Middle School Director

Mackintosh Academy, a co-educational independent school in Boulder, CO, serving gifted students in K-8th, is seeking a Middle School Director for the 21/22 academic year. Mackintosh Academy presents an exceptional opportunity to work with bright, dedicated, and creative students and colleagues in a highly innovative and naturally beautiful setting. Our Middle School will enroll 65 students in 6-8th grades led by teachers covering 10 subjects in the 21/22 academic year.

Organization Mission History: Mackintosh Academy was established as a nonprofit independent school in 1977 by Eve Mackintosh, an influential leader in gifted education in Colorado. The Academy now has two campuses, one in Littleton and our campus in Boulder that opened its doors in 2011. Mackintosh Academy - Boulder (Mack Boulder) has two divisions, Lower School (K-5), and Middle School (6-8), that serve ~155 total students with ~38 faculty and staff.

Mackintosh Academy’s mission is to nurture the keen minds and compassionate hearts of the gifted child in a responsive and caring community of learners. Our students mature into confident, healthy human beings inspired to contribute to a world that needs them. In addition to being Colorado’s first independent school for gifted learners, it is Colorado’s only independent school that’s an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) school with both a Primary Years Programme (PYP) for K-5, and Middle Years Programme (MYP) for 6-8. As an authorized IB World School, Mackintosh Academy’s mission also aligns with the IB program’s mission, “to create a better world through education.”

Purposeful Design: The most critical misconceptions of middle school is that its primary purpose is to prepare teenagers for high school. That belief fails to consider that middle school should be wholly focused on what middle school students need most at this crucial stage of development. The developmental milestones of emerging adolescents are specific, numerous, and important. Our Middle School is designed specifically to meet the needs of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Our students construct knowledge through our vigorous IB programme, grow essential executive functioning and life-balancing skills, and learn to become the best versions of themselves by growing empathy and preserving their playful, creative, and kind nature.

Perfect Timing: Our Middle School division has experienced unprecedented growth from 12 to 65 students since the 14/15 school year (+440%), and our faculty quadrupled in size to meet the growth. We have developed a culture of rapid ideation and change that led to improvements in: schedule, curriculum, reports and conferences, homerooms and houses (advisories), trips, service learning, and programming. Our Middle School has grown by leaps and bounds, academic and specialist programming is stronger than ever, and retention from Lower to Middle school stands at +90%. There is, however, much more work to be done. Much like the students we serve, our Middle School is a complex array of threads of strengths, opportunities, personalities, values, and beliefs. The next leader will arrive at a perfect time to artfully weave everything together to help us climb our next steps of awesome.

An Invitation: Our Middle School team helped us create this position statement by outlining the qualities they sought in our next leader. During this process, one teacher added: “what if the job posting wasn’t just a list of required skills but was more of an invitation?” With that, we would like to invite you to read about what we are looking for in our next leader. If you see a fit, would invite you to apply for this unique opportunity so we can get to know you.

We invite you to inspire, support, and lead our exceptional team of passionate educators. We seek a leader who will:

• Know us as individuals and build strong, supportive relationships. Utilize the strengths of our teachers and is highly supportive of our team (aka a “Braveheart Leader”).
• Get to know and appreciate our team and journey. Be open-minded and allow for open communication, ideas, and suggestions. Enjoys the science and art of team building.
• Do frequent and regular check-ins with teachers and groups. Push and inspire us to collaborate. Be ready to jump in and help with any and all classroom needs - nothing can be “beneath” our next leader.
• Create priorities that help us chart and stay on a course. Help us identify and establish “non-negotiables” as we journey forward together.
• Serve on an innovative and collaborative Leadership Team. Advocate for Middle School when working collaboratively to strengthen our K-8 program.

We invite you to nurture, appreciate, and support our amazing students. We seek a leader who will:

• Understand and appreciate the unique academic and social needs of 6 - 8th graders. Serve as an inspiring and steady role model for teenagers. Don’t fear talking about deodorant and self-care.
• Find joy and ease with relating and talking to Middle School students. Enjoy playing games at recess/lunch and helping with school projects and assignments.
• Support student passions for service learning projects as well as JEDI initiatives (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion).
• Enjoy co-running a Homeroom and House (advisory). Treat student communities as families.

We invite you to practice and strengthen your experienced skill sets. We seek a leader who is/will:

• Experienced and enthusiastic in a “join and do” phase of their career rather than “needing to be trained.”
• Expertly guide the improvement and alignment of our program through regular curricular design, implementation, and review practices. Model asking hard questions about pedagogy and curriculum.
• Be visionary while also establishing consistent structures, practices, and routines for students and teachers.
• Create and manage an effective teacher review and growth program that features peer support and mentoring.
• Model clear decision making processes and timelines. Ensure long term projects come to fruition.
• Run meaningful meetings that are consensus-agenda based.
• Serve as the MYP Coordinator (curriculum leader). Strengthen commitment to MYP principles and practices.

We invite you to practice your leadership and education super powers. We seek a leader who will:

• Show off a “MackVibe" (be fun, decisive, kind, and laid back). Make us laugh. Be thick skinned and protective.
• Be our “Swiss Army knife” leader who is comfortable with everything from teaching and leading, to planning and organizing, to fixing and cleaning, to camping and running trips.
• Carefully balance listening and doing. Be a calm, emphatic listener who knows when it’s time for us to all “roll up our sleeves” and get to work.
• Be a strong communicator and storyteller who is equally comfortable talking to students, teachers, and parents.
• Build pride for our Middle School and Mack in and outside of school.

How to Apply: Please send/email cover letter, resumé, statement of educational philosophy, and supporting materials to:

JJ Morrow, Head of School / Mackintosh Academy – Boulder / 6717 South Boulder Road / Boulder, CO 80303

Please no phone calls

Mackintosh Academy - Boulder is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices because of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial and marital status, age, socioeconomic status, or disability. Mackintosh Academy - Boulder is committed to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion among our employees, school community, and beyond.