins in
third grade; in fifth grade, students can choose to
continue with Spanish or French. In ninth grade,
students can continue with the language studied in
Middle School, or they can begin a new foreign
language, including Mandarin. Separate from the
Modern Languages Department, the school’s
Classics Department offers instruction in Latin and
Greek, including mandatory Latin in grades 6-­‐8.
THE SCHOOL
Trinity School is a college preparatory, coeducational independent day school for Grades
K-12, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Long regarded as a school that
values scholarly investigation, scholastic excellence and close, meaningful relationships
between faculty members and students, Trinity has built an illustrious tradition of
achievement and success in academics, athletics and the arts. Parents have a high regard
for what Trinity does and appreciate its compellingly stated, inspirational mission.
The heart of the Trinity experience is the relationship
between inspiring, caring teachers and talented,
motivated, and engaged students. Trinity has a
commitment to enrolling a capable and diverse student
body from every economic and social background,
awarding over $6 M this year in financial aid across all
grade levels. Among a faculty of 170, over 82% of
teachers hold an advanced degree. The ratio of students
to teachers is six to one, and all students matriculate to
four-year institutions after graduation.
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Trinity School is accredited by the New York State
Association of Independent Schools. It is a member of the
National Association of Independent Schools, the New York
State Association of Independent Schools, National
Association of Episcopal Schools, National Association of
Principals of Schools for Girls, National Association for
College Admission Counseling, the College Board, Council
for Advancement and Support of Education, New York
Interschool, the New York City Guild of Independent
Schools, Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education,
Parents League of New York, Early Steps, and Association
of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges.
CAMPUS
Located in the heart of New York City, Trinity’s urban campus occupies just over two
acres and has a total square footage of almost 223,000. School facilities run almost the
entire length of West 91st Street and comprise the 1895 Lower School building, the
Annex (formerly part of St. Agnes Chapel), The Henry C. Moses Middle School building
(completed in 1998) and the Upper School’s Hawley Wing.
Students in each division are fortunate in being able to enjoy unique spaces in Trinity’s
celebrated facilities. Every weekday morning, the entire Lower School gathers in
Trinity’s historic Great Hall to begin their day, and the
school’s youngest learners benefit from their own 24,000
volume library. In the Middle School, the four classrooms on
Trinity Numbers
the ground floor are dedicated to Grades Seven and Eight
Founded: 1709
while Grades Five, Six and Seven convene in ten classrooms
Grades: K-12
on the second floor. The Upper School building, the Hawley
Enrollment: 992
Wing, also includes a chapel that doubles as the school’s main
Students of color: 40%
performance space, and the Upper School Library, designed to
Faculty: 170
support research and filled with a 23,000-volume collection,
Faculty of color: 24%
Faculty w/ Advanced Degree:
extensive electronic and microfilm resources, and three
82%
different study areas for students.
Operating budget: $36.7M
Endowment: $55M
Annual Giving: $5.1M
Most recent Capital Campaign:
$38.9M
Financial Aid: $5.7M
Students Receiving Aid: 20%
In addition to classrooms, science and computer laboratories,
and administrative offices, the school includes a garden, a
rooftop playing field (known as the “turf”), a dining room, two
chapels, two theaters, two swimming pools, three playgrounds,
a weight room, a fine arts pavilion, two libraries, and three
gymnasiums.
Trinity School’s location on the Upper West Side of
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Manhattan puts it within a stone’s throw of
Central Park, the most visited city park in the
country.
With easy access to public
transportation, students and faculty alike can also
take advantage of the school’s proximity to The
American Museum of Natural History, The
Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan
Museum of Art and Mt. Sinai Hospital, to name
just a few neighboring resources.
STUDENTS
Trinity students are reflective, thoughtful, considerate and intellectually engaging.
