Middle School Director

THE SCHOOL

Statement of Purpose

Brentwood School inspires every student to:

Think critically and creatively.

Act ethically.

Shape a future with meaning.

Core Values

Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Caring, Diversity, Community

Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California, is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school in the Brentwood neighborhood of west Los Angeles. The school, a community of 1200 Kindergarten through 12th Grade students and 151 faculty members, is situated on two campuses. The three-acre West Campus (K-5) is four blocks away from the original 28-acre East Campus (6-12). In its relatively short history of 49 years, Brentwood has grown to be one of the premier independent day schools in California. Students describe a warm and caring atmosphere where they are known and valued as individuals. Embracing high standards of academic excellence, character development, and emotional intelligence, Brentwood encourages students to think critically and creatively and to act ethically.

Brentwood School is fully accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the California Association of Independent Schools, INDEX, A Better Chance, and the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs.

HISTORY

Founded as a non-profit corporation in 1972, Brentwood School acquired the Brentwood Military Academy, which had existed on the land now known as Brentwood’s East Campus, and opened a co-educational, college preparatory day school with grades 6-10. Grade 11 was added in fall 1973 and Brentwood’s first senior class graduated in June 1975. In 1994, Brentwood purchased the nearby Marymount Junior School campus and opened a Kindergarten through Grade 6 campus in the fall of 1995. As the 2019-2020 school year began, Brentwood opened a new Middle School building and reconfigured the division to include grades 6-8.

LOCATION AND SETTING

Visitors to Brentwood’s two campuses are immediately struck by their beauty and warmth. The setting is a well-integrated blend of old and new buildings, red-tiled roofs, intimate courtyards, ivy-covered walls and green fields.

Brentwood’s East Campus, housing grades 6-12, is situated on 28 acres with Mission-style historic buildings, a new 73,000 square foot Middle School building, renovated Upper School classrooms, and sustainable landscaping. The five story Middle School building houses not only general classrooms but also includes dedicated spaces for music, art, science, fabrication and design, theater rehearsal, film, dance, a separate theater, a library, and dining hall/kitchen. The Middle School also has its own playing field and outdoor commons areas adjacent to the Middle School building. The Upper School facilities, including classrooms, laboratory space, a cafeteria, a bookstore, faculty and administrative offices and courtyards, are on the hillside with sweeping views across Los Angeles to the ocean. The 22-acre East Campus Athletics Complex was completed in 2001 and the Caruso Watt Aquatics Center opened in the spring of 2008. No other school in the Los Angeles area boasts such an expansive, state-of-the-art facility that encompasses such a wide variety of sports.

Lying at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains at the western edge of Los Angeles, the community of Brentwood is gracious and welcoming, with comfortable homes on leafy, well-maintained streets. Nearby neighborhoods and cities include Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Westwood, and Bel Air. The UCLA campus is about one mile east of the school. The Brentwood area is also home to the Getty Center, one of the world’s most comprehensive arts, conservation, and education institutions.

COMMUNITY

Brentwood School has always been a community where students and teachers know and care about each other. The closeness and longevity of these relationships is evident in the close ties many teachers still share with alumni/ae. The vibrant faculty draws on a wealth of teaching experiences. Fifty-nine faculty members have been at Brentwood for 10 or more years and 91 hold advanced degrees.

Brentwood’s student body is diverse and lively. Students of color comprise 46% of the population. Tuition for the 2021-2022 school year is $46,550 (grades 6-12) and Brentwood is strongly committed to an aggressive financial support program. The school has budgeted $7 million annually for financial support and 17% of the East Campus students receive support. With the school’s close proximity to three major freeways, Brentwood is easily accessible to students from a wide geographical area served by eleven school bus routes and an extensive carpool system.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Every single person in our community brings something different. Their unique background and personal experiences represent a value added to our community. Brentwood is intentional, purposeful, and strategic about honoring people in all their differences which is reflected in Diversity as a core value. Equity is being conscious and cognitive of our efforts to best meet the needs of all members of our community. Inclusion means creating an environment where all participants and constituents can be their best selves, irrespective of background, experience, and lifestyle. We do this with a variety of measures, policies, and programs. We do this through our curriculum—in what we teach and how we teach it. We work together as students, parents, faculty, and administration to maintain an inclusive community. All of this is motivated and inspired by our recognition that diversity is advantageous now and in the future.

