Washington Episcopal School

Bethesda, MD
Head of School for July, 2011

Washington Episcopal School (WES), founded in 1986, is one of the leading elementary and middle independent schools in the Washington, DC area.  An independent Episcopal day school affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, WES follows the traditions and practices of the Episcopal Church but honors the religious beliefs of all members of the school family.

WES is divided into three divisions - Early Childhood (Nursery (age 3), Transition, Kindergarten), Elementary (Primary, Grades 1-3, Elementary, Grades 4-6), and Middle School (Grades 7 and 8).  Science, Technology and Religion are taught at all grade levels; students choose either French or Spanish beginning in Transition; and Latin is offered in Grades 6-8. In addition to the challenging academic program, the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities is an integral part of the WES experience. WES offers a rich fine arts program in music, theater, and the visual arts and, starting in Grade 5, WES students compete against other area schools in cross country, track, soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

One of the hallmarks of the WES program is the extensive study trip program for students in grades 5-8.  Fifth-graders complete their study of the American Civil War with an overnight visit to the Antietam battlefield.  Sixth-graders spend a week in the American southwest studying rock formations, erosion and fossils, white-water rafting and rock climbing.  Seventh-graders travel to Italy for ten days visiting museums, exploring Greek ruins in Paestum and the Vatican in Rome, and wandering through Pompeii.  Eighth-graders participate in an exchange with students in either France or Spain. All trips are included in tuition costs.

WES has a beautiful, well-maintained campus with a large, modern library, three science rooms, two art studios and a ceramics studio, two technology centers, three gyms, a full athletic field and an outside sports court.  The student to teacher ratio is 7:1.  Average class size is 14 for Nursery and Transition and 16 for Kindergarten through Grade 8. 

The Board of Trustees seeks an outstanding educator with a clear vision of excellence and a commitment to leading a collaborative faculty and Board of Trustees. He/she should have had significant administrative experience and be prepared to provide leadership in such areas as curriculum, admissions, faculty development, finance and fundraising.  Most importantly, the new Head of School needs to be a strong communicator able to articulate the School’s vision, become deeply engaged with the WES community and make a long-term commitment to leading the School forward.

For further information about the school, please visit the website at www.w-e-s.org. 

To submit an application, email the following documents combined into one Microsoft Word document or one pdf file to Jim Maggart of Educators’ Collaborative at jmaggart@educatorscollaborative.com:

  • Cover letter to the Washington Episcopal School Search Committee
  • Résumé
  • Personal statement or statement of educational philosophy
  • Additional writing sample on a topic of the candidate’s choice
  • List of references
  • Up to three letters of reference

For additional information interested candidates are encouraged to contact:

Jim Maggart, Partner                                                                        
Educators’ Collaborative      
jmaggart@educatorscollaborative.com          

or

Jean Lamont, Partner
Educators’ Collaborative
jlamont@educatorscollaborative.com