Riverside School Head of School Position Description

RiveRside schoolRichmond, viRginia

head of schoolJuly 2017

www.riversideschool.org

1The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

The PosiTion“We work to enable miracles in children.” This statement underscores the passion that faculty members at Riverside School have for their work. United in their motivation to help students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, teachers create an environment where students feel motivated and empowered to succeed. For more than 40 years, Riverside has been working small miracles, truly changing the lives of its students. As the only school in Virginia that offers one-on-one teaching using the Orton-Gillingham (O-G) Approach, Riverside is uniquely positioned to help students who struggle with reading, writing, and spelling. Students at this K-8 school graduate with the skills and tools they need to continue with confidence on their academic journeys: in high school, college, and beyond.

At this time, the school seeks a new Head to lead this important, inclusive community. The next Head of School will be a committed and capable leader who is warm and personable, decisive and action-oriented, and empathetic to the anxieties and emotions of both students and parents. This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary leader to draw upon the successes of Riverside and help it continue to grow.

school hisToRyWith over 40 years of experience, Riverside School has

a long tradition of academic excellence. Founder Patricia DeOrio rose above dyslexia, learning first-hand what it would take to unlock the potential of children with language-based learning differences. She began Riverside School in her basement in the late 1970s, where she tutored students with learning differences who were falling through the cracks in more traditional academic settings. When a parent asked her if she would be interested in starting a school for children with learning differences, Riverside School was truly born.

In 1978, Ruth Harris joined the Riverside School faculty and introduced the Orton-Gillingham Approach, establishing the school’s hallmark program. In 1989, the school grew, supported by its first capital campaign. In 2004, the school celebrated its 30th anniversary and instituted a campaign to fund transforming improvements to the campus. In 2007, the campaign (which raised nearly $2 million) was completed.

Today, students learn and grow at Riverside on a beautiful campus that includes a “gymnatorium,” seven classrooms, 14 tutoring rooms, a library, and an expressive arts studio. The school continues to embrace an innovative approach to education, which is supported by its rich and successful history.

Mission

Riverside School’s mission is to provide remediation of language skills for students with dyslexia and similar language-based learning differences in grades K-8, so that they can return to mainstream education fully prepared to realize their highest potential.

Fast Facts

• 68 students• 14 full-time faculty; 28 part-time• 11:1 student/teacher ratio• 52% of faculty hold advanced degrees


The schoolFor approximately one in five children, learning to read presents an immediate struggle. Riverside School is a haven for students who may have found past educational experiences frustrating and discouraging. The only school in Virginia to offer one-on-one language instruction to all students as a foundational part of its curriculum, Riverside meets the unique needs of each and every student. The school is distinguished not only by its Orton-Gillingham Approach, but also by its small class sizes, focus on individualization, and breadth of fun and exciting enrichment courses.

aPPRoach and PhilosoPhy Riverside’s curriculum and teaching approach is designed specifically to meet the needs of K-8 students with dyslexia and similar language-based learning differences. Faculty members are trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, named for its creators Samuel T. Orton (a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist) and Anna Gillingham (an educator and psychologist). Together, the pair compiled and published instructional materials in the 1930s that provided a foundation for teacher training and student instruction for individuals with dyslexia.

The Approach centers on the understanding that students with dyslexia require more help than most people in sorting, recognizing, and organizing the raw materials of language for thinking and use. O-G is language-based, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive, and flexible—and it focuses on providing direct, systematic teaching of language elements that non-dyslexic learners acquire easily.

At Riverside, the O-G Approach is used in the classroom and in one-on-one Language Fundamentals Instruction provided to each student for 45 minutes a day, four days a week. In this one-on-one time, teachers can come to understand how each student learns, devising an appropriately individualized strategy for each student.

academics

Unsurprisingly, all academics at Riverside are highly specialized and individualized. Language Fundamentals instructors receive extensive O-G training and are required to earn certification from the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE).