ACADEMIC AND CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS

Brentwood Admissions

2022-2023

Middle School: 426 applicants for 116 positions

The child-centered philosophies of learning and teaching, the emphasis on a broad-based and diverse liberal arts curriculum that is connected and sequential between grades and divisions, and the unwavering quest for excellence are all common features of the Brentwood K-12 experience. The school provides a core curriculum that is primarily traditional and classical emphasizing language, communication, mathematical reasoning, and computation. The goal of both curriculum and pedagogy is to foster intellectual curiosity, excitement for learning, and a desire to fulfill individual potential.

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL (GRADES 6-8)

On the East Campus, the 352 Middle School students learn to assume more responsibility for their own education. The 6th Grade class is composed of 42 Brentwood Lower School students plus 34 new students while the 7th Grade class of 137 welcomed 74 new students this past year. The ideal class size means students benefit not only from a great deal of personal attention, but also from a feeling of being closely connected to the school, to one another, and to the faculty. In this nurturing, supportive environment, students are exposed to a broad range of subjects that allow them to explore their interests, develop new ones, and experience both personal and intellectual growth. See the Middle School Curriculum Guide for more information.

The weekly meetings of the Middle School Advisory Program allow students to develop more fully connections with faculty members in small, intimate groups. In faculty-moderated sessions, students explore topics that include core values, organization and study skills, coping with

Brentwood School Vision Statement

Brentwood School will challenge each community member to embrace curiosity, seek diverse perspectives, grow from failures, and chart personal paths to success.

peer pressure, and ethical decision-making. In addition, the Middle School Family Groups are designed to build community and leadership, combining students from 6th - 8th grades in groups. Each group of approximately 14 students participates in activities including Advisory Olympics/Games and Community Discussions that range from challenging subjects to fun topics that are relevant to Middle School age students.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Brentwood encourages active participation in extra-curricular activities in order to engage students in the life of the school and enable students to discover and purse their passions. It is a goal to provide students with as many areas as possible in which to develop their talents and to experience success. Opportunities abound for participation in art, athletics, debate, drama, dance, jazz band, orchestra, rhythm section workshop, chorus, student government, and service learning.

THE ARTS

The arts programs at Brentwood foster a supportive atmosphere that promotes questioning, individuality, and diversity. The Middle School arts at Brentwood offer instruction in visual arts, dance, music, film, and drama. Working in observational, abstract, and/or inventive ways, students learn to manipulate ideas, techniques, and materials through a thoughtful, evolving application of the elements and principles of art and design as they work toward creative goals.

THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM

A tradition of wide and enthusiastic participation in physical education and athletics has developed alongside athletic success. Brentwood fields highly competitive teams and prizes character, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Approximately 80% of students in the Middle School participate on at least one Middle School team, and many play on two or three different teams during the school year. There are 29 Middle School interscholastic teams representing the Middle School in 14 sports. Each year Brentwood teams attain numerous league and sectional championships as well as many playoff berths. A “no-cut” policy applies to 6th-8th grade teams. The program is designed to engender an understanding of commitment, sportsmanship, hard work, and responsibility.

SERVICE LEARNING

Brentwood’s service learning program ensures the development of social awareness, and inspires students to be lifelong learners with a self-motivated sense of responsibility to the local, national, and global communities. The school is a caring and conscientious neighbor, to both the nearby VA and broader Los Angeles communities.

BELLDEGRUN CENTER FOR INNOVATION LEADERSHIP (BCIL)

The Belldegrun Center for Innovative Leadership prepares community members in grades K – 12

to engage with real world challenges and explore solutions within and beyond the classroom.

Work with BCIL impacts the entire Brentwood School community, cultivating innovative problem

 solvers, courageous risk takers, effective managers, adept communicators, and inspired community

 builders. Through their involvement in BCIL, students and faculty seek answers in creative, collaborative

ways and discover that their work can have an impact.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Brentwood believes in partnering with parents in the education of their child and encourages and welcomes parents to actively participate in the life of the school. The children benefit from sharing their school world with their parents; the school benefits from parents who contribute their talents, interests, and energy to support and enrich the school’s programs; and the parents benefit from experiencing first-hand the environment in which their children are educated.

