Willow Oak Montessori is a public charter school and private preschool located in Northeast
Chatham County, North Carolina, that serves over 250 students ages 3 years old through 8th
grade from throughout the Triangle area. Established in 2013, the charter school grew
organically from a Montessori Children’s House preschool and Kindergarten program, founded
by parents with a desire to offer the value and benefits of Montessori education in a public
school setting. The Charter school has achieved the growth estimates aspired to in the charter,
and following a successful capital campaign, the Willow Oak community expects to break
ground in 2019 to build a new, permanent campus that will combine the Charter and Children’s
House schools.
We are seeking a passionate leader who understands our mission, inspires our community,
supports our excellent staff, and provides operational oversight to both our public Montessori
charter school and private Montessori preschool. The Head of School will possess exceptional
communication skills to facilitate effective communication within and across both schools, as
well as the Board and broader community. As the school expands to its new facility, the Head of
School will lead the integration efforts of the Children’s House and Charter schools, working with
the Board to mitigate challenges during the building process and transition. The Head of School
will ensure the continued stability and success of the organization by providing effective
financial oversight and long-term planning. Additional priorities include retaining and recruiting
highly qualified faculty and establishing processes to improve equity and diversity at all levels of
the organization.
The Head of School must model our key values of Individual Growth, Interdependence,
Peaceful Cooperation, and Respectful Care. The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment
to Montessori education, strong business acumen, collaborative leadership approach, and
experience with non-profit boards. We welcome applicants who have experienced oppression,
discrimination, or other adversity in their lives who are willing to bring insights from those
experiences to our team. Previous experience operating a public Montessori school or non-profit
organization is preferable.
Required Qualifications
● Four year degree from an accredited university
● Commitment to Montessori philosophy
● Experience in a leadership position
Preferred Qualifications
● Record of successful leadership and managerial skills
● Proven success managing an operating budget or Masters of Business Administration
● Prior experience in non-profit or public school administration
● Prior experience with Montessori education
● Prior experience with organizational growth toward equity
● 5+ years of relevant work experience or education
Compensation is commensurate with qualifications/experience; competitive benefit package
includes:
● Health Insurance: North Carolina State Health Plan; employee premiums are paid by
Willow Oak
● Dental Insurance: NCFlex Dental Plan; employee basic plan premiums are paid by
Willow Oak
● Retirement planning: North Carolina 457 Deferred Compensation Plan; Willow Oak
contributes 5% of salary with 100% vesting immediately
● Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts: NCFLex; Vision and
Supplemental Insurance available
Interested and qualified candidates should download the employment application from
http://charter.willowoakmontessori.org/careers and apply electronically to
[email protected] before January 20, 2019 with the following documents
attached:
● Employment Application
● Cover letter
● Resume
● Five references with name, relationship, years known, phone number and email address