Associate Director of Admission (Grades 2-8)
THE POSITION
This 12-month position involves significant and varied responsibilities within an integrated Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 admission program. As a member of the school-wide admission team, the Associate Director must fundamentally embrace and further the school’s mission, vision, and culture while clearly reinforcing its brand. The ability to articulate philosophy and program is essential; likewise, the ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of child development and some experience assessing students in a classroom setting.
Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences.
We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education.
We support young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.
The Park School is a non-sectarian, independent, coeducational day school of 845 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1912 as one of the early progressive schools, The Park School continues to practice a distinct educational philosophy. The core values today, as in 1912, are a belief in children’s capacity to love learning, to grow academically and emotionally when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers, and to develop self-discipline, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills through deep exploration and constant challenge. At every grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten through Upper School, Park actively encourages questioning and conversation as essential elements of the learning process. The school philosophy emphasizes a belief in positive expectations and expects that students, as they mature, will take increasing responsibility for their own learning.
The position requires working closely with the admission team in planning and implementing a comprehensive range of parent and student outreach, new student onboarding, and retention events. The Associate Director represents Park at external programs — AIMS conferences and feeder school fairs, for example — and at internal events, such as open houses, parent information sessions/tours, and other admission events. Admission programs include weekday, evening, and weekend events.
As a liaison to the Lower and Middle School administrative teams, faculty, and current families, the Associate Director will attend meetings and interact regularly with divisional administrative teams and student support teams to monitor student success. The Associate Director has primary responsibility for managing all aspects of the admission application process in Grades 2-8, including, but not limited to: student assessments and visits, parent interviews, campus tours, admission committee meetings, and admission decisions and corresponding letters. Other duties include responding to admission calls, emails, coordinating annual on-campus group assessments, training admission file readers, and finalizing admission decisions with the Director of Admission.
ABOUT THE ADMISSION OFFICE
The Admission Office at Park School includes the Director of Enrollment Management and Tuition Assistance, Director of Admission (also responsible for Grades 9-12), Director of Primary Level Admission (Grades Pre-K-1), and two Administrative Assistants. The Associate Director of Upper Elementary and Middle School Admission (Grades 2-8) reports directly to the Director of Admission and works closely with their admission committees to review and evaluate applications. For tuition assistance, the Admission Directors partner closely with the Director of Tuition Assistance. A volunteer network of students, faculty, parents, alumni, and trustees is also actively involved in supporting the admission effort at Park.
In its approach to admission, Park emphasizes the educational role of admission personnel in articulating the school’s philosophy and programs. Individual attention to parents and applicants is a hallmark of our admission process. Much of the Directors’ time is devoted to one-on-one tours, interviews with parents, and individual assessments of applicants. In addition, Park is actively committed to outreach efforts to build a more diverse pool of applicants; the admission staff supports a variety of Park-initiated and collaborative outreach efforts. Admission events include some weekend and evening commitments.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Commitment to an ambitious, educationally-centered definition of the Admission Office’s role as central to promoting understanding of the school’s philosophy and programs, and achievement of the institution’s diversity goals;
- Orientation compatible with a progressive educational philosophy;
- Ability to maintain strict confidentiality;
- Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills;
- A disciplined self-starter with the ability to plan, prioritize, and organize, while managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment;
- Possesses a positive attitude and a proactive team approach to customer service, a growth mindset, and an interest in process improvement and self-development;
- Exhibits professionalism and enthusiasm to work with the public and to collaborate effectively with admission staff and the network of parents, students, trustees, and alumni who support admission efforts;
- A strong background in education that includes some teaching experience and/or 3+ years of school admission work is required;
- A minimum Bachelor’s degree is required.
We welcome candidates without previous experience in independent schools.
Candidates who are from diverse backgrounds and/or who have experience in cultural competency work are strongly encouraged to apply.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Park salaries and benefits are highly competitive with those in other leading independent schools. For new appointments, salaries reflect experience and training equated to Park’s scales.
In addition to normal retirement and health benefits, the school offers the following distinctive programs:
- Faculty and Curricular Advancement (FACA) Program: This program supports summer professional work by faculty on a distinctive scale. Established in 1989, FACA is supported by a $5.6 million endowment; currently, over 40% of all Park faculty participate in projects annually. Grants cover full salary and benefits for group or individual projects selected through a formal review process.
- Tuition Remission: Under current policy, employees who have been at Park full-time for two years are eligible to receive full tuition remission for their children who attend Park. All candidates, including employee children, must meet Park’s standards for admission. (During the first two years of employment, faculty may apply for aid through the need-based tuition assistance program.)
APPLICATION PROCESS
Due to the large volume of incoming résumés, we cannot accept phone calls. Send a letter of interest, personal statement, and résumé. Please indicate whether you plan to attend any national recruitment forums. Please also indicate whether there are any special circumstances that will affect the timing of your search, availability for interviews, and decisions for the coming year.
CONTACT
Priscilla Morales, Associate Head of School
The Park School
2425 Old Court Road
Baltimore, MD 21208
academicresources@parkschool.net
The Park School of Baltimore does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee’s duties.
COVID-19
Please note: Park School currently requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination, subject to legally required exemptions, as a condition of employment.