B , c h S P S D : a 2021 - Carney Sandoe & Associates · ISB offers a number of leadership opportunities to students through clubs and other activities, and Student Council plays

InternatIonal School of BeIjIng

BeIjIng, chInahIgh School PrIncIPal

Start Date: auguSt 2021 ISB.Bj.eDu.cn

overvIew

The International School of Beijing (ISB) seeks a charismatic, approachable, and courageous leader as its next High School Principal. Joining an established and experienced leadership team, the Principal will play a key role in providing principled, effective leadership, serving the students, support staff, faculty, and parents of the High School.

ISB aspires to be an adaptive, inspirational, forward-looking learning community, cultivating relationships that ignite each student’s passion for lifelong learning. Each child’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development is nurtured at ISB. The school embraces change, inspires creativity, and fosters innovation while actively promoting global understanding and respect within and between cultures. The community at ISB models integrity and seeks opportunities to serve with compassion and conviction.

Of utmost importance is ISB’s strong sense of community and vibrant, culturally diverse campus, where learning is engaging for the 1,800 students representing more than 50 countries. Research-based programs, high-quality teaching, and outstanding and ever-improving facilities mean students at ISB are being prepared for success in a world that keeps changing at a breathtaking pace.

The High School Principal serves in all matters as the educational leader of the High School. The Principal ensures that all programs and practices of faculty and staff support the school’s mission and philosophy and that all students, on a day-to-day basis, are provided with an excellent educational program. Under the direction of the Head of School, the Principal is responsible for leadership and management of the High School division, communication, staff development, and curriculum leadership, among other responsibilities.

2The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

MissionThe school’s new mission will provide the basis for new strategic thinking and planning. Developed following a broad, inclusive community process, the mission and vision will lie at the heart of the school’s day-to-day actions and medium/long term choices.

We are an inspiring international community in Beijing, where thinkers and leaders find their place in the world and serve others. So that our learning is at its best, we build strong relationships and set high expectations together. We are committed to challenging and joyful learning with the freedom to explore.

VisionEmpowered with purpose and compassion.


School hIStory

The International School of Beijing was the first international school in Beijing and today is recognized as a leading learning community. In its earliest stages, the school was made up of eight students and two certified teachers in the hallway of a diplomatic apartment compound. In 1980, amid the growth of other diplomatic communities, the U.S. Embassy joined with the British, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand embassies and formally founded ISB.

In 1991, ISB became the first school in Beijing to offer the full Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate. In 2007, ISB won full marks from three important accrediting agencies: the Chinese National Council on Curriculum and Textbooks (NCCT); the Council on American and International Schools Abroad (CAISA) of the US-based New England Association of Schools and Colleges; and the Council of International School (CIS), an international, globally focused accrediting agency specializing in international education worldwide.

In January 2002, ISB was permitted to accept expatriate students outside of the diplomatic community. Since then, ISB has flourished and quickly became a respected international school with programs and accreditation worthy of the breadth and depth of its vision.

Today, the school is made up of 1,800 students from PreK 3 to grade 12, with around 50 different nationalities represented in the diverse student body. The school continues to lead in its innovative approaches to learning and educator development.

As they approach their 40th anniversary, ISB is proud of the community it has become, built on the firm foundations put in place by those administrators, faculty, staff, students, and parents who have

Core ValuesISB and its community embody the following values:

• Global-Mindedness• Integrity• Respect • Balance • Service • Creativity


been part of the school over the last four decades. ISB’s commitment is to continue this legacy to ensure they provide excellent learning and opportunities for its students in the years to come.

ISB is currently in the process of refreshing their Strategic Plan, following the recent refresh of both the Mission and Vision of the school.

the School

AcademicsISB strives to make the learning experience for every student ‘different by design.’ From the curriculum to the facilities, from individual student experiences to the school-wide culture and community, ISB is constantly reflecting on what they can do to offer relevant, modern, and intentionally designed programs for everyone.