Across all grade levels and in all divisions, the approximately 1,000 students enrolled at
the school treat one another with respect and consideration, undertaking their studies and
commitments with dedication and hard work. They are engaged and enthusiastic,
articulate and accomplished, highly motivated and self-disciplined, recognizing the
intrinsic rewards in initiative and participation, and placing value on leadership and
involvement. Students appreciate that at Trinity they have lots of choice and the freedom
to try different things.
Trinity is committed to enrolling a diverse student body, and the families that become
part of the school community reflect the ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and religious
diversity of the city it calls home. Student enrollment across the three academic divisions
breaks down approximately as follows: Lower School – 300; Middle School – 250;
Upper School – 450. The two main points of entry for students are kindergarten and
ninth grade; all additional enrollment is essentially based on attrition. Students of color
constitute 41% of the Lower School, 40% of the Middle School and 39% of the Upper
School. Students reside primarily in the Upper East and West sides of Manhattan,
although some students travel to school from the
other boroughs of New York as well as from New
Jersey. During the current 2012-2013 academic
year, 20% of students receive some kind of financial
aid. Faculty cite students who are “phenomenal,”
whose reputation even outside the school is “wellmannered and respectful.” They value teaching at a
place where students “expect and want challenge,”
who “can make even an average class excellent” and
who “make [me] a better teacher.”
FACULTY AND STAFF
Trinity’s faculty – a group of 170 extraordinarily talented and dedicated individuals – is
certainly one of its greatest assets, and the dialogue between teacher and student is at the
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heart of the Trinity way of life. Constituent groups across the community recognize the
teaching faculty as creative, caring, supportive and knowledgeable, acknowledging the
close student/faculty relationships as one of the hallmarks of a Trinity education. Among
the faculty are 22 doctorates and 116 master’s degrees from prominent colleges and
universities across the country and around the world, and the average length of service
for Trinity faculty is just over ten years. Nearly a quarter of faculty members represent
racial diversity.
The school’s faculty and staff are exceptionally
well-regarded, and the relationship between
teachers, students, administrators and parents is
unusually caring and supportive. Upper School
students speak of their teachers as “truly
wonderful,” and “inspiring.” Recruited for their
outstanding academic achievements and their
commitment to Trinity’s core educational values, teachers are encouraged to select,
expand on, modify, and even invent their curricula, fostering a crucial sense of ownership
and creativity in the classroom. This creativity is supported by a unique and wellendowed program of faculty development and enrichment grants.
MODERN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
The Modern Languages Department
considers the study and acquisition of
language to be a gateway to the
understanding of other cultures. At all
levels, teachers aim to instill a strong
enthusiasm for the language, which inspires
learners to advance their ability to
communicate effectively in the target
language. The goal of communication is
reached by developing the four language
skills of listening, speaking, reading and
writing. The Modern Language program is grounded in communicative activities,
exposure to authentic texts, use of a wide range of multimedia materials, and a systematic
presentation of the grammar of the target language. Students learn about the history,
customs, and values of the people and countries of the target language, and thus make
comparisons to their own culture and language. The ultimate goal of the department is to
provide its students with both a command of the language and an understanding of other
cultures that will enable them to become more knowledgeable and engaged global
citizens. In order to graduate, students are required to take three years of a Classic or
Modern language (three credits) or two years completing level 4. The typical sequence is
II, III, AP.
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THE 2011 STRATEGIC PLAN
The most recent strategic plan for Trinity includes the following goals that will be most
relevant to the new Head of the Modern Languages Department:
• Trinity School will ensure that we are living true to our mission-driven
understanding of ourself as a vibrant educational community animated by the core
commitments that have defined the Trinity student experience for centuries: the
centrality of the conversation between inspiring, challenging, caring teachers and
curious, hard-working, engaged students; high academic and ethical standards
maintained with integrity and understanding; attentiveness to the intellectual,
emotional, social, spiritual, and physical needs of students; and a governing vision
of education as a lever for societal improvement and a cradle for civic
engagement.
