Overview of Brightworks

Brightworks’ mission is to reimagine school as a joyful, inclusive, and antiracist learning community where students expand their curiosity and co-author their education through meaningful engagement.

Brightworks is a school based on the principle that everything is interesting. We trust that children are naturally motivated learners and partner with them as co-authors of their educational path. The school community sets topics for exploration and encourages young learners to take on projects they are passionate about while fostering the development of a multitude of creative, interpersonal, and concrete skills.

We educate and inspire students in a flexible, mixed-age community that permeates walls between school and the community outside the classroom. We offer a learning environment that encourages creative capacity, tenacity, self-awareness, and citizenship.  We don’t teach this way as a means to improve traditional academic metrics; we believe these qualities are a more important end in themselves. 

The school has grown and developed significantly since it was founded in 2011.  The pedagogical framework of the Brightworks Arc is driven by a vision of engagement-based,  child-centric education, Brightworks has attracted global attention as a truly innovative school. The strong collaborative partnership between the school’s Founder, who serves as the Chief Collaborator, and the current Head of School is one of the cornerstones of the school’s success. Together, they have built a unique learning environment, and we are seeking a new Head of School who will continue that partnership. The new Head of School will support the school’s ongoing evolution while championing the core values and qualities that make Brightworks unique. 

Responsibilities of the Head of School

The  Head of School will be responsible for guiding the development and implementation of curriculum, leading and managing the Brightworks staff of eighteen full-time and three part-time employees, and ensuring that the educational program aligns with the school's mission and values. The  Head of School will be responsible for overseeing school policies and procedures, managing the school budget, and communicating with parents, staff, and the community.

Community 

• Students

• Build relationships with students across the programs

• Be a part of the support team that helps manage conflict and behavioral challenges

• Be a part of the support team that helps manage learning differences

• Parents

• Communicate important information to the school community about upcoming events, program updates, staff changes,  and safety plan updates

• Create parent education experiences to help them grow and understand our program better

Collaborators and Staff

• Evolving the Program

• Work with the leadership team to set strategic goals for improving our school culture and programs.

• Create an implementation plan and hold the team and school accountable to those goals.

• Supporting Collaborator Staff

• Support beginning of the year goal-setting meetings 

• Observe students and collaborators in each band based on those goals

• Reflect on goals and adjust them at the end of each arc

• Meet weekly with new Collaborators and bi-weekly with returning Collaborators on curriculum questions

• Work with the leadership team to plan onboarding weeks and planning, prep days

• Work with the leadership team to source outside professional development to support staff learning goals

• Hiring and Terminating 

• Conduct yearly performance reviews, and address issues as they arise

• Put in support plans for struggling staff and make termination decisions 

• Write Job Descriptions and work with the HR coordinator in recruiting new talent

• Assemble and train the hiring team

• Conduct interviews, gather the hiring team’s input, make reference calls

• Make hiring decisions based on team input and send out offers

Leadership

• Meet regularly with the Leadership Team to set and adjust goals, and discuss upcoming events and things that may have arisen

• Regular meetings with each Assistant Director to discuss their program

Administration

• Budget

• Attend monthly reconciliation meetings

• Work with the business manager to set the yearly budget

• Adjust the pay scale yearly

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualities:

• Excellent communicator

• An empathic  listener and captivating  storyteller

• Able to relate and empathize with people from diverse backgrounds and across many age groups

• Experience in education, particularly, developing dynamic, creative, iterative curriculums and project-based learning.

• Strong organizational and management skills

• Knowledge of K-12 educational philosophies and current trends

• Experienced leader of teams of 15+

• Master's degree in education-related fields or commensurate experience

• Financially literate 

  
  
  

Relevant Skills and Qualifications Include:

• Strategic planning

• Problem-solving

• Creativity

• Adaptability

• Cultural competence

• A commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion

Who Should Apply?

As an equal-opportunity employer, Brightworks values diversity and experience. Brightworks strongly believes in the strength of diversity and therefore, actively encourages applications from people of any race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, age, protected veteran or disabled status, and ability to apply for positions. While the Head of School must have a demonstrated capacity for organizational leadership, candidates could have attained this experience through various career paths, including primary and/or secondary education, non-profit leadership, or a leadership role in public service. 

Compensation and Benefits

Placement on our salary scale will be based on qualifications and experience. Our scale ranges from $140,000 - $185,000. Excellent benefits are offered including medical, dental, vision,  life and disability insurance, parental leave, and a retirement plan with a 4% match vesting immediately. Employees are eligible for paid time off in addition to opportunities and resources for professional development opportunities. 

Hiring Timeline

Applications will be reviewed in waves. The first submissions will be reviewed on 03/31/2024. The intended start date for the Head of School will be in July 2024. The right candidate may be onboarded sooner if available. 

Application Procedure

To apply for the position of  Head of School, we ask applicants to send the following PDF documents to searchcommittee@sfbrightworks.org. Your application should include the following: 

• Cover Letter Who are you? What is your journey? Why are you interested in working with us? What was the last project that excited you? What awesome non-professional interests will you bring/share with our learning community? Finally, please include how you learned about the position. 

• Resume of relevant work and educational experiences to support your candidacy 

• 2-3 Professional Writing Samples/Communication Memos (pre-dated) i.e. Newsletter, Public Communication, Correspondence to Family

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Brightworks is an equal-opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, pregnancy, and breastfeeding), sexual orientation (including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality), national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, age, medical condition, genetic characteristics or information, military and veteran status, and physical or mental disability, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.

Communications

Transition Timeline