Small School…Large Impact…Tremendous Joy

The Harbor School, an independent, co-educational school designed for children in Preschool through 3rd Grade located in Potomac, Maryland is seeking their next Head of School starting July 1, 2026. 

With over 50 years of experience in educating young children, Harbor’s mission embraces the uniqueness of each young child. The school is devoted to teaching the students to celebrate their uniqueness in themselves and others. As the name suggests, the school is committed to providing a safe harbor for every child to flourish. Differentiated instruction and individualized attention allow each child to thrive and to reach his or her fullest potential. Active, cross-curricular learning occurs through play, exploration, and direct instruction with a child-centered approach. Harbor prides itself on the close and accessible relationships fostered with all families.

The Harbor School was founded in 1973 and is located in a beautiful facility on the grounds of Congregation Har Shalom, in Potomac Maryland though the school is not affiliated with the Temple. The campus features a 10,000 square foot educational building, 7,000-book library, large indoor multi use space with performance stage, and outdoor playground. The Harbor School has an open admission policy. Fifty-five percent of Harbor’s students are from diverse backgrounds.

The Harbor School is accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS). It is also a member of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW), the Washington Small Schools Association (WSSA) and the Parents Council of Washington (PCW).

A full Leadership Profile is soon to come. However, community sentiment points to the ideal candidate for the next Head of School being someone who is:

• A passionate and inspirational leader who embraces The Harbor School’s commitment to early childhood education
• A dynamic communicator with an active presence who is able to promote the school’s mission to current and prospective parents and faculty, and enrich relationships with area schools and the community at large.
• An experienced administrator with an entrepreneurial mindset.
• A collaborative leader with experience in building a cohesive leadership team and an ability to develop an effective partnership with the Board of Trustees.
• An experienced educator well-versed in current research on advancing an innovative early childhood program.

This search will be on an expedited timeline so applications will be reviewed as received. Application materials should be emailed to: André Withers at awithers@educatorscollaborative.com and your full dossier will include the following: 

• A candidate Summary Sheet and Disclosure Form (requested from the consultant upon expressing interest)
• A cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest in and qualifications for this position at this time in their career 
• A current resume
• An educational philosophy related to early childhood; and 
• The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of five professional references. 

All materials, inquiries, and nominations will be held in strict confidence at this time.

About The Harbor School

Early childhood education has been our specialty at The Harbor School since 1973, and we take this responsibility seriously. The early childhood years, in Preschool-Grade 3, are a critical developmental stage that forms the foundation of a child’s future growth and advancement. We educate each child as a unique learner with differentiated instruction and individualized attention so that your child can develop and thrive to reach their fullest potential. We accomplish this with dynamic, experienced teachers in every classroom and a curriculum that increases in rigor, individual responsibility and social awareness over the course of a child’s time at Harbor. To meet the development needs of the whole child, our program has three key components: academic, social emotional, and physical.

Connections working at The Harbor School