Snapshot

Location: Highlands Ranch, CO

The Role: Head of School

Meet Arma Dei Academy:

Combining classical teaching principles and a biblical worldview, Arma Dei Academy trains students to pursue excellence in all things by embracing healthy struggle and hard work, and recognizing that growth comes through perseverance and challenge. As students’ understanding of the providential outworking of God’s plan throughout history expands, their commitment to Christ and understanding of life deepens. By graduation, our students demonstrate noticeable depth of character, thought, and intellect. They love to learn and are ready to lead.

About the Head of School:

The Arma Dei Academy board of directors is searching for a Head of School to serve as the chief spiritual and academic leader of the school. The Head of School reports to, is assessed by, and works closely with the board. The board employs the Carver Policy Governance Model. The Head of School will begin in the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Essential Traits and Functions

• Accurately demonstrates knowledge of the academy, the classical Christian education model, and the academy’s procedures/protocols

• Consistently demonstrates the highest standards of confidentiality and discretion

• Leads by example and cultivates a culture of service and collaboration among colleagues

• Embraces and advances the culture of learning and love within the community, including parents, staff, faculty, and students 

• Ensures that Arma Dei Academy does not drift from its core mission to be a leader in classical Christian education and to disciple students to love, serve, and glorify God

• Possesses a deep commitment and passion for classical Christian education

• Actively listens to new and different viewpoints and engages in dialogue regarding these viewpoints, but ultimately demonstrates the courage to be decisive and bold

The Head of School Responsibilities Include: 

Leadership of Arma Dei Academy Deans, Directors, and Managers (“Leadership Team”)

• Directs the daily operations of the academy by providing direct oversight of the Leadership Team through weekly meetings, informal touchpoints, and annual evaluations.

• Provides strategic leadership for the Leadership Team, including strategy development, execution support, and accountability.

• Fosters a culture of collaboration among the Leadership Team, providing a venue for a healthy exchange of ideas.

• Empower the Leadership Team to implement changes, solve problems, and overcome challenges in their sphere of leadership.

• Provides Leadership Team personnel with support, encouragement, accountability, and constructive feedback.

• Conducts annual leadership retreat to promote unity within the Leadership Team and set the vision and goals for the upcoming year.

Staff Leadership

• Identifies needs for hiring of personnel and collaborates with the human resources team to recruit and retain faculty members that can fulfill the mission and vision of the academy.

• Oversees the job placement, encouragement, training, and inspiration of the faculty.

• Sets and promotes clear standards of excellence and cultural and behavioral expectations for all staff; models them personally; and empowers the Leadership Team to implement expectations within respective programs.

• Cultivates a culture that promotes an open learning atmosphere filled with collaboration and excitement for classical Christian pedagogy.

• Provides executive sponsorship for faculty training in classical Christian pedagogy via leadership emphasis, time allocation, budget support, and accountability.

• Oversees the culture and atmosphere of the academy, ensuring excellence in Christian graces, decorum, behavior, ethos, and appearance that distinguishes and differentiates the academy from other schools.

• Creates an atmosphere and system for the long-term success of the academy and eliminates unnecessary turnover resulting from a failure to assimilate faculty and staff members.

• Monitors cultural trends in the academy, correcting negative trends and inspiring positive cultural growth.

• Collaborates with the Leadership Team to define and articulate the Arma Dei culture, develop a discipleship and discipline plan, and identify student/family concerns.

• Plans and executes annual fall staff retreat to provide an opportunity for fellowship, encouragement, and collaboration among participants.

• Ensures  resources are in place to support the faculty through classroom visits, observations, and annual evaluations.

• Establishes and communicates clear lines of responsibility by articulating the value and purpose of the institution’s organizational structure to all academy constituents.

Parent Community Leadership

• Represents Arma Dei at numerous parent and community functions, including but not limited to open houses, back-to-school night, parent education events, recitation, and orientation.

• Maintains an open line of communication and addresses parent concerns at the lowest possible level before escalating to the appropriate administrative team member.

• Communicate with the board, staff, and parents in the case of serious student misbehavior or danger.

• Addresses significant issues from parents as elevated by the Leadership Team. Convokes support teams to respond to crises, provide support and help students flourish in the classroom and culture.

• Engages with the parent community to foster healthy dialogue, active partnership, and increased understanding of the classical Christian model of education.

• Promotes continuing staff and parent education through a variety of forums including, but not limited to, new parent orientation, newsletter articles, special speakers, and in-service training.

• Explores exemplary practices in the broader academic community and implements when beneficial to the Arma Dei Academy community.

Board Liaison

• Monitors and ensures the execution of the strategic initiatives set by the Arma Dei Academy Board of Directors.

