International School of Florence Florence, Italy

							                               International School of Florence
                                         Florence, Italy
                                           seeks a new
                                         Head of School
                                    -- effective July, 2011 --

The School
The International School of Florence (ISF) is a Pre-school through Grade 12, non-profit,
coeducational, day school that provides a university-preparatory education for its students. The
school is governed by an elected Board of Directors. Founded in Rome in 1952, ISF is one of
the oldest international schools in Europe. Originally catering to an international, Anglophone
community, it had its roots in an American-based curriculum. However, in the more than 57
intervening years, it has grown and changed, developing into a model international school.
Among the programs offered are the International Baccalaureate Organisation's Primary Years
Programme (grades Pre-K through 5), an integrated Italian equivalency program (grades 1
through 8) for host country students who wish to prepare for and take the Italian Terza Media
exam, and the challenging International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The International
Baccalaureate Diploma is recognized for admission to universities in Italy and around the world.
ISF is fully accredited both by the Council of International Schools (since 1979) and the Middle
States Association of Schools and Colleges (since 1990). These recognitions give students who
attend ISF the possibility of transferring the credits they earn to schools all over the world.

Mission Statement
"The International School of Florence provides a rigorous, innovative education through relevant
and engaging academic and community service programs. ISF teaches responsibility and self-
reliance, qualities needed to be a lifelong learner and successful citizen of the world."

Campus and Facilities
ISF is located in an urban setting and has two campuses totaling 11 hectares, one for students
from Preschool to Grade 5 and the other for Middle and High School students. Both school
buildings are Renaissance villas.

The Junior School is located in Villa le Tavernule in Bagno a Ripoli, about a 20-minute drive
from the center of Florence. The villa is built around a central courtyard which gives access to
offices and classrooms as well as the art studio, music room, lunchroom, computer room, and the
library. The formal garden, used for play and home of a colony of garden tortoises of a protected
breed, has a breath-taking view over the Tuscan countryside. The rural setting of this campus
makes it easy to incorporate nature studies into many learning areas. The campus also has an all-
weather sports field, two playgrounds with modern play equipment set among cypress trees, a


                                                                                            Page 1
second outdoor field, and a specially equipped and surfaced play area for the Preschool and
Kindergarten classes.

The Middle and High Schools are housed in Villa Torri di Gattaia, a five-minute walk from the
famed Piazzale Michelangelo with its unique view over the city of Florence. The villa is
immersed in the nearby countryside and, although it is just ten minutes from the city center and
the cultural wealth and historic treasures of Florence, all its windows frame views of castles and
Renaissance villas in the hills surrounding it. The villa is situated in a setting of formal gardens
and its facilities include a covered terrace which is used as the lunch room, the Aula Magna, a
state-of-the-art computer lab, a science wing, an art studio, and a two-tiered, electronically-wired
library. A large sports complex, within easy walking distance from the school, hosts the physical
education program. A small, all-weather-surfaced field on school property is available for use
during recess.

The Students
The student population of approximately 430 students is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic. The
student body represents more than 30 nationalities with the largest ethnic group being Italian
nationals that constitute approximately 40% of the student body.

The Faculty and Staff
The faculty consists of 69 full-time and 2 part-time members. Of these 29 are US nationals, UK
subjects number 15, Italian 20, and others 7.

The Curriculum
The International School of Florence is organized into three divisions: the Junior School, the
Middle School and the High School. The Junior School, including Pre-School, has its own
campus in the nearby suburb of Bagno a Ripoli, while the Middle and High Schools share a
brand new facility in central Florence. The Schools share some administration and faculty, but
each offers an academically challenging curriculum appropriate to the needs of the age group it
serves.

The variety and scope of the educational programs permit ISF students to follow an international
curriculum or to prepare for Italian state exams, if so desired, and to prepare for university in the
US and other countries around the world. The school offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP)
and the Diploma Programme (DP), following the guidelines from the International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO).