Parents are strongly encouraged to participate in the Parents Association and Eagles organizations and to attend parent education events including guest lectures and breakfasts with the Middle School Director.

STRENGTHS OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

One of the hallmarks of the Brentwood Middle School is a passionate, vibrant, and child-centered faculty who are committed to the following:

• A culture of collegiality, professionalism, and interdisciplinary collaboration
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and cross-cultural competency
• Rigorous college-preparatory academic program that fosters critical and creative thinking and provides rich extracurricular offerings
• Students who are happy, self-confident, well-rounded, and caring
• High quality educational and athletic facilities on a magnificent campus
• Core values that emphasize character, personal responsibility, and service to the greater community
• A balance of hard work and fun, and of high expectations and nurturing, with a strong focus on the quality of student life
• An enviable stature and high demand for admissions in the universe of greater Los Angeles independent schools

THE POSITION

The Middle School Director is responsible for all aspects of the program and personnel in the Middle School. The Middle School Leadership Team is comprised of the Director, Assistant Middle School Director, Middle School Director of Service Learning, Learning Specialist, the counselors/School Psychologist, Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion, and the Associate Athletic Director.

EXPECTATIONS

The Middle School Director will lead a robust division that has constructed its programs and operations with careful attention to Brentwood’s mission and values. The Interim Director of the Middle School will accomplish the following:

• Provide leadership through the support and collaboration with an excellent faculty, attending to the curriculum, and ensuring the Middle School’s overall vitality
• Work with the faculty and administration to sustain systems and structures that support and increase the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum and programs
• Strengthen collaboration and foster transparency and trust through open communication, clear expectations and full engagement-working closely with the Middle School leadership, faculty, staff, parents, and students
• Foster an environment that encourages open discussion with the freedom to express varied points of view
• Create a culture where critical feedback is seen and experienced as a catalyst for professional and personal growth
• Engage fully in the daily life of the school and support students of varied identifies, lifestyles, and beliefs
• Provide educational leadership and be a skilled spokesperson for the school’s vibrant, educational program
• Work closely with the Head of Brentwood School and the members of the School Leadership Team to foster the strength of the entire school

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES

Brentwood School is interested in candidates who can support, articulate, and promote a mission-driven, child-centered model of education. Along with excellent organizational and leadership skills, ideal candidates will have backgrounds that demonstrate most, if not all, of the following:

• A warm, approachable presence on campus that invites and respects the views of others yet is decisive when needed
• Visible and accessible on campus, knowing and enjoying the faculty, staff, parents, and especially the students of the school
• Engage actively with students, faculty, staff, and families in the daily life of the school, preserving and promoting the warmth and closeness that defines the Middle School’s culture
• Knowledge and understanding of developmentally appropriate and inclusive curriculum and instructional practices
• Strong familiarity with significant educational, DEI, and technology trends in independent schools
• Effective communication with faculty members, students, and parents, in a clear concise, and timely manner, keeping these groups appropriately informed of potential issues and or needs
• Cross-cultural competency and a commitment to equity and inclusion
• Ability to synthesize and articulate the school’s educational vision and to inspire and motive others towards further strengthening the Middle School
• Teaching and administrative experience at the Middle School level
•  An advanced degree is preferred
• Collaborative approach to leadership balanced with the ability to make decisions
• A lifelong learner who uses the latest research to complement their own experiences
• The ability to motivate, inspire, and support faculty and staff

PERSONAL QUALITIES

The favored candidate is an outgoing, energetic, confident person of keen intellect and integrity who will enjoy developing and guiding the Middle School community. The frequency with which parents and teachers are on campus working together requires a leader who is the soul of discretion. The Middle School will be best served by a leader who is self-aware; has a hands-on, approachable style; a sense of humor; and a true love and appreciation for educating Middle School age children.

SEARCH PROCESS

Please send all information and address all inquiries to:

Kristy Aranda

karanda@bwscampus.com

100 South Barrington Place

Los Angeles, CA 90049

Brentwood School is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to promoting diversity in the workplace and to seeking a diverse and broad spectrum of qualified candidates. Brentwood School does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, age, or sexual orientation.

Candidates should submit the following materials:

• A cover letter explaining their interests and qualifications for becoming the Interim Director of the Middle School
• A current resume
• A brief personal statement including experience related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• The names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three references, including a current supervisor