• Writes a monthly board report, presents a draft agenda to the board chair at least ten days in advance of any board meeting, is responsible for making sure all materials are transmitted to the board of directors at least five days before any board meeting, and attends all board meetings.

• Informs the board of significant school concerns, problems, and successes.

Curriculum and Academic Progress

• Oversees curriculum development in collaboration with the Academic Team to foresee needs and improvements.

• Researches and develops academic programs and curricula through attendance at educational conferences, scholarly research, and developing relationships with other classical Christian schools.

• Collects and reports data on student progress, curriculum, and pedagogical excellence through administering a standardized testing program.

• Reviews schoolwide testing results with the dean of academics, discerns academic weaknesses and strengths and makes recommendations based on patterns of data.

Administration

• Review all school-wide communications before dissemination.

• Maintains accurate personnel records in conjunction with the Business & HR Manager.

• Exercises fiscal responsibility by staying within appropriate budgetary guidelines set by the board of directors.

• Oversees the Administrative Assistant and Receptionists.

• Approves purchase requests by faculty and staff before submission to the Business & HR Manager.

• Oversees the development of the all-school calendar.

• Approves the development of extra-curricular activities that support the mission of the academy.

Business Office

• Oversee the business functions of the academy, including budgeting, reviewing financial statements, authorizing expenditures, implementation, and assessment of internal controls and other tasks as necessary.

• Staff the office with people of impeccable character, respected as trustworthy, living the values of integrity, service, and respect for others.

• Promote the Academy and be responsible for fundraising success.

• Create further understanding, excitement, and engagement for the mission, vision, and ministry of Arma Dei Academy, resulting in the investment of time, talent, and treasure of the community at large.

• Develop and implement plans for facility improvement and future expansion, to facilitate academy enrollment and offerings. 

• Oversee fundraising and financial sustainability efforts to ensure the academy’s health and growth.

• Be able to incorporate financial sustainability efforts to ensure the academy’s health and growth.

• Focus on the growth and improvement of the academy’s benefit plans to retain and attract mission faculty and staff.

• Undertake all necessary business requirements to pursue or maintain outside accreditation.

• Oversee the third-party preparation of reviewed or audited financial statements yearly.

• Be proficient with the business functions of the academy including budgeting, reviewing financial statements, authorizing expenditures, and overseeing the business manager.

Executive Leadership

• Be a vigilant steward that makes sure Arma Dei Academy does not drift from its core mission to be a leader in classical Christian education and to disciple students to love, serve, and glorify God.

• Be an excellent team builder, team leader, and motivator; this person must inspire enthusiasm, cast the vision, and be open to and create new ideas for continuous improvement, growth, and development.

• Be a key promoter of the school, responsible for enrollment, retention, and fundraising success.

• Be a natural community leader, both on campus and off. Create further understanding, excitement and engagement in the mission, vision and ministry of the academy resulting in the investment of time and resources of the total community.

• Be a developer and implementer of future plans regarding facility improvement, and maintain healthy enrollment and offerings.

What You Bring: 

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Head of School:

Education & Experience

• BA/BS in Education preferred, advanced degree welcomed

• Minimum of ten years teaching or administrative experience, five years within a classical Christian school environment

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Enjoys and manages a diverse set of responsibilities in a fast-paced environment

• Cooperative team player who demonstrates the ability to seek advice and counsel as needed

• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications

• Demonstrates dependability and a teachable spirit

• Demonstrates self-awareness, thirst for learning, and openness to professional growth

• Spiritual Leader

  • Spiritually vibrant Christian displaying Christ-centered servant leadership that integrates faith and work in a spirit of humility

  • Conversant in classical Christian pedagogy

  • Articulates a Christian worldview to students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community

  • Demonstrates a life of impeccable character, is respected as trustworthy, and lives the values of integrity, service, and respect for others

What it's Like to Live in Highlands Ranch, CO: 

Located 12 miles south of Denver, Colorado, Highlands Ranch is a 22,000-acre master-planned community founded in 1981. The community of 107,017 people is surrounded by 8,100 acres of open space and 22 parks offering the best of Colorado’s outdoor life. It’s no surprise that Highlands Ranch has been on Money Magazine’s list of, “Best Places to Live”, as well as Business Week’s, “Best Places to Raise Your Kids.”

Coloradans take pride in the ability to work in one of the healthiest local economies in the country while enjoying a high quality of life and proximity to the mountains, downtown Denver, and scores of outdoor activities. The community of Highlands Ranch offers its residents four recreation centers, 70 miles of trails within subdivisions as well as through its extensive backcountry, and year-round community-building events.

Demographically, Douglas County leans conservative when compared with some of Colorado’s more metropolitan areas. With over 30 churches in Highlands Ranch that range from non-denominational to reformed to Southern Baptist, the Christian community is diverse and thriving.

Think you're a great fit for this role? Become a candidate below.