Leadership Opportunity
Director of Development
The Swift School
Roswell, Georgia
The Swift School, in its 10th
year, is located in a northern suburb of Atlanta. The Swift School enrolls children in grades one through six
in a program that supports students with dyslexia and related language-based
learning differences, while honoring their individualities and talents.
Independent
School Counsel, Inc. (ISC), the consulting group to the search, invites candidates
and nominations for this key administrative position at a rapidly expanding and
highly respected school for children with learning differences. Applications are requested by March
1 to ensure full
consideration. The school desires
to appoint the Director of Development by April 1, 2008, with a starting date
of July 1, 2008.
Note:
This Position Profile, along with other relevant documents, may be found on
ISC’s website.
Position
Overview: Director of Development
Reporting
to the Executive Director, the Director of Development will enhance the
school’s mission and vision by developing, implementing and maintaining a
comprehensive and strategic development program to enhance and diversify non-tuition
revenue sources. The director will
be responsible for managing the school’s development program including annual
giving, capital gifts, database maintenance, alumni communications and special
events management.
This will
be a new administrative position at The Swift School. As such, the new Director will have broad opportunities to
design and model an effective development program. A successful Director will bring the entrepreneurial spirit
and optimism that has characterized the meteoric growth of The Swift School in
the past two years and sustain its continued advancement.
The
Swift School Overview
The
Swift School has an impressive recent history of growth and initiative. The Board of Trustees’ strategic vision
guided a bold step for the school in the summer of 2006 when it acquired and
reconfigured a modern, attractive, and functional former office building on a
five-acre campus in an area that is easily accessible and central to the
expanding northern suburban region of Atlanta. Enrollment has nearly doubled in the past two years, and
inquiries have consistently increased since the school moved into its new
facility. Projected enrollment
targets have been achieved and the school is poised for continued growth in
meeting the special needs of students with learning differences. A campus master plan has been developed
which, when fully implemented, will enable the school to realize its
vision. The enthusiasm and support
of parents and the community have encouraged the school to expect their
financial support that is critical to continuing in building out this
attractive and well-situated campus.
Mission:
The mission of The Swift
School is to prepare children with dyslexia and related language-based learning
differences to be successful in life.
The Swift School strives to accomplish this mission by teaching children
specific learning strategies and skills and by identifying and fully developing
their talents. To do so, The Swift
School creates an environment that is exciting, challenging and supportive.
Educational Philosophy:
The Swift School Vision
The vision of The Swift School is to become the leading
academic institution offering a comprehensive educational experience for each
student until he or she is ready, willing and able to transition to another
environment of his or her parent’s choosing.
The Swift School will have realized its vision when it
has achieved these essential goals:
•
Create
the optimal learning environment
•
Develop
a comprehensive educational program
•
Establish
a reputation for academic excellence
•
Develop
an active and vibrant school community
•
Serve
as many children as possible in the Atlanta metropolitan area
•
Become
a leading force in the professional community serving dyslexia and language-related
learning differences
Strategic Plan Implementation Summary
The Swift School has mapped out a ten-year, three-phase
Strategic Plan to serve the mission, fulfill the vision, and achieve the six stated
goals. It is anticipated that the
school will ultimately serve Kindergarten through Eighth grade.
In years 1-3, the theme is “Solidify and Extend”; for
years 4-6, the theme is “Grow and Expand”; and for years 7-10 the theme is
“Serve and Excel”. For each 3-4
year continuum, the six goals have an action plan, the implementation of which
the Executive Director is accountable.
School
History and Governance
History:
The Swift School was founded in 1998 by Gail Swift, who
stepped aside in 2007 as executive director after a distinguished career. After teaching for three decades at The
Schenck School in Atlanta, she was recruited by a group of parents to teach
remedial reading to their five children at a church in Marietta. Each successive year, the school grew
by a class. The school outgrew the
church and in 2006 moved to a two-story, modern facility in Roswell, a northern
suburb of Atlanta. The school now
sits on five acres and presently enrolls 108 students in grades one through
six. The new facility has allowed the school to expand the population of
students who benefit from its specialized and successful program.
Governance:
The Swift School is a non-for-profit corporation
qualifying as a 501(c)(3) organization with the Internal Revenue Service and in
the State of Georgia. The Board of
Trustees includes eight members, four of which are independent. The Board is
actively recruiting additional trustees to assist in guiding the further
development of the school. It is a
self-perpetuating board, with three-year terms elected at each year’s annual
meeting. The Executive Director is
an ex officio
member of the Board of Trustees.
The
School Community
Administration:
The current administration consists of the
Executive Director, Associate Director/Principal, Business Manager, and a
secretary/receptionist.
Teachers:
Every teacher has significant training and
experience in teaching children with learning differences. The average teacher at Swift has over
20 years of experience in working with special needs children. In 2007-08, there are nine
lead teachers, and each classroom has a full-time teaching assistant.
Each teacher, both lead and assistant, is
trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach; continuing education and training for
teachers is a high priority.
What is consistently observable at The Swift
School is the passion that its teachers bring to helping children learn who
have language-based learning differences.
Their nurturing, encouraging and enthusiastic spirit motivates the
children, who in many cases, have almost given up hope of success in school,
and supports and guides their parents as partners in the learning process.
Students:
Students
come to The Swift School from various learning environments. Some come from private schools where
accelerated curricula proved too rigorous for those who needed remediation or
an alternate approach to reading instruction. Some come from public schools where large class sizes and
lack of resources may have prevented them from getting the individual help they
need. The Swift School also
enrolls home-schooled students who require a trained remedial reading
instruction.