• Trinity School will enrich its academic programs by strengthening curriculum and
pedagogy in all disciplines, with special emphasis on science, math, and computer
science; increasing interdisciplinary studies; and expanding opportunities for
students to distinguish themselves in areas of special interest or ability.
• Trinity School will ensure that its curricular and extra-curricular programs and
opportunities actively prepare students to be engaged citizens of the city, nation,
and world.
• Trinity School will make professional conversation about excellence in teaching
and learning central to the School’s culture and will ensure that this dialogue
animates and informs an enhanced professional development program; just as we
are committed to “the conversation between student and teacher,” so we will
commit ourselves to “the conversation between teacher and teacher.”
THE POSITION
In brief, the Modern Languages Department Head
is responsible for developing and implementing
departmental curriculum, instructional practices,
and professional development opportunities for 15
faculty members, as well as departmental
programs, policies, and procedures that will best
fulfill the school’s mission. Specifically, the
department head will (1) oversee departmental
curriculum, currently in grades 3-­‐12, ensuring appropriate consistency, continuity, and
coherence in coursework within and across grade-­‐levels and divisions; (2) foster
excellence in instruction throughout the department; (3) oversee department members'
professional growth, including scheduled formal evaluation of department members as
well as on-­‐going discussion of professional growth and performance; (4) recruit, hire, and
mentor new teachers; (5) articulate departmental philosophy, policies, processes,
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curriculum, and program to internal and external audiences; (6) supervise departmental
staffing, student placement decisions where appropriate, budget, book orders, substitute
teaching arrangements, and other departmental policies and procedures. In addition, the
department head is expected to facilitate support among department members for
divisional and school-­‐wide commitments. In performing these duties, especially in the
areas of curriculum, evaluation, and staffing, a department head will often need to
collaborate with Principals and other administrators, including the Associate Head for
Academic Affairs, the Director of Diversity, the Registrar, the Head of School, and other
department heads.
As expressed in the school’s 2012 Strategic Plan, the next modern language department
head will be focusing sustained attention on developing curriculum and program to foster
global citizenship, including earlier introduction of modern language instruction in the
Lower School; on establishing partnerships with local, national, and international
institutions to enrich students’ and teachers’ education; on exploring the uses of digital
technologies to enhance teaching and learning; and on expanding interdisciplinary
learning opportunities. In addition, the school seeks candidates eager and able to foster
robust professional conversation about teaching and learning, attentive to students with
differing learning needs, and informed by relevant research as well as effective
professional practice.
The ideal candidate will be an exemplary
language teacher knowledgeable and
passionate about curriculum as well as
pedagogy; a skilled administrator
attentive to the needs of the department
and its members as well as to the needs
of the School; an approachable,
supportive, trusted colleague who possesses intellectual curiosity, an openness to others’
ideas, flexibility in approaches to teaching, and a sense of humor. Proficiency in more
than one of the languages taught in the department is preferred, but not required.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate is an exceptional teacher whose education and experience combine
scholarly command of subject matter, knowledge and practice of effective pedagogy for
Lower, Middle and Upper School students, and appreciation of diversity; a versatile
leader eager to foster collegiality within the department; a skilled administrator with
experience in mentoring, professional growth, evaluation, and curriculum oversight; a
creative thinker who possesses intellectual curiosity and seeks to enhance the study of
modern languages, and an engaged member of the school community committed to the
development and best interests of students in all encounters. Page |7
An Equal Opportunity Employer, Trinity School seeks candidates who will add to the
diversity of our school community.
COMPENSATION
Compensation package will be very competitive, and commensurate with experience and
the New York City market.
TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate
PDF attachments in one e-mail:
•
•
•
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cover letter expressing interest in the Trinity School position
current résumé
statement of educational philosophy and practice
list of 5 references with name, phone number, and email address of each
(references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission)
Jane Phillips
Senior Search Associates
CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES
44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108
jane.phillips@carneysandoe.com
~ Trinity School is an Equal Opportunity Employer ~