Director of Studies – Lower School

Mission Statement

Through excellence in education, Charlotte Country Day School develops the potential of each student by fostering intellectual curiosity, principled character, ethical leadership, and a responsibility to serve.

Overview

Charlotte Country Day School (Country Day) is one of the largest independent, co-educational schools in the Charlotte area and one of the 15 largest in the continental United States. Enrollment is very strong, and the school is well resourced and thriving. Highly regarded for the rigor of its academic program and the breadth of its offerings in the arts, athletics, community service, and leadership, Country Day is noteworthy for a long tradition as a college preparatory day school (PK-12) that builds strong community.

Country Day offers every child a chance to shine. The school is an inclusive community with strong academic and co-curricular programs designed for students to learn to think critically, act respectfully, and show sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others. The unique curriculum offered by Country Day prepares and strengthens students for participation in their local and global contexts. With its focus on belonging, service, global study, and technology, Country Day positions students for future success in an ever-changing world. Country Day is committed to living as an authentic, inclusive community, recognizing and affirming the richness brought by difference and discovered through commonality.

Position Philosophy and Purpose

Strong educational programs are intentional: what students learn in one classroom, grade, and division should build on what came before and prepare them for what comes next. The Director of Studies (DOS) is the division’s academic leader, keeping curriculum, instruction, and assessment current, coherent, and grounded in research and in an understanding of how children and adolescents learn, while honoring the professional judgment of the teachers who bring the program to life.

The DOS champions educational excellence, coherence, innovation, and continuous improvement in service of the school’s mission. The role ensures that the division curriculum is well documented and aligned both horizontally and vertically with the school’s JK–12 program, and it cultivates the professional growth of faculty through coaching and mentorship. This is a dual-reporting position: the DOS reports to the Head of Division for day-to-day supervision, development of the division’s program, and other divisional duties, and to the Assistant Head of School for JK–12 curriculum coordination, program alignment, and schoolwide initiatives. Duties evolve with the needs of the division and the school as a whole.

Essential Responsibilities

Curriculum and Program Leadership

• Coordinate JK–12 curriculum with the Directors of Studies of the other two divisions and the Assistant Head of School to ensure philosophical and vertical alignment across the school.
• Partner with the Head of Division and the divisional Assistant Head to lead a vibrant, academically strong, developmentally appropriate, and mission-aligned program.
• Contribute to the ongoing curriculum review cycle, including program evaluations, horizontal and vertical alignment discussions, internal and external reviews, and gap analysis during designated professional learning time.
• Develop common language and faculty-facing guidance on curricular expectations that clearly distinguish schoolwide requirements from areas left to teachers’ professional judgment.
• Recommend program improvements and develop strategic plans for implementing change.
• Review the division’s schedule and contribute to program and scheduling adjustments as needed.
• Stay current with research and emerging practice in teaching, learning, and assessment, and bring well-grounded ideas to the division.
• Collaborate in the annual administration and/or analysis of assessments and standardized testing, using results as one of several tools to evaluate the program.
• Coordinate the selection and adaptation of textbooks and classroom resources.

Inclusion, Belonging, and Social-Emotional Learning

• Contribute to divisional and schoolwide planning for inclusion and belonging, consistent with the school’s Affirmation of Community.
• Work with teachers to integrate DEIB and social-emotional learning (SEL) into the curriculum.
• Review curricular resources and assessments so that students see themselves and others reflected and have equitable access to learning.

Faculty Development

• Serve as a master teacher and instructional coach within the division.
• Work with individual faculty on goal-setting and professional growth and oversee the division’s professional development budget.
• Develop and carry out a regular schedule of classroom visits focused on coaching, and provide timely, specific feedback that supports teacher growth.
• Mentor new faculty in partnership with the New Faculty Coordinator and the Head of Division.
• Support faculty in meeting professional development and certification requirements, in coordination with the office of the Assistant Head of School.
• Oversee and support department chairs (or grade-level coordinators, as applicable to the division).
• Contribute to grade-level coordinator, division staff, and academic meetings.

Student Learning and Family Partnership

• Partner with the Director of the Educational Resource Program (ERP), teachers, and counselors to support student growth and to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment with learning support.
• Attend parent-teacher conferences and ERP/parent meetings with outside specialists as needed.
• Track student data to ensure the program meets the needs of all learners.
• Collaborate with counselors and faculty to ensure the advisory program is aligned and effective and assist with advisory placements.
• Partner with the division’s administrative team and counselors on meaningful parent education, including helping families understand why the school has chosen its math, reading, literacy, and other core programs.
• Serve as an educational resource for families.

Transitions and Cross-Divisional Coordination

• Ensure programming supports smooth, effective transitions for students between divisions (Lower to Middle School and Middle to Upper School).
• Support the implementation of new curricular or programmatic initiatives that span multiple divisions, including participation in the cross-divisional Curriculum Leadership Team (CLT).

Role Parameters

This is an academic leadership position focused on program quality and faculty growth. The Head of Division retains primary responsibility for faculty evaluation, hiring recommendations, student discipline, and divisional operations; the Director of Studies’ classroom visits are primarily for coaching, and the DOS contributes to evaluation as the Head of Division requests. The ERP Director leads individualized learning support, and department chairs lead day-to-day departmental work within the curricular framework the DOS helps set. The DOS may teach a class/es as required by the division, and may assist with student admissions processes, but the primary roles are aimed toward providing curricular direction, coordination, faculty coaching, and communication.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field.
• Significant classroom teaching experience in the grade levels served by the division.
• Experience with curriculum development and program implementation.
• Experience coaching, mentoring, or leading professional learning for adults.
• Ability to use assessment and student data thoughtfully to evaluate and improve a program.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree with a focus in curriculum development, curriculum and instruction, or educational leadership.
• Leadership experience as a department chair, grade-level coordinator, or instructional coach.
• Experience in a JK–12 independent school or across multiple divisions.
• Experience with curriculum mapping, standardized assessment programs such as the ERB, and, for the Upper School, the IB Diploma Programme or other advanced coursework.
• Experience leading curriculum review, program evaluation, or accreditation work.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to relate to and interact with a varied group of people.
• Energy and eagerness to engage actively with students, colleagues, and parents.
• Ability to thrive in a highly interactive environment involving a wide variety of challenges and deadlines.
• Intellectual curiosity, humility, and respect for teachers’ professional expertise.
• Commitment to an authentic, inclusive community and to the school’s values of educational excellence, character, community, and service.

Indicators of Success

• Curriculum is current, well documented, and aligned horizontally and vertically across the JK–12 program.
• Faculty find coaching and feedback valuable and show growth in their practice.
• Assessment data are used purposefully to strengthen the program and meet the needs of all learners.
• Students experience smooth transitions between grades and divisions.
• Families understand the division’s academic program and the reasons behind it.

It is the policy of Charlotte Country Day School not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. This policy extends to recruitment, employment, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, compensation, training, benefits and all other terms and conditions of employment.