Elementary SchoolISB’s Elementary School cares about students’ growth as learners and as individuals who contribute to their community. They believe that young people are naturally curious, and they recognize each student as a unique individual with the potential to achieve. Students are empowered to solve problems, question the world around them, and develop and test hypotheses in a collaborative, supportive environment.

PreK 3, PreK 4, Kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 focus on mastering basic learning skills either through the ISB monolingual program or the ISB dual language program. This is a time for young learners to explore ideas, solve problems, and build trusting relationships with peers and teachers.


As students learn through inquiry-based activities and structured play, ISB’s learning spaces have abundant resources to develop specific skills, spark curiosity, and prompt interactions.

From PreK 3 to grade 5, ISB recognizes that each student has an individual learning style and that students make progress in different areas at different paces. ISB believes it is the school’s task to align the learning experience with the needs of each student and works closely with parents to support their child’s unique learning journey. Additionally, each student engages in Chinese language and culture learning, the arts, and physical education to round out their program.

ISB’s Whole Child approach gives the same priority to young learners’ health and character as it does to their academic performance. Students’ well-being is a cornerstone to their success and happiness. As they learn to work together, they grow to understand different perspectives and strengthen their social skills. ISB nurtures children who develop independence and the ability to make positive, healthy choices. Importantly, ISB partners with parents to ensure that school is fun, motivating, and a place where every child can turn to a trusted adult for help and support.

With a strong foundation in both academics and social awareness, ISB is confident that elementary students can forge ahead to the exploratory years of middle-level education.

Middle SchoolAt ISB, Middle School is a time for exploration and personal development as well as for the formation of healthy academic habits. ISB believes in strengthening students as well-rounded members of the community who learn through collaborative study and service in a caring environment with enough flexibility for them to experiment and tailor their learning. ISB Middle School students pursue their interests and learn in a way that is relevant to them.


Many of the core subjects are divided into theme-based units, which allows students to engage with elements that spark their imagination. In other subjects, students can evaluate their academic performance and choose a track that will challenge them at an appropriate level. With a high degree of project-based learning and integration across disciplines in the Middle School, educators work together in small teams to monitor student progress and ensure academic differentiation in accordance with individual ability.

Every Middle School student will experience new activities and discover their passions. Each quarter, they can choose an interest to pursue or academic group to take part in during their Enrichment periods. All students in the Middle School have the opportunity to be part of a sports team or performing arts group during after-school activities which emphasize inclusiveness and teamwork.

ISB offers a number of leadership opportunities to students through clubs and other activities, and Student Council plays an active role in the Middle School, bringing the community together to raise funds for charitable organizations and host events.

Near the beginning of the academic year, Middle School students venture off campus to explore China and get to know

Below is a selection of the colleges and universities to which the Classes of 2018 and 2019 matriculated:

American University Boston CollegeBoston UniversityBrown University Carnegie Mellon UniversityColumbia University Cornell UniversityDartmouth CollegeDrexel UniversityFordham UniversityIthaca CollegeLes Roches SwitzerlandLondon School of EconomicsLoyola Marymount UniversityMacalester CollegeMass. College of Art & Design McGill UniversityNew York UniversityNortheastern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityPratt InstitutePrinceton University Rhode Island School of DesignRutgers UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySmith College Temple UniversityThe New SchoolTrinity CollegeTufts UniversityUnited States Naval Academy University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of ChicagoUniversity College LondonUniversity of Hong KongUniversity of MiamiUniversity of San Diego University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of TorontoUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison Vassar College Villanova UniversityWellesley College

College Placement


their peer group. These learning experiences are designed for team building; they help students to form strong relationships, build resilience, and learn how to work well with one another. Mentoring classes provide an important setting for developing healthy relationships and a sense of identity aligned with ISB’s Core Values.

ISB’s Whole Child approach values young learners’ physical and social-emotional health along with their academic performance. ISB focusses on students’ overall well-being and wants them to have a keen sense of responsibility for themselves and their community.

