Assistant Director of Diversity Planning

Overview:
The Assistant Director of Diversity Planning will support the Director of Diversity Planning in providing leadership, innovation, and vision to the Charlotte Country Day School community. The Assistant Director will work alongside the Director to help develop and execute a comprehensive Junior Kindergarten through grade 12 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program that aligns with our school Mission and Affirmation of Community and works toward building on the current strengths of the Charlotte Country Day School’s DEI efforts.

Key responsibilities:
Supporting students and faculty:
• Assist the Director in supporting new and existing DEI initiatives, and implement student programs, school-wide events, and activities to strengthen students’ sense of belonging and build cultural competency.
• Work with the Director and divisional DEI coordinators to review and develop programs and activities to foster inclusivity, diversity, and equity across campus.

Areas of focus:
• In conjunction with the Director, collaborate to develop community and student programs. o Serve on Divisional Diversity Planning Teams to build community within DEI strategic programming. o Participate at divisional level (attend student support meetings, support divisional DEI related needs)
• Advise the work of affinity-based student organizations and offer support as needed. o Develop, support, and implement DEI leader programs for affinity-based student organizations, as well as professional development experiences for faculty and administrators.
• Develop supportive relationships with students and colleagues throughout our school community; work to create an engaging and inclusive school and share in the pursuit of our Affirmation of Community.
• Support the social and emotional well-being of students of color through dedicated programs, initiatives, and opportunities consistent with our Mission and Affirmation of Community.

Academic program & curriculum:
• Work with the Director and divisional leadership to examine and ensure the academic program is culturally inclusive and responsive to the unique needs of the student body and upholds Country Day’s Affirmation of Community.
• Help to guide Country Day’s work on increasing cultural inclusion within all reaches of the curriculum and support the development of assessment tools to measure growth in this area.

Areas of focus:
• Facilitate and assist professional community members with curriculum development as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Co-lead and support our New Student Summer Scholars Program.
• Support faculty as they work on inclusive classroom practices and culturally responsive curriculum.

Teaching and learning:
• Teach one course (one per semester each year).
• Work with the Director on shaping Country Day’s philosophy for inclusive decision making, hiring, retention, academic, and community life programming.
• Support the Director in leading Country Day’s educational and training programs around issues related to intercultural communication, belonging, and anti-bias work for all students, faculty, and staff.
• Support the Director with providing cohesive and meaningful professional development and growth for a dynamic faculty with wide and varying levels of knowledge.

Areas of focus:
• Identify and promote professional development opportunities in the areas of DEI with academic leadership.
• Attend the annual NAIS and POCC/SDLC Conferences.
• Potentially teach Upper School and Middle School DEI & Social Justice Seminar Classes (as the one course per semester).
• Coordinate student attendance at local, regional, and national conferences related to DEI and social justice education.
• Facilitate community dialogues around topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, staff, and students:
• Partner closely with the Director, Division Heads, and Department Chairs to grow our community. Help create and participate in programs to attract, recruit, and retain diverse faculty and staff especially those from underrepresented groups to teaching and administrative positions at Country Day.
• Work closely with the Director and Admissions Director and team to review their current strategy for recruiting and supporting a diverse student population and implementing practices to ensure student success at Country Day.

Areas of focus:
• Participate in and assist with the recruitment and retention of faculty of color. o Partner with the admissions team and support their DEI efforts to help identify, recruit, and retain a diverse student body.

Communications and marketing:
• Work with Director and MarCom team to develop, oversee, and execute a DEI communications plan (social media, website, etc.).
• Partner with parent volunteer groups, (Parents’ Association, POCIS, International), to ensure the strategic DEI goals for the school are realized.

Requirements and qualifications:
• Prior experience with inclusion and equity program development, implementation, evaluation, and research.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff, as well as alumni and parents/guardians.
• Strong organizational skills with expertise in planning, problem-solving, and the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working in and understanding independent school culture.
• Ability to work closely and responsively with others.
• Ability to lead and facilitate courageous conversations with a strong commitment to listen to understand.
• Demonstrated experience in the above skill sets and in navigating and leading DEI work within an organizational setting.
• Demonstrated mastery in area of study and ability to teach within and across academic disciplines. • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• A desire to integrate curriculum with other subjects and to teach collaboratively. • Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of three years’ teaching experience or related industry experience. • Solid skills in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).

The interested candidate should:
• Be a good teacher, collaborator, and facilitator.
• Be discerning, thoughtful, and communicative.
• Be approachable, even-tempered, always exhibiting professional decorum.
• Exhibit a collaborative approach to project and program leadership.
• Have the ability to receive constructive feedback and criticism.
• Find joy in working with students JK-12.

Terms of employment:
• Eight-hour workdays as well as attendance at faculty meetings and other school-wide meetings and events are required. Workday may be extended as needed for school events, including some weekends and evenings.
• Professional days are considered workdays.
• Projected start date for this position is August 2021.