Headteacher

Chinese International School
Head of School
Effective July 1, 2017

The School and its Mission

The Chinese International School Foundation was established in 1981 and opened its Primary School in 1983. The Chinese International School (CIS) is an independent, nondenominational, coeducational day school, dedicated to providing a high quality international education that encompasses both Chinese and western languages and cultures.  The CIS Foundation is a charitable entity that has a Board of Governors nominated and chosen by the existing Board of Governors.

All students learn and are taught in both English and Chinese (Mandarin).  The remainder of the curriculum is based on standard subjects taught in most western countries and includes the study of Chinese history, arts and culture.  The Lower Secondary now follows the IB Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) and the Upper Secondary follows the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) curriculum. The School is guided by its Mission Statement:

Chinese International School is committed to the achievement of academic excellence and is characterized and enriched by a dual-language programme in Chinese and English.  The Mission of Chinese International School is to inspire students to a life-long love of learning. The School encourages intellectual curiosity and independent, critical and creative thinking which will maximize students' potential and promote the growth of the whole person.  The School prepares its students to be compassionate, ethical and responsible individuals, respectful of other views, beliefs and cultures, and concerned to make a difference in the world.

Admission to CIS is open to boys and girls of all nationalities, races and creeds.  Today the School has 616 students in the Primary School (reception to Year 6); and 872 students in Secondary (Years 7 to 13).  Students and teachers are representative of the international and cosmopolitan population of Hong Kong.  Teachers come from Hong Kong, Great Britain, the People’s Republic of China, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United States of America and many other countries. Student backgrounds are equally diverse. The School is enriched by this variety of cultures and traditions.

In August 2013, CIS launched a one-year academic and residential programme of the highest caliber in Hangzhou, China. The first programme of its kind, CIS invites students in Year 10/Grade 9 to spend a year immersed in Chinese culture and language. Simultaneously they pursue their English education by following the IBMYP. Hangzhou CIS is located on the campus of its partner school, Greentown Yuhua School, a leading private school in the Zhejiang province.

As a dual language school, CIS is unusual in that neither of its two languages is predominant in the Hong Kong community where Cantonese is commonly spoken.  Students thrive and excel in this dual language environment.  Both the MYP Certification qualification rate and the Diploma exam pass rate is 99%.  In 2015, the average IB exam score was an impressive 38 with 33 of 108 students achieving 40 points or more out of 45. Students go on to attend and succeed at the finest universities in the world.

CIS has always held the growth of the child as a whole person at the center of its mission. At CIS all students and staff learn about Positive Education which seeks to build resilience by bolstering each person’s ability to cope with challenges based on an understanding of his/her signature strengths and by developing other tools and strategies.

CIS is in a very strong financial condition. It has the unique distinction in the region of having a highly successful Annual Giving Programme launched in 2009. A Team of 170 Parent Advocates helped the School to raise HK$17 million in 2014-15 with 66% parent participation.

The physical plant is state-of- art and further improvements are in the works. Scheduled for completion in mid-2016, the New Tower will house two full Gyms (one convertible to an Assembly Hall) and a Science Technology Hub focused around an Atrium.  Additional work ending in late 2017 will result in a larger Cafeteria and Library as well as extensive new learning spaces for both Primary and Secondary.  The School has raised more than HK$420 million towards this estimated HK$600 million campus redevelopment project.  The number of donors thus far has been equally split between parents and alumni - a remarkable achievement for a relatively young school that attests to the loyalty of the alumni base.

Dr. Ted Faunce will be retiring after eleven years of service, leaving a powerful legacy. Chinese International School now enjoys the enviable reputation of being one of the finest international schools in the region, if not the world.

The Opportunity

The Chinese International School seeks a Head of School who is a proven educational leader with the ability to inspire and bring out the best in faculty, students and parents; who identifies strongly with the School’s multicultural mission and vision; and has a deep interest in dual language education. The successful candidate will have earned an advanced degree and held one or more senior management positions for five or more years. The ability to speak Mandarin is a plus but is not a requirement. Fluency in more than one language would be an asset.

Reporting to the Board of Governors, the Head of School will be expected to:

• Be dedicated to and promote the mission and vision of CIS;
• Oversee programme development to maintain high standards of teaching excellence and an environment of intellectual curiosity and excitement for students;
• Pursue major strategic initiatives which are in the pipeline, in particular in relation to the evolution of the curriculum and developments in learning;
• Delegate appropriately to a strong senior leadership team and promote teamwork across the School;
• Lead a diverse and talented faculty and staff;
• Cultivate a positive relationship with students and be approachable and accessible to them;
• Be visible and command respect in the Hong Kong community and promote the School’s profile locally and abroad;
• Partner with parents in preparing students for continued success in school and in life;
• Maintain and enhance the positive school climate and sense of community;
• Continue the momentum of the highly successful fundraising campaigns in conjunction with the Board.

The Successful Candidate

While recognizing that no single individual is likely to embody all of the following strengths and abilities in equal measure, the following characteristics of CIS’s next Head of School have been identified as being most important:

• A dynamic, strong and charismatic leader;
• An overall management style characterized by integrity, inclusiveness, transparency, approachability and support balanced by decisiveness and accountability;
• A proven track record in his or her professional life that reflects a commitment to and passion for academic excellence and a desire to foster the School’s core values;
• Open-minded and sensitive in dealing with diverse cultures and key constituent groups;
• A willingness to listen and consult;
• A capacity to communicate effectively with faculty, staff and parents;
• A willingness to make a minimum of a five-year commitment to the position.

An Invitation to Apply

Chinese International School invites applications from qualified candidates excited by its mission, vision and unique opportunities. Compensation will be very competitive, appropriate for the candidate’s experience and credentials and commensurate with that offered by similar international schools regionally and worldwide.

Inquiries and questions regarding this position are strictly confidential and should be directed to:

John C. Littleford
Littleford & Associates
PO Box 14806
Baton Rouge, LA 70898
Phone: 1-800-69TEACH
Fax: (225) 291-2806
E mail: John@JLittleford.com

Please provide the following: CV, Statement of Educational Philosophy and three references. Electronic submission is preferred. The Board expects to make an appointment by June 30, 2016.