High SchoolThe High School nurtures the talents of students and develops their skills through authentic learning experiences that ensure they are engaged members of society. ISB’s approach places value on the student’s health and character development along with their academic performance. Outcomes matter at ISB and the school believes successful students are not defined solely by their attainment in tests and exams, but also by their integrity, empathy, and sense of teamwork. ISB offers a tailored education to prepare young people for achievement and success whatever future direction they choose.

The academic program balances the breadth of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme with a choice of courses to suit individual student interests. The High School diploma program is a four-year university preparatory course of study that develops our students as learners and as individuals.

Meanwhile, the High School’s after-school activities provide opportunities for students to excel in sports and performing arts, and all learners are encouraged to take part in a service project or join a community group. These collaborative projects are devised around a common interest and develop real-life skills through learning that integrates different academic subjects.

In grades 11 and 12, students elect to study the IB Diploma Programme or construct a personalized program, from a combination of IB courses, ISB courses, and online courses around their interests and talents. The school is confident that ISB’s flexible, interdisciplinary, and project-based approach in High School makes for well-rounded, healthy students capable of excelling in many fields.

co-currIcular ProgramS

ISB believes that a strong co-curricular program, offering competitive and non-competitive sports, after-school activities, performing arts, and service opportunities can, as a part of the school’s overall curriculum, prepare the students to be successful in life. The program gives students the opportunity to explore their passions and stresses hard work, leadership, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and fair play.

ISB believes that: • Co-curricular activities are an integral part of the overall curricular program• Every student should have the opportunity to become involved to some extent• Sponsors and students should, at all levels, develop and exhibit accepted attitudes of cooperation,

citizenship, good sportsmanship, and dedication. ISB’s youngest students partake of a range of intramural sports and have the opportunity to compete in invitational tournaments with fellow ISAC (International Schools Athletics Conference) member schools. Two particularly popular noncompetitive sporting activities amongst ISB’s elementary students are the Jedi Jugglers and Dribbling Dragons programs. The arts are also well represented with programs in choir, band, strings ensembles, and a long list of after-school activities (ASAs).



In Middle School, students are empowered to take up any sport, even if they’ve never played before. Those who train on one of ISB’s middle school sports teams have the opportunity to compete against other international schools in Beijing, regardless of ability level. Those who prefer the arts can audition for one of the Middle School choirs, play in the jazz band, or take part in theater production and ISB’s one-act festival, held annually.

At the High School level, student athletes compete with peer schools at ISAC, China Cup, and other events with ACAMIS and APAC. The High School’s arts programs are equally robust. Musically inclined students audition for Impromptune, the high school choir; join the dance team; play in jazz band; or take the stage in ISB’s musical theater productions.

Students in both Middle and High School learn the importance of balance in their lives through active engagement in service learning, as well as involvement in a vast array of after-school clubs that includes Model UN, Student Council, and many others.

camPuS

ISB is located on a 32-acre campus in Shunyi, a northeast suburb of Beijing. The original school buildings were purpose-built in 2002 and reflect the school’s holistic approach to learning. Students explore their varied passions within ISB’s diverse facilities: 12 science labs, two library media centers, a 600-seat theater, black box theater and studio stage, visual arts wing with dedicated studios, climbing wall, and a student cooking lab.

ISB is excited to open in 2020 two brand-new facilities – an Elementary School Arts Center and


Theater, and a Middle School/High School Performing Arts Center. Two further projects, a new Early Years Learning Center, and Middle School/High School Design Center will open later in 2020.

ISB also boasts two pressurized domes that serve as sports and recreation centers. Totaling 8,500 square meters, these facilities sit adjacent to one another and house tennis and a range of other indoor and outdoor athletics. The campus also features four gymnasiums, a sports stadium with a running track, six playing fields, and a 25-meter pool. Also of note is ISB’s state-of-the-art air filtration system, ensuring safe air quality levels in all parts of the school buildings.