The
Swift School’s greatest gift to its students is building confidence and
instilling an attitude that they can learn. They become confident risk-takers and develop greater
self-esteem.
The
Swift School students apply to and are accepted by other private schools that
can continue access to special help, if needed, or attend public schools and
continue to thrive and succeed.
Some leave The Swift School after two years, or after sixth grade, where
they transition to middle schools.
Teachers and staff work with the parents to ensure the best possible
placement of a student when he/she leaves The Swift School.
Parents:
Parents
who seek out a school like The Swift School often bring a high anxiety level to
their initial visit or inquiry.
The have received indications from their child, or the child’s teacher,
or from a learning assessment, that the child needs special and more
individualized attention to find success in the early school years.
Parents
and teachers at The Swift School become partners in the education of the
children. They are guided in ways
to support their children at home in reading and other homework
assignments. Frequent teacher
reports, informal conversations, and conferences keep parents informed about
student progress. Parents also provide
teachers with feedback that is helpful in customizing the learning plan for
each child.
The
educational goals for students include expectations that children will improve
their reading abilities and comprehension, written and oral language
processing, written and oral expression, reasoning, self-esteem and confidence,
as well as other academic, social and physical skills.
The
Orton-Gillingham Approach is the foundation of the school’s program, which
emphasizes teaching all subjects through multi-sensory techniques that involve
the auditory, visual, tactile and kinesthetic pathways to the brain.
Organization
and study skills receive strong emphasis, along with time management, goal
setting and perseverance.
Campus
and Facilities:
Previously
located in Marietta, The Swift School’s acquisition of a new, well-appointed
building in Roswell, in the growing North Atlanta area, affords the school an
excellent opportunity to grow and serve more children with special learning
needs.
The new
school building has 20,500 square feet on two floors and a terrace level, and
site on a five-acre property. It
is currently configured with a reception lobby, assembly area, indoor area for
physical education, 11 classrooms, 6 offices, a media center/library/boardroom,
and kitchenette/break room.
The
Swift School is easily accessible from GA Rte. 400, a major north/south
expressway that connects downtown to the far northern suburbs.
The
Greater Atlanta Area
Roswell-specific
information may be found at:
http://www.cvb.roswell.ga.us/ http://www.gnfcc.com/
Admissions
and Finance
With
current enrollment and employment levels, the school’s total operating budget is
$1.7M.
The
business model shows that financial operations will remain in equilibrium and
will improve in ratio to enrollment growth.
Challenges
Facing the Director of Development
The
Board’s vision and strategic plan are ambitious. The successful candidate
will possess the experience and honed skills necessary to guide a young
school’s maturing development program to a higher level and broader scale of
outreach and results.
Specific
challenges and opportunities include:
Characteristics,
Qualities, and Skills desired in the Development Director
The Swift
School seeks a person with effective administrative, organizational and proven
fund-raising skills who has a management style that is, above all,
approachable, people-friendly and enthusiastic for The Swift School mission,
and is motivated to take on challenges and achieve results.
Compensation
will be highly competitive and it is anticipated that there is potential for
the overall package to grow as the school grows and implements its strategic
plan.
Personal
and Leadership Qualities Sought:
·
Exceptional
skills in working with parents and volunteers
·
The
skills and talent to motivate and inspire others to support the school toward
the vision set out in the strategic plan
·
A
highly motivated self-starter who is also a team player
·
A person
with the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and strong moral conviction
who will maintain an ethical foundation for the school and who models good citizenship.
·
A friendly,
engaging, poised and self-assured communicator with good listening skills; capable
of projecting enthusiasm, warmth and sincerity; highly approachable and visible
in the community; has the ability
to inspire community confidence in The Swift School
·
A
minimum of 3 to 5 years of successful fundraising experience in a
growth-oriented organization
·
Able
to demonstrate a record of success in securing funding through foundation and
corporate grant writing in a non-profit setting
·
Successful
experience with annual giving, capital fund raising and special events
management
·
Evidence
of a serious commitment as a professional fund-raiser, including participation
in professional organizations and initiatives toward professional growth
The
Search Process
A
complete application will include the following information for the Search
Committee:
1. Current resume
2. Cover letter expressing interest in this position
and explaining why the candidate believes his/her qualifications match those
sought by The Swift School
3. List of at least five references with phone
numbers. References should include
the candidate’s present supervisor in his/her current position and most recent
previous position.
ISC
utilizes electronic technology in managing applicant credentials. We believe this makes the application
process easier and more efficient for candidates, client schools and our
consulting team. Please follow the
directions below in submitting your application credentials.
1. Please email your application materials
attached as MS Word or PDF documents to eclingenheld@isc-erh.com
2. In adding subsequent materials to your file,
please email or fax them (in the case of hard copy reference letters) to the
number below.
3. It is not necessary to mail hard copy.
4. Your application will be acknowledged immediately
via email.
5. ISC will
notify you of your status after your materials are complete and have been
reviewed by the Search Committee.
6. Any questions regarding our receipt of credentials
should be directed to ISC Search at 919/264-8636.
Nominations
for this position, and questions from candidates should be directed to:
Edward
C. (Ted) Lingenheld
Independent
School Counsel, Inc.
North
Carolina Office
1424
Bascomb Drive
Raleigh,
NC 27614
Telephone:
919-264-8636
Email
applications and questions to: eclingenheld@isc-erh.com
Application
Deadline: March 1, 2008
Screening Interviews for early applicants will begin in
February. During the initial stages of consideration, the Search Committee will
respect a candidate’s desire for confidentiality.
Target Date for Appointment of Development Director:
April 2008
The Swift School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.