Head of Lower School

POSITION OVERVIEW

Trinity Episcopal School is seeking a full-time Head of Lower School (grades K-5). The Head of Lower School is the primary academic and administrative leader for the elementary division, championing the mission, values, and policies of Trinity Episcopal School. Reporting directly to the Head of School, this leader drives strategic vision and daily operations across curriculum development, student life, and division-wide communication. The Head of Lower School delivers vital mentorship and support to staculty, students, and parents to cultivate a vibrant, collaborative, and inclusive learning community. The Head of Lower School supports the work of the School by promoting the mission, values, and policies of Trinity Episcopal School. This is a full-time, 12-month, exempt position.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

The next Head of Lower School will be a visionary educational leader who is energized by possibility and inspired by the transformative power of elementary education. This leader will help Trinity imagine what the future of Lower School can be while remaining grounded in the school's Episcopal identity and core values of Scholarship, Spirituality, and Embracing Diversity.

The successful candidate will lead with curiosity, courage, and creativity while:

• Designing a Lower School experience where academic excellence and joyful learning coexist.
• Creating innovative opportunities that spark wonder, engagement, and a lifelong love of learning.
• Building authentic relationships with students, faculty, and families that foster trust, belonging, and community.
• Exploring emerging trends, technologies, and best practices to ensure Trinity remains at the forefront of elementary education.
• Developing and empowering exceptional educators through coaching, mentorship, and professional growth.
• Serving as a visible storyteller and champion for the Lower School, helping current and prospective families understand what makes Trinity unique.
• Inspiring a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and excellence that positions Trinity for the future.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Students

• Academics
  • Serve as the instructional leader and visionary for the Lower School.
  • Inspire excellence in teaching and learning through innovative educational practices, research-informed instruction, and student-centered experiences.
  • Partner with faculty to cultivate classrooms where academic rigor, creativity, joy, and curiosity thrive.
  • Lead strategic conversations around emerging trends in elementary education, including technology integration, artificial intelligence, project-based learning, and future-ready skills.
  • Foster a culture where teachers are encouraged to experiment, innovate, and continuously improve their practice.
  • Use student achievement data and classroom observations to drive continuous growth and program enhancement.
• Student Growth and Achievement – Lead a culture of academic excellence and student growth by partnering with teachers, learning support specialists, and families to ensure every child is challenged, supported, and known. Use data, observation, and collaboration to monitor student progress, celebrate achievement, identify opportunities for intervention, and develop responsive plans that help all learners thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
• Student Life and Character Development – Foster a positive, joyful, and inclusive student culture rooted in the Trinity Honor Code. Partner with teachers and families to support students' social, emotional, behavioral, and character development. Guide students through challenges with a restorative and growth-oriented approach while ensuring accountability, consistency, and a strong sense of belonging. Oversee student discipline matters beyond the classroom level and promote practices that help students learn from mistakes, build resilience, and develop responsibility. 

Staculty 

• Hiring – Collaborate with the Chief of Staff to coordinate the hiring process by maintaining applicant files, establishing a pool of candidates, scheduling interviews, soliciting staculty input, and working with the Head of School to determine the needs of the school.  
• Evaluation and Retention of Staculty – Manage the staculty evaluation process, which includes contractual compensation and contract renewal.
• Staculty Development and Improvement of Teaching – Promote staculty development and improvement of teaching by goal setting with staculty and organizing professional development programs with the Assistant Head of School for Academics.
• Staculty Culture, Joy, and Belonging – Champion a vibrant and joyful Lower School culture where faculty feel known, supported, and inspired. Foster strong relationships, encourage collaboration, and create opportunities for connection, celebration, and professional fulfillment. Serve as a visible and encouraging leader who recognizes the unique gifts of each educator, promotes a healthy and positive work environment, and helps faculty find purpose and joy in their work with children.

Curriculum

• Development – Collaborate with the academic team to review curriculum design by discipline, grade level, and course, and publish all curriculum summaries and guides.
• Coordination – Work with the middle school academic team to ensure appropriate K-8 curricular coordination. 