The well-balanced program of studies maintains academic standards equal to those of other
international schools and the national schools of Europe and the English-speaking world. Nearly
all graduating students earn the full IB diploma and continue their formal education by attending
universities in the U.S., Canada, U.K., or Europe. French and Italian languages are taught. The
school offers many school-wide after school-activities such as sports teams, visual and
performing arts and service opportunities.




                                                                                               Page 2
Calendar
The academic year runs from early September to mid-June and includes 180 instructional days
plus five teacher work days.

The Position
The Head of School is responsible for the overall academic, security, and business management of
the school. He/she reports to the School Board and works with the Board to develop the school’s
strategic direction and ensures all activities are aligned with the school’s mission, beliefs, and
strategic plan. The Head of School will have direct responsibility for the management, organization
and supervision of all school activities.

Required Qualifications
  Master’s Degree
  Previous experience as a head of school or superintendent
  Teaching and administrative experience
  Previous experience with the IB programs
  Experience in working with school boards
  Commitment to educational excellence
  Ability to hire and retain well qualified and competent faculty and staff and place them within
  the school structure where they can best apply their skills
  Ability to develop, communicate, and implement a shared vision that will strengthen the
  continued growth and development of the school

Preferred Qualifications
  Previous experience in an international school
  Proficiency in Italian
  Certification as a superintendent or district administrator
  Experience with American/international schools comprised of a culturally diverse school
  community
  Experience with constructing a new school or renovating existing facilities, and moving to a
  new facility

Personal Attributes/Characteristics
  Ability to demonstrate strong confident leadership by example and an ability to inspire trust in
  faculty members, students, and members of the ISF community
  Well developed communication skills, both verbal and written
  Strong organizational skills
  Ability to build a strong management team
  An educational vision that can be communicated to school constituencies and the greater
  Florence community
  An open, honest, and strong but collaborative leadership style
  Committed to the improvement of student learning
  The ability to delegate and to accomplish goals by developing a team spirit by working with
  others
  The ability to recognize and celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity

                                                                                               Page 3
  Well-developed interpersonal skills and an ability to bring diverse groups together
  Ability to work effectively with the Board
  An active leadership style with high visibility both within the schools and throughout the
  greater school community
  Ability to manage a split campus
  Good listening skills, approachable
  A sense of humor, enthusiasm for his/her profession
  Empathetic and compassionate, yet able to make difficult decisions in the best interests of the
  entire school community

Salary and Benefits
The compensation package includes a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications
and experience of the successful candidate. Additional benefits include a housing allowance, use
of a school owned automobile, health insurance, annual and sick leave, repatriation and home
leave travel for employee and dependent family members and shipping of personal and
household effects. ISF provides attendance at no cost to the HOS for school age dependents.

Procedure for Filing Application
The Board of Directors of ISF has appointed International Schools Services (ISS) to act as
consultant in the search for a new Head of School. Candidates who wish to apply for the
position must establish a professional file with ISS to facilitate the application process and insure
that credentials are provided to the Board / Search Committee in a uniform and consistent
manner. Candidates can access information and application materials at the ISS website at <
www.iss.edu >. Candidates who currently have an active professional file with ISS need only to
send a cover letter that includes a specific expression of interest and the strengths the candidate
feels qualify him/her for consideration for the position. Application letters should be forwarded
to the address noted at the end of this announcement.

The deadline for application is August 20, 2010. Candidates are asked to submit their letter of
interest as early as possible. Finalists will be interviewed and selected by the Search Committee
near the end of August. Finalists together with their spouse (if applicable) will have the
opportunity to visit the school and meet with faculty, parents, students, and non-teaching staff in
early October. The new Head of School will be selected immediately after the conclusion of the
interviews. Current plans are to have the new Head of School work with the current Head to
recruit new faculty members at recruiting fairs in early 2011.

Additional information about the International School of Florence can be found on the school’s
website at < www.isfitaly.org >.

Address application to:
Dr. Ralph Jahr                                                                   Tel: 609.452.0990
International Schools Services                                                  Fax: 609.452.2690
PO Box 5910                                                                    Email: rjahr@iss.edu
Princeton, NJ 08543-5910 (USA)                                                  Web: www.iss.edu



                                                                                               Page 4