Performing Arts Department Chair

General overview of position

The Performing Arts Department Chair is accountable to the Divisional Leaders and the Headmaster for departmental course offerings, proposed course additions/deletions, faculty professional development, faculty evaluation, and maintaining the highest standards in the fulfillment of school year events and activities, all school and after-school instruction and lessons, and academic and programmatic objectives. Department Chairs/Coordinators should be in regular contact with their Academic Administrator to submit schedules and agendas (or minutes) of department meetings, and to manage ongoing development and guidance of teachers in the department.

Academic Chairs and Coordinators

The individuals in these roles are looked to as School leaders. As such, they are expected to embody the values set forth by the TASIS Foundational Documents. They should follow all curriculum and PGE protocols and expectations and foster a culture of reflective pedagogy in their respective departments. They should also represent the school professionally in all matters.

Specific responsibilities

The specific duties and responsibilities undertaken by Department Chairs/Coordinators at TASIS include:

Coordination and Development of Course Offerings

• Initiating the definition and examination of topics and goals in department courses. Through regular meetings with department faculty, Chairs/Coordinators ensure that these fundamentals are safeguarded and equally fulfilled in all courses.
• Initiating the development of new courses as well as the revision of existing ones. Where applicable, they review departmental graduation requirements. Recommendations are made to the Administration and the appropriate division-level academic committee.
• Consulting with other departments where such coordination is indispensable (e.g. EAL and History).

Faculty Development and Guidance

• Through regular meetings, Department Chairs/Coordinators strive to create an atmosphere in which teaching experiences can be freely shared. They also arrange workshops and classroom visits to aid in the professional growth of faculty.
• Chairs/Coordinators are expected to play a significant role in the evaluation and growth of faculty members in their department, including writing evaluation reports. Pursuit to this, Chairs/Coordinators must fully implement the PGE program as outlined in the PGE Handbook.
• Chairs/Coordinators are expected to ensure that their department curricular maps are updated at all times, and that especially the four key elements of the maps -- academic content, skills, essential questions, and big ideas -- are populated with knowledge-rich, coherent, and cumulative curriculum.
• Chairs/Coordinators are to work with their academic administrators and ultimately the Headmaster on any curricular or course changes.
• Chairs/Coordinators are responsible for establishing, maintaining, and monitoring Gradebook Policies, including consistent testing and grading procedures within a department, especially in courses having two or more sections, where consistency is critical.
• Chairs/Coordinators should ensure the workload expected of students is fair, including number of tests, weighting of grades, etc. Teachers must ensure the Chair/Coordinator has copies of all tests.
• Chairs/Coordinators are responsible for the organization and monitoring of their department’s IT equipment.
• Chairs/Coordinators may be asked by the Headmaster to review and evaluate CVs and/or conduct phone or online interviews of prospective teachers, especially during the hiring season (January-March).

Department Book Orders/Bookroom

• Chairs/Coordinators collect, collate, and approve all book orders from teachers. The High School Academic Dean, the Lower School Head, or the Italian Section Head give final approval to all such orders.
• Chairs/Coordinators are responsible for recording and assessing existing textbook stock and for properly arranging texts in the bookroom.

Academic Budget

At the beginning of the Academic Year, Chairs/Coordinators will be contacted by the Business Office to discuss budgets and other related expenses.

Grade Comments

Department Chairs/Coordinators are responsible for reviewing all grade comments. They are expected to set reasonable deadlines for their department, keeping in mind comments may need to be revised. Comments must be unique to each student, thorough, and proofread. Should grade comments be unsatisfactory, Department Chairs/Coordinators are expected to ask teachers to revise or rewrite comments as needed.

Performing Arts Department Chair additional and specific responsibilities:

• Model exemplary teaching practices, professional behavior and leadership both within and outside the school campus.
• Develop and maintain communication, cooperation and collaboration between all members of the performing arts staff members, both internal (ES, MS, HS), and external.
• Support the development, implementation and evaluation of the appropriate and varied curriculum programs - such as music, theater, and dance.
• Organize an appropriate assessment schedule for each performing arts elective within the MS and HS music and theater programs.
• Recruit both internal and external visiting music teachers (instrumental and vocal) with a view to maintaining professional standards consistent with our partner organizations.
• Oversee the Co-curricular (including after-school) Music Lesson program ES – HS (up to 150 individual lessons weekly) in collaboration with the music studio lesson coordinator specific to management of rooming schedule, resources and funding for all individual private lesson studios throughout the school, and quality and professionalism of instruction.
• Coordinate the development and resourcing for all cross-divisional performance programs throughout the academic year.
• Plan and produce and all cross-divisional annual performance programs throughout the academic year.
• Participate in appropriate multi-disciplinary professional / in-service development programs.