Community Life

• Spiritual Life and Community – Support the work of the Lower School Chaplain in cultivating a vibrant spiritual life for students, faculty, and families. Partner in promoting Trinity's Episcopal identity through chapel, service, community traditions, and opportunities for reflection, ensuring that spirituality remains an integral part of the Lower School experience. Encourage a culture of compassion, respect, inclusion, and care that reflects the mission and values of Trinity Episcopal School.
• Student Well-Being and Belonging – Collaborate with the Lower School Counselor, faculty, and families to ensure every student is known, loved, challenged, and supported. Champion a student-centered approach that prioritizes social-emotional wellness, healthy development, belonging, and positive relationships. Partner in addressing student needs with compassion, professionalism, and a commitment to helping every child thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Embracing Diversity - Lead the Lower School in living Trinity's value of Embracing Diversity by cultivating a community where every child is known, loved, and valued for their unique gifts and experiences. Foster an environment of belonging, respect, curiosity, and compassion that encourages students to appreciate different perspectives, engage thoughtfully with the world around them, and build meaningful relationships across differences. Partner with faculty, families, and community organizations to ensure that diversity, belonging, and cultural understanding are woven into the daily life of the Lower School.
• Honor Code - Develop a community of honor, integrity, responsibility, respect, and compassion by promoting the honor code.

Communication

• Communication with Parents – Provide parents with timely, effective written or oral communication about the school program, student progress, the calendar and schedule, and parent education opportunities. 
  • Support staculty in communication practices with parents that support student growth and home-school partnership.
• Interdivisional Communication – Oversee and promote communication between divisions with regard to curriculum and program, scheduling issues, hiring needs, and students in transition from LS to MS.
• Admissions/Public Relations – Work with the admissions office and director of communications to provide information, make presentations, and meet with families to promote the School.

Community Engagement & Partnership

• Build authentic and trusting relationships with students, families, faculty, and staff.
• Serve as a visible and accessible presence throughout the life of the school.
• Partner with parents to support student growth and foster a strong home-school connection.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Advancement, and Communications to articulate and promote the distinctive value of Trinity's Lower School experience.
• Actively engage prospective families and serve as a compelling ambassador for Trinity within the broader Charlotte community.
• Create opportunities that strengthen community, celebrate student success, and deepen family engagement.

QUALITIES AND ATTRIBUTES

Trinity seeks a transformational educational leader who combines strategic vision with relational warmth. The ideal candidate is equal parts instructional leader, community builder, innovator, and mentor. This individual will be deeply invested in the lives of children while inspiring faculty and partnering closely with families. The successful candidate will bring both the organizational discipline to execute effectively and the imagination to envision what is possible.

Additional qualities and attributes include:

• Demonstrated ability to inspire, coach, and retain exceptional teachers
• Visible, relational leadership style grounded in authenticity and trust
• Proven ability to create joyful, engaging, and innovative learning environments
• Strong technological fluency and curiosity about emerging educational tools
• Ability to think strategically while managing operational excellence
• Exceptional communicator who builds confidence with parents and faculty
• Creative problem-solver who embraces new ideas and challenges traditional thinking
• Demonstrated success leading change initiatives and driving continuous improvement

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Work Experience

• Significant experience in independent school education is strongly preferred, including demonstrated leadership within a Lower School setting
• Master's Degree in an academic area or education
• Demonstrated administrative and leadership experience
• Experience in independent schools is preferred

Skills and Qualifications

• Familiarity with and a commitment to the mission of Trinity Episcopal School, and a commitment to our three primary values of scholarship, diversity, and spirituality
• Experience leading faculty through curricular innovation, program development, and strategic change initiatives
• Demonstrated success building strong partnerships with parents and fostering a vibrant school culture
• The ability to provide a vision for the division and communicate that vision
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• High energy, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic school environment 
• Experience leveraging technology and emerging educational tools to improve learning, communication, and operational effectiveness
• Organizational and planning skills to carry out the vision and other initiatives of the school
• Critical thinking and analytic skills, problem-solving, and effective decision-making skills
• The ability to work with and/or motivate a wide range of people, including students, staculty, administration, and parents
• Become involved in the mission and life of the school beyond the primary responsibilities outlined

https://bit.ly/TES_LSHead_JD