Hi everyone,
I have seen a couple postings for an ADMIN Director of Curriculum and Development. This position doesn't exist at my current school. I am curious - what is this position? In fact, there seems to be quite a number of different ADMIN positions in general on the Search Associates Job Search site. How is administration organized at an IS? In my US experience we just have an assistant principal(s) and a head principal.
Thanks
ADMIN positions/organization
Response
What it really comes down to is what does the person do, and what responsibilities are they tasked with.
If we look at an ISs leadership team you can describe 4 tiers of administration based on their general level of Authority:
1) Executive Leadership: Often the HOS the school Director these individuals exercise "hiring authority" meaning they can push the button (too hire) and pull the trigger (to fire). They run the school as ownerships representative. In an American school district this would be the superintendent.
2) Senior Leadership: These are the principals (but coordinator is used sometimes) and assistant principals (AP's), Vice Principals (VPs), DP's (Deputy Principals) and Deans. A school usually has a principal per 'school', such as the primary and secondary school principals (or intermediate/middle school principal) or in the case of IB PYP, MYP, DIP school principals. These admin have "tasking authority", meaning that they can direct what you do. Your going to teach these classes at these times, and your there is a faculty meeting at 4:00 on friday, attendance is mandatory, etc. In some school the senior admin mainly principals may also have executive (hiring/firing) authority.
3) Junior Leadership: These are the HODs (Head of Department), Coordinators and include various counselors, librarians, technology staff. These individuals have "reporting authority" meaning they can and do report on your performance and actions from a variety of sources including observation, written evaluations and informal verbal commentary from other parties. They may be empowered with a certain degree of tasking or roles that appears to be supervisory, but all they are really doing is following senior leaderships instructions and providing you information. This doesnt mean they dont exercise some discretion in the outcome of those tasks (such as a counselor who controls the master schedule).
4) Professional Staff: These are the non supervisory staff who have documentary authority. They produce documents that may reflect aspects of your service and performance. A DIP coordinator that compiles a report on exam scores correlated to classroom marks could use all sorts of metrics to reflect your performance in a positive or negative light.
I really need to address the title of coordinator, which in IB is even more confusing, since a coordinator could have varying degrees of authority. Coordinator could describe anyone from a principal to professional staff.
Leadership of C&I (whether Directors, or Academic Managers) is typically a senior leadership appointment at the AP/VP/DP level. In moderate and larger size ISs you typivally see expansion in senior leadership to include a student management position (Dean of Students, Director of Student Affairs/Services, etc) and an academic management position (Director of C&I, Academic Manager, etc.). The academic management positions typically overseas curriculum creation, implementation and assessment which includes faculty evaluation (to various levels). They may be the 1st level of a transcript and grading/marking grievances, often are responsible for preparing the students transcript and diploma audit, as well as maintaining the various documents for accreditation and academic based oversight.
If we look at an ISs leadership team you can describe 4 tiers of administration based on their general level of Authority:
1) Executive Leadership: Often the HOS the school Director these individuals exercise "hiring authority" meaning they can push the button (too hire) and pull the trigger (to fire). They run the school as ownerships representative. In an American school district this would be the superintendent.
2) Senior Leadership: These are the principals (but coordinator is used sometimes) and assistant principals (AP's), Vice Principals (VPs), DP's (Deputy Principals) and Deans. A school usually has a principal per 'school', such as the primary and secondary school principals (or intermediate/middle school principal) or in the case of IB PYP, MYP, DIP school principals. These admin have "tasking authority", meaning that they can direct what you do. Your going to teach these classes at these times, and your there is a faculty meeting at 4:00 on friday, attendance is mandatory, etc. In some school the senior admin mainly principals may also have executive (hiring/firing) authority.
3) Junior Leadership: These are the HODs (Head of Department), Coordinators and include various counselors, librarians, technology staff. These individuals have "reporting authority" meaning they can and do report on your performance and actions from a variety of sources including observation, written evaluations and informal verbal commentary from other parties. They may be empowered with a certain degree of tasking or roles that appears to be supervisory, but all they are really doing is following senior leaderships instructions and providing you information. This doesnt mean they dont exercise some discretion in the outcome of those tasks (such as a counselor who controls the master schedule).
4) Professional Staff: These are the non supervisory staff who have documentary authority. They produce documents that may reflect aspects of your service and performance. A DIP coordinator that compiles a report on exam scores correlated to classroom marks could use all sorts of metrics to reflect your performance in a positive or negative light.
I really need to address the title of coordinator, which in IB is even more confusing, since a coordinator could have varying degrees of authority. Coordinator could describe anyone from a principal to professional staff.
Leadership of C&I (whether Directors, or Academic Managers) is typically a senior leadership appointment at the AP/VP/DP level. In moderate and larger size ISs you typivally see expansion in senior leadership to include a student management position (Dean of Students, Director of Student Affairs/Services, etc) and an academic management position (Director of C&I, Academic Manager, etc.). The academic management positions typically overseas curriculum creation, implementation and assessment which includes faculty evaluation (to various levels). They may be the 1st level of a transcript and grading/marking grievances, often are responsible for preparing the students transcript and diploma audit, as well as maintaining the various documents for accreditation and academic based oversight.
Re: ADMIN positions/organization
Also remember that some schools use British nomenclature even if they don't appear particularly British. So the Principal in such a school would be the highest authority, while the Head of School would run one section, like the Middle School.
In essence, there are many titles and many ways of organizing. In some schools the Curriculum Coordinator is essentially second in command to the Director, and it ranges from there down to a teacher who looks after Science or some other subject at a single grade level.
Best to make sure you and the school are on the same page, since it varies so much.
In essence, there are many titles and many ways of organizing. In some schools the Curriculum Coordinator is essentially second in command to the Director, and it ranges from there down to a teacher who looks after Science or some other subject at a single grade level.
Best to make sure you and the school are on the same page, since it varies so much.
Comment
@Sid is accurate, though while titles and their locations within the organizational hierarchy vary and can have very different placement and meaning the levels of leadership (executive, senior, junior and staff leadership) are consistent across organizations. Someone/group is empowered as ownerships representative. Someone/group has tasking authority, and someone/group has reporting authority.
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Lebenstraum
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Re: ADMIN positions/organization
Thanks for the clarifications!