BeIjIng, chIna

With a history dating back three millennia, Beijing has long been considered the hub of China’s political, cultural, and educational endeavors. The city served as capital to many Chinese dynasties, and the physical and social remnants of these histories juxtapose a thoroughly modern metropolis. As tourists traverse the Great Wall and Forbidden City, Beijing’s population of 21 million drives a vibrant, global, and ever-expanding economy.

Since the 2008 Olympic Games, the air quality in China has improved significantly and the Chinese government continues to promote clean air initiatives. The city’s public transit system is excellent, and continually expanding as the metropolitan area grows. The city and country eagerly await the Winter Olympic Games in 2022, bringing with it yet further improved transport, leisure opportunities and infrastructure.


The school is located outside the city center in the northeastern suburb of Shunyi. Calmer and quieter than central Beijing, the district is popular amongst the expatriate community, particularly families with children. The single-family homes and green space of Shunyi’s gated communities bear resemblance to Western residential suburbs. Traffic in the district is much less congested than in other parts of the city, and residents have access to a number of Western restaurants and supermarkets. Not surprisingly, many international schools have established campuses in Shunyi.

oPPortunItIeS

• Lead wonderful students through their high school experience.• Lead dedicated, accomplished and excellent colleagues.• Further enhance community relationships within the High School and across the school.• Ensure that learning in the High School is ‘challenging and joyful’.• Plan and implement alternative paths through High School.• Ensure the SEL program in the High School is fully enculturated, becoming part of the fabric of

the students’ experience.• Ensure the learning needs of all students are met, including not only the highly able but those

with mild, moderate, and intensive learning needs.• Ensure the experience of the EAL students’ is as rich as those for whom English is the mother

tongue.• Lead and be a member of teams which are disciplined, ambitious, and humble.• Build, nurture, and sustain the team of support staff and teachers.


requIrementS anD qualIfIcatIonS

Education• Possess appropriate degrees (at least post-graduate level or equivalent) as well as current

certification in the area of High School Administration.• Current teaching certification highly desirable.

Knowledge and Experience• At least five years as a successful high school teacher and at least five years as a successful high

school principal or assistant principal.• Overseas international school experience preferred, and/or demonstrated success in a multi-

cultural school environment which has included other language learners.• Experience in developing and achieving an organization’s strategic plan and development

initiatives.• Commitment to social-emotional learning.• Show commitment to professional learning and support colleagues in their desire to improve.• Commitment to assessment for learning familiarity with Understanding by Design and standards-

based assessment.• Proven track record in leading change and school improvement initiatives.• Strong commitment to, and proven record of, fostering community involvement and support.• Experience with master scheduling.• Knowledge of IB Diploma is helpful.• Experience in Asia is an advantage, and yet not essential.

[email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com 13The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

Characteristics and Skills• Of strong moral character with the ability to engender trust in his or her leadership.• Lead with heart, humility, and a sense of fun.• Willingness to challenge convention and embrace change.• Approachable, optimistic, resilient.• Student-centered and supportive of school initiatives.• Truly enjoys working with students and is able to connect with students.• Demonstrates the willingness to seek constant professional learning and growth.• Committed to fostering community involvement and support for students, programs, and

committees.• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.• Is passionate about ISB’s strategic vision and future.• Strong, culturally sensitive, collaborative leadership style – a listener who is a consensus builder.

Competencies • Proven ability to lead and to allow others to lead.• Collaboration and teamwork, interpersonal skills.• Communication ability.• Vision and strategic planning.• Decision making.• Organizational management.

to aPPly

Interested and qualified 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;• A current resume;• A one-page statement of current educational leadership philosophy and practice; • List five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted

later in the process and only with candidate permission), to:

John ChandlerSenior [email protected]

Fred WessonSenior [email protected]

Documents

B , c h S P S D : a 2021 - Carney Sandoe & Associates · ISB offers a number of leadership opportunities to students through clubs and other activities, and Student Council plays