Teaching:

• Teach up to 3 (three) sections of PA Elective classes selected from the following disciplines:
• Music
• Art History - Music Appreciation
• Choir
• Ensemble
• Theater
• Music Theater
• Provide additional subject/skill specialist instruction – as needed / requested
• Have excellent subject knowledge and can demonstrate high standards of promoting literacy and the correct use of the English language within the relevant subjects of music and theater.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of both theoretical and historical developments in the PA subject areas of music, theater, and dance.
• Demonstrate consistently excellent classroom management that ensures students are involved, engaged and motivated both within and beyond the classroom.
• Set high expectations which inspire, motivates and challenges students.
• Know and uphold what constitutes outstanding learning and standards of excellence in the performing arts.
• Divisional duties as required.
• Create and chaperone additional extra-curricular PA activities, such open mic events/recitals/workshops.

Events:

• Serve as coordinator and Scheduling Committee liaison for all annual calendar performance events, including Founder’s Day, Family weekend, HS Fall Play, SNDC Concert, Christmas Service, ES Christmas Concert, International Week, HS Musical, Spring Arts Festival; and other additional external events such as EXPO Milan, Concerts at the LAC or Palazzo dei Congressi etc.
• Manage orchestration, arrangement of music, dance, speeches, etc., facilities, resources and external recruitment for all major all-school performance related events.
• Lead or delegate additional recreational choral, instrumental and/or theater rehearsals up to 4 times per week, meeting schedules permitting.
• Serve as Director or Assistant Director for a number of school music and/or theatrical productions and concerts, to be determined.
• Manage and implement internal and external cultural events
• Trip leader for PA-related Cultural Events
• Trip Leader or Chaperone for the Fall and Spring Academic Travel: Music and/or theater, and/or Combined Arts
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to relate well to people on all levels with sensitivity, tact and diplomacy.
• Ideally able to communicate effectively in the language of the Canton (Italian), and possibly other languages of the country - French and German.
• The ability to work under pressure, with attention to precise and effective time management, while maintaining a sense of perspective and humor.

Curriculum Development:

• Consistent with the general Department Chair guidelines: Chairs/Coordinators are expected to ensure that their department curricular maps are updated at all times, and that especially the four key elements of the maps -- academic content, skills, essential questions, and big ideas -- are populated with knowledge-rich, coherent, and cumulative curriculum.
• Regularly monitor and evaluate continuity and cohesive development of the K-12 Music program ES - HS, and Theater program MS-HS.
• Liaise with both ES and MS music and theater staff specific to current developments in teaching practice, research and literature.
• Keep abreast of special and external curriculum activities and events connected to and/or in support of the school-wide music and theater programs.

Finance:

• Consistent with the general Department Chair guidelines regarding Academic Budget:
• Manage the assigned finances and development of combined resources for the ES, MS and HS Performing Arts programs including music, theater and dance.
• Comply with the school’s purchasing procedures and liaise with both the Headmaster and the Business Office in monitoring and anticipating the expenditure of the combined ES/MS/HS Performing Arts funds, in particular where it is concerned with after-school performing arts activities.
• Ensure all expenditure of Department funds specific to the MS/HS Music program are within the approved authorized limits, in particular where it is concerned with ‘large resource’, Cap-Ex and event-related expenses.

Summary of education background and professional experience needed to take over the position

• Degree or advanced degree in subject matter;
• Fluency in English (either mother tongue or at least a C2 level);
• Qualified Practical Performance Degree;
• Degree or qualifications in Education;
• Experience leading teachers at the relevant grade levels and in the relevant department.

Professional and personal skills needed to take over the position

• The ability to lead a team in a positive and professional manner;
• The ability to lead improvement processes;
• The ability to identify areas of strength and weakness in a department, suggest improvement measures and being able to implement them;
• The ability to respond timely to inquiries, and present prompt and clear written/oral briefings;
• The ability to communicate effectively with multiple parties, including administration, teachers, parents, students and external collaborators.