Head of Lower School (Grades K–5)

Department: Executive Administration

Reports to: Head of School

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Pay Scale: $120,000–$170,000

Start Date: July 1, 2026

About Black Pine Circle School
Black Pine Circle School (BPC) is a K–8 independent school in Berkeley, California. For nearly 50 years, we have inspired lifelong learners through an inquiry-based Socratic education that places equal emphasis on academics and the arts. Our Lower School serves approximately 125 students and serves as the foundation for our mission of intellectual and moral growth.

Mission Statement: BPC’s mission is to create a learning community that encourages humanity, empathy, moral depth, cultural understanding, and intellectual freedom. Socially, it is our goal to instill mutual respect, compassion, and a sense of belonging among all of our students.

Position Summary
The Head of Lower School is a member of the executive administrative team and provides the intellectual and administrative leadership for the Lower School faculty, students, and families. This role balances being an instructional leader—ensuring curriculum is developmentally appropriate and inquiry-driven—with being a culture builder who models curiosity, empathy, and integrity.

The Head of Lower School oversees the day-to-day life of the K–5 community and collaborates closely with the Head of School and Head of Upper School to ensure a cohesive, well-articulated K–8 experience.

Core Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

• Operational Oversight: Oversee daily operations of the Lower School; manage scheduling, organizational infrastructure, budgets, and the school handbook.
• Visible Leadership: Maintain a strong, relational presence on campus; know students well and be regularly available to faculty, staff, and parents.
• People Management: In partnership with the Director of HR, manage teacher recruiting, hiring, and onboarding. Supervise and evaluate head teachers, assistant teachers, and specialists.
• Faculty Growth: Support faculty through goal setting, formal/informal observations, and consistent feedback. Lead professional development and faculty meetings.

Curriculum & Pedagogy

• Mission Alignment: Ensure academic programming and pedagogy align with BPC’s Socratic, humanistic framework and the K–8 scope and sequence.
• Instructional Excellence: Guide ongoing discourse around curriculum, assessment, Socratic approach, and differentiation—specifically in literacy, math, social studies, and the arts.
• Strategic Planning: Collaborate with the Head of Upper School and Student Support Team to align K–5 curriculum with long-term pedagogical goals and backward planning.
• DEIB Integration: Lead reflection and action regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, ensuring classroom practices and community norms are developmentally appropriate.

Student & Family Partnership

• Student Support: Monitor the social-emotional and academic growth of students; manage student discipline with empathy and clarity.
• Family Communication: Strengthen trust through transparent, timely, and care-filled communication, including newsletters, parent conferences, report cards, and meetings.
• Admissions: Partner with the Director of Enrollment to screen/assess potential students, review candidate files, and conduct parent/caregiver interviews.

Administrative & School-Wide Duties

• Strategic Input: Participate in executive administrative meetings, strategic planning, and Board of Trustees committees (e.g., Academic Excellence).
• Events: Plan and execute special events, student demonstrations of learning, and community gatherings.

Qualifications and Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in educational leadership or a related field strongly preferred.
• Experience: At least five years of classroom teaching experience in a K–5 environment, plus significant leadership experience in an independent or comparable school setting.
  Expertise: Deep understanding of child development, inquiry-based pedagogy, and social-emotional learning (SEL).
• DEIJ Commitment: Demonstrated success in leading through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to listen deeply and facilitate collaborative decision-making.
• Soft Skills: A “culture builder” who can lead change thoughtfully while honoring the professional judgment and expertise of veteran faculty.
• Flexibility: Capacity to work occasional evenings and weekends for school events.

Compensation & Work Environment

• Salary: $120,000–$170,000 based on experience, education, and internal equity.
• BPC’s board and administration are dedicated to offering competitive salaries and benefits, including medical benefits, retirement plan employer contributions, and professional development opportunities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Required to lift and carry up to a maximum of 25 lbs., in a correct manner consistent with the appropriate training provided by the School. Reaching with hands and arms, climb stairs, bend, stoop, twist, lift, reach, push, pull, grasp, balance, kneel occasionally. Use of telephone, computer, copier, and other office equipment. Required to sit (or stand) for prolonged periods of time while operating a computer for approximately 6-8 hours daily. Repetitive motion for typing and other keystroke needs.

Black Pine Circle School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all applicants, employees, and volunteers, and the School makes decisions based on the merits of each candidate. We have an ongoing commitment to the creation of a workplace free of discrimination and harassment, and prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s culture, race, ethnicity, sex, religious beliefs, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, reproductive health decisions, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, military and veteran status, citizenship status, marital status, genetic information, height, weight, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Black Pine Circle will afford equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants, employees, and volunteers as to all terms and conditions of employment, including, without limitation, compensation, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, and termination.

Tagged as: K-6