Head of Lower School

TO APPLY: apply directly on Linked In and send your resume and cover letter to hkamal

Tarbiyah Academy is seeking a visionary, relational, and systems-oriented Head of Lower School to lead PK-5th Grade. As a mission-driven Islamic school grounded in the International Baccalaureate framework, we are committed to developing confident, principled young people during one of the most formative stages of their lives.

The Head of Lower School is responsible for academic excellence, faculty leadership, student culture, and family partnership within the division. This role requires a leader who understands the developmental needs of young children and can build a culture that is structured, joyful, spiritually nurturing, and intellectually strong.

The Head of Lower School must be a leader of people, not only programs. This role requires high emotional intelligence, patience, and steadiness. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong self-awareness and emotional regulation, navigates conflict among children and adults with wisdom and composure, sets clear expectations while maintaining empathy and fairness, and builds a culture of trust, accountability, and belonging.

As a leader in an Islamic institution, the Head of Lower School embodies and cultivates a spiritually grounded culture with a commitment to ongoing tazkiyah—intentional self-reflection and spiritual growth. The Head of Lower School understands that effective leadership requires continuous inward work to sustain clarity, humility, humility, and resilience.

This leader must be deeply committed to a holistic Islamic education, one that integrates academic rigor, character formation, spiritual development, and identity-building within a coherent Islamic worldview.

The Head of Lower School reports directly to the CEO and serves as a member of the Pedagogical Leadership Team (PLT). This role works in close collaboration with the IB Coordinator, Learning Specialist, School Counselor, AQI Coordinator, Business Manager, and other school leaders to ensure coherence, alignment, and excellence.

A central responsibility of this role is to oversee Tarbiyah Academy’s Preschool program (ages 3–4). The Head of Lower School will:

• Lead the strategic development and implementation of the Preschool program
• Design the Preschool structure, schedule, and program framework aligned with IB Early Years philosophy and the school’s Islamic worldview
• Hire, onboard, supervise, and evaluate Preschool faculty and staff
• Develop admissions processes for Preschool students in collaboration with the Admissions team
• Support marketing and community outreach efforts related to Preschool enrollment
• Ensure developmentally appropriate, play-based, inquiry-driven learning experiences
• Establish strong systems for communication, parent partnership, and transition into Kindergarten
• Ensure compliance with licensing and regulatory requirements in partnership with school leadership

This role requires a builder’s mindset—someone excited to establish strong foundations that will support long-term growth.

• Lead implementation of a high-quality, inquiry-based academic program aligned with the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the school’s Islamic worldview
• Ensure developmentally appropriate, play-based, and concept-driven learning in the Early Years
• Support grade-level teams in strong unit planning, formative assessment, and inquiry cycles
• Conduct classroom observations and provide instructional coaching
• Monitor student learning and guide faculty in responsive instructional planning
• Establish and track Lower School academic goals aligned with school priorities

The Head of Lower School collaborates closely with the IB Coordinator on curriculum alignment, faculty evaluation processes, school calendar planning, and development of the master schedule to ensure coherence across divisions.

• Hire, onboard, and support lower and preschool school faculty
• Lead faculty evaluation, growth conversations, and professional development planning in…