Students explore other subjects in addition to language arts (oral language, reading, and writing), including math, social studies, science, physical education, and study skills. They also grow physically, with physical education classes four days per week and daily mid-morning movement activities and “Focus2Learn” activities throughout the day. In the intermediate school, students also have the opportunity to participate in ballroom dance classes.

Riverside also provides instruction in a weekly social skills class. Here, teachers reinforce social, ethical, and academic skills in areas of critical and creative thinking, ethical decision-making, interpersonal relationships, practical living skills, self-esteem, and citizenship. Through role playing, small group discussions, and hands-on activities, students develop the skills they need to succeed both in and outside the classroom.

Richmond, viRginiaThe capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond is a

beautiful city steeped in history and culture. Situated along the James River, Richmond was founded in 1737. It was here that Patrick Henry delivered his famed “Give me liberty or give me death” speech in 1775, and that Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was passed in 1786. After America gained independence, Richmond became an important industrial center, home to large manufacturing facilities and mills, due in large part to its excellent location along the James.

Today’s Richmond is home to a number of advertising agencies, biotech companies, and restaurants. It is home to several Fortune 500 companies, including Dominion Resources, CarMax, Owens & Minor, Genworth Financial, Westrock, Markel, Capital One, and Altria Group. In 2007, Richmond was named the third-best city in the nation for business by MarketWatch.


Visitors to Richmond flock to its historical landmarks, such as the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of Arts, the Richmond National Battlefield Park, the Virginia State Capitol, St. John’s Church, the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Agecroft Hall, and more. Contemporary destinations include the Children’s Museum of Richmond, the Virginia Center for Architecture, and the Science Museum of Virginia. The city has a vibrant arts community, with prominent street art, myriad professional theater and dance companies, and art schools and institutes aplenty.

Named a “top destination for food travel” by National Geographic in 2016, Richmond is a true “foodie” city. The city features typical southern cuisine as well as fare from other cultures and ethnicities.

Perennially ranked among the top cities in the nation for jobs, entertainment, and quality of life, Richmond is a wonderful, family-friendly place to call home.

oPPoRTuniTies and challengesThe next Head of School will encounter the following opportunities and challenges:

• Improving communications inside the school and with parents• Addressing enrollment fluctuation, especially in middle school• Maximizing engagement of families given their typical short-term Riverside experience• Building a transparent and effective scholarship program• Establishing an endowment • Exploring cooperative opportunities with close-by schools regarding extracurricular activities such as

sports and drama (especially in the middle school)• Addressing a lack of awareness about Riverside in the Richmond community• Focusing on comprehensive marketing and branding efforts• Enhancing the math curriculum• Analyzing the increased costs of building and grounds requirements• Overseeing and managing the school’s finances• Providing professional development opportunities in math, science, and technology for faculty• Building long-term sustainability for the school through fundraising and strategic planning• Analyzing the increased competition with other Richmond independent schools• Building a strong leadership team

QualificaTions and QualiTies of The nexT head of school• Warm and personable• Decisive and action-oriented• Visible and accessible• Charismatic• Empathetic to both students and parents with anxieties surrounding learning differences• Experienced leader• Teaching background a plus• Good sense of humor


• Enthusiasm for a small school, willingness to learn names• Attitude of partnership with the Board• Enthusiasm for representing Riverside to the broader community• Solid independent school business sense• Basic understanding of O-G and its powerful approach for helping children• Enthusiasm for fundraising and campaign management• Collaborative decision-maker

To aPPlyInterested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one email to Tom Redmon:

• Cover letter expressing interest in the Riverside School position• Current resume• Statement of educational philosophy and practice• List of five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted

only with the candidate’s permission).

Tom Redmon | Amanda RiegelSenior Search Consultant | Search Associate

caRney, sandoe & associaTes

[email protected] | [email protected]

Riverside School Head of School Position Description

Documents