What are the responsibilities and job description for the Upper School Division Head position at Bank Street?
Job Description
Division Head, Upper School (Grades 5-8)
Start Date : Late August, 2025 Salary : 155K-175K
Cover Letter required in addition to resume
Schedule : This role is a 10-month position, with a start in late August, an end in late June, and a one-day leadership retreat in the summer. This role requires attendance on some overnight trips as well as a number of early morning, evening and weekend events across the school year.
About Bank Street Children's Programs
A leader in progressive education for more than 100 years, Bank Street provides students an education that engages their natural curiosity, nurtures critical thinking, and helps to develop a sense of community and social responsibility. Through a teaching approach that is fundamentally hands-on and child-centered, Bank Street students develop the courage and confidence to think independently, work collaboratively, understand themselves and others more deeply, and possess the compassion to make meaning of the world around them.
Position and Responsibilities
The Upper School (Grades 5-8) Division Head is a key member of the School for Children leadership team and reports to the Dean of Children's Programs and Head of School. The Upper School Division Head is the educational leader of a division of approximately 180 students ages 10-14 and oversees all matters pertaining to children, faculty, and families, and, in doing so, partners closely with other Division Heads; the Math & Science Coordinator; Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Director of Student Support & Learning; and Director of Finance, Operations, & Analytics. In sum, the Upper School Division Head is responsible for overseeing curriculum, instruction, assessment, school culture and discipline, faculty development, supervision and evaluation, hiring, parents engagement and support, and overall operations.
Specific responsibilities include :
Program Leadership
- Function as the visionary, and champion of the Upper School program and community-building work for staff, students and families
- Build and sustain an Upper School culture and set of systems that represent and make manifest Bank Street's core values
- Work with the Head of School and other school leaders to iterate on and adjust the Upper School program in response to student and school needs.
- Organize resources to meet student needs, in partnership with parents, through strong collaboration of teachers, learning specialists and mental health team members in a Student Support Team structure within and across divisions
- Understand and communicate effectively about adolescent developmental needs (physical, social, emotional, academic, and psychological)
- Ensure timeliness and effectiveness of student assessment, bi-annual student reports to families, and other data on student experience and progress
- Establish positive and trusting relationships with Upper School students for their healthy growth and development, while supporting children and teachers in responding to behavioral challenges guided by principles of restorative practices
Staff Supervision
Divisional Operations
Collaboration & Partnership
Desired Qualifications & Skill Sets
About Us
Bank Street is a leader in education, a pioneer in improving the quality of classroom practice, and a national advocate for children and their families.
Since its beginnings in 1916, Bank Street has been at the forefront of understanding how children learn and grow. From early childhood centers and schools to hospitals and museums, Bank Street has built a national reputation on the simple fact that our graduates know how to do the work that is right for children.
At Bank Street's Graduate School of Education, students are trained in a model that combines the study of human development, learning theory, and sustained clinical placement to promote significant development as a teacher prior to graduation. Our children's programs-Bank Street School for Children, Family Center, Bank Street Head Start, and Liberty LEADS-foster children's development in the broadest sense by providing diverse opportunities for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The Bank Street Education Center disrupts inequity through system-level change to help design better educational experiences for both children and adults. The College further supports and influences positive outcomes for children every day through professional development programs, research projects, and other key efforts engaging educators, intermediary organizations, and government officials at the district, state, and federal levels.
