Associate Head of Upper School

Established in 1972, Mount Vernon School serves over 1,250 students in Preschool through Grade 12 on our 40-acre Atlanta campus. Grounded in Christian values, Mount Vernon prepares all students to be college-ready, globally competitive, and engaged citizen leaders. Mount Vernon School anchors the Mount Vernon Organization as a destination of inquiry, innovation, and impact. Through MVSO, the online division of our Upper School, and MV Ventures, our research and educational consultancy, our organization is living its mission to design a better world by providing unique and differentiated value for all community members now and into the future.


The Team

The Upper School Faculty is a collaborative and forward-thinking community of education professionals who are consistently looking for ways to create real-world, project-based experiences that help their students connect content in a relevant and impactful way. This team models what it means to be inquisitive, nurturing, flexible, and creative. While they customize and personalize the learning for each course, this team is united in using an inquiry-based model and a competency-based approach to teaching.

The Role

The Associate Head of Upper School reports to the Head of Upper School and serves as a full member of the Upper School Leadership (USL) Team. This leader carries primary responsibility for the faculty experience, the operational integrity of the division, and the cultivation of a school culture where both teachers and students do excellent work. In partnership with the USL Team, the Associate Head advances the strategic priorities of the division while bringing independent initiative, relational depth, and operational excellence to the daily life of the Upper School. They are a visible and trusted presence for faculty, students, and families.

Responsibilities

• Faculty Experience & Belonging
  • Cultivate a faculty culture where people feel genuinely known, valued, and proud to be part of the MV community
  • Champion the Upper School's commitment to inclusivity, diversity, equity, and action ( IDEA ) by helping faculty engage authentically with this work in their classrooms, in their relationships with students and other faculty, and in the life of the community
  • Supervise and provide instructional support to a cohort of faculty members by conducting observations, facilitating goals conversations, and providing ongoing coaching rooted in MV's teaching competency framework
  • Partner in Direct recruiting, hiring, and onboarding processes for the US by helping new faculty understand not just the systems but the culture and identity of Mount Vernon
  • Steward faculty wellbeing in concrete and visible ways by managing PTO, monitoring faculty teaching loads, and advocating for the conditions that allow faculty to do their best work
• School Operations & Systems
  • Ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the School's day-to-day operations, including duty assignments, carpool, emergency crisis management, and other daily operational functions
  • Oversee room assignments and facility requests, ensuring spaces are allocated thoughtfully and that faculty and students have what they need
  • In partnership with the Upper School Executive Assistant, manage substitute coverage by coordinating placements, communicating expectations, and ensuring continuity of the student experience when faculty are absent
  • Guide the expedition request process, partnering with faculty to ensure off-campus learning experiences are approved, logistically sound, and aligned with school expectations
  • Build and manage alternate schedules, communicating changes clearly and ensuring the division moves through them with clarity and confidence
• Division Leadership & Collaboration
  • Serve as a full and active member of the Upper School Leadership Team, contributing to shared decision-making and helping shape the culture and direction of the division
  • Maintain a visible and invested presence in the life of the Upper School at events, in hallways, at games, and in classrooms
  • Bring a collaborative spirit to the USL team while also being willing to name hard things, push back on ideas, and advocate for what's right for faculty and students
  • Support Dean of Students with relational discipline decisions and processes
  • Serve as a trusted and accessible point of contact for families by fielding questions about faculty, curriculum, and the academic life of the Upper School with clarity, care, and confidence
• Innovation & Initiative
  • Serve as a generative thought partner to the USL team by bringing original ideas, identifying opportunities for growth, and helping translate vision into action
  • Drive self-directed initiatives that push the Upper School forward, rooted in the Impact Ready Project and aligned to the strategic priorities of the division
  • Take ownership of major initiatives from concept to implementation by doing the research, design, and iterative work of building something new while bringing colleagues along in the process

Core Competencies

• Ability to build relationships of trust
• Culturally proficient and equity literate
• A track record of giving high-quality, responsive feedback
• An ethic of excellence in program and project management
• Experience managing polarity and conflict using contextual discernment
• Experience coaching and developing teachers
• Proficiency in Google Suite & Mac/Apple OS

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred
• Demonstrated experience with inquiry-based, project-based, and competency-based learning, and a genuine belief that this is what school should look like
• Familiarity with progressive pedagogy and a commitment to continuing to grow within it
• Comfort with ambiguity, flexibility, and the evolving nature of an innovative school environment

Start Date | July 2026

This job description is intended to describe the basic elements of the job and should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. This job description does not constitute a contract. It may be modified or amended at any time as determined in the School's discretion.


The faculty and staff of The Mount Vernon School believe the fair and equitable treatment of employees is critical to fulfilling its mission and purpose. It is the policy of The Mount Vernon School to conduct business and provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.