Managing Director

The context: appropriate education

On August 1, 2014, the Dutch government introduced “appropriate education” with the goal of ensuring that every child is placed in the most suitable educational setting possible. All students must be placed in a school that matches their strengths and abilities. Appropriate education helps every child reach their full potential. Schools therefore provide appropriate education to students with additional educational and support needs.

Partnerships

Regional partnerships have been established to implement the Appropriate Education Act. In an appropriate education partnership, mainstream schools and schools for special (primary) education in a region work together. They agree on what support mainstream schools will provide, which students will be placed in special (primary) education, and how support resources will be allocated. These agreements are set out in the support plan. In the Netherlands, there are a total of 76 partnerships for primary education and 76 partnerships for secondary education.

SWV PassendWijs

The PassendWijs Partnership operates in the municipalities of Arnhem, Rheden, Rozendaal, Overbetuwe, Lingewaard, and Renkum. All member boards of the PassendWijs partnership have agreed on how to provide the best possible appropriate education for every student. The PassendWijs partnership consists of 25 boards representing 134 schools for primary and special education. These include schools for general education, special primary education (SBO), and special education (SO).

Structure

The SWV PassendWijs Foundation is organized with a board of directors and a supervisory board. In addition, all affiliated school boards are members of a participants’ council, and there is a Support Plan Council (OPR) and a Staff Participation Council.

Work Organization

The PassendWijs Partnership Foundation has a single-member board, consisting of an executive director. The executive director oversees the day-to-day operations of the foundation. In addition, he or she is responsible for developing and implementing the foundation’s policies and activities and is authorized to take all necessary actions in that regard.

The managing director has the following core responsibilities:

• Ensure the development (once every four years) of the support plan;
• Maintaining the financial records of all cash flows within and related to special education;
• Monitoring, ensuring, and reporting on quality assurance regarding the implementation of the support plan to the participating school boards and parent-teacher associations;
• Has final responsibility for the process and the issuance of the Statements of Admissibility (TLVs);
• Regular reporting to the Supervisory Board and the Participants’ Council on the budget and financial statements, as well as on the quality of the implementation of the support plan by the participating school boards and the participatory bodies;
• Managing the workplace and consulting with employee representative bodies.

The organization consists of regional coordinators, specialists, and educational psychologists who provide guidance and advice to participating schools and parents. In addition, the executive director is assisted by a financial advisor (the actual administrative work is outsourced) and by a number of staff members who provide policy and administrative support.

The Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board consists of four independent members and an independent chairperson. The Supervisory Board is the employer of the executive board (the executive director) and oversees the quality of the partnership and the implementation of the Support Plan. The Supervisory Board oversees the executive board’s policies and the general course of affairs within the foundation and its affiliated parties. The members of the Supervisory Board advise the Executive Director. The Supervisory Board oversees the approval and implementation of the strategic direction as described in the Support Plan and periodically discusses the main policy guidelines, as set forth in the Support Plan.

Participant Council

All member boards within the partnership collectively form the Participants’ Council. The purpose of the Participants’ Council is to give voice to the involvement of the member participants in the partnership and to help shape the partnership’s policy. To this end, the Participants’ Council has been granted a number of powers. These include, for example:

• Establishing the foundation’s strategic objectives (vision and mission);
• Adoption of the Support Plan, the annual plan, and the (multi-year) budget
• The adoption or amendment of the articles of incorporation;
• The job description for members of the supervisory board;

The members of the Participants’ Council are accountable to one another and to the partnership’s board for the use of support funds and the results achieved through them. The Participants’ Council also serves as a forum for the mutual exchange of knowledge and information, as well as for discussing future policy within the partnership and the implementation of current policy.

Employee participation

The partnership has a participatory structure consisting of two components:

• An employee participation council (MRP) elected from among and by the staff who are currently employed by, or have been working for at least six months without a formal appointment at, the partnership;
• A Support Plan Council (OPR) composed of parents and staff members from member schools. The OPR has the right to approve the support plan and the right to provide input on matters such as the appointment of the director.

The subregions

The 120 regular elementary schools and special education (elementary) schools within the SWV PassendWijs network are organized by region. These are the following regions:

• Arnhem
• Overbetuwe/Lingewaard
• Renkum
• Rheden/Rozendaal

The tasks

The PassendWijs Partnership Foundation is an organization in the process of development. Recently, for example, there has been a strong focus on establishing a governance structure that makes the relationships between the various bodies within the SWV transparent and clear. The best way to implement appropriate education and how to improve its quality are topics of discussion. The same applies to the level of support the SWV provides to participants during implementation. This lays the groundwork for the new Support Plan, which will be adopted in 2023. In doing so, a good balance is always sought in the division of roles between the participating schools and school boards, the role of the region, and the role of the SWV.

One of the challenges for the coming years is to further develop and expand the SWV into an efficient and effective organization that works together with participants to enhance the quality of appropriate education. Part of this involves the ambition to evolve the partnership into a learning network and to strengthen quality assurance within the SWV. The new executive director will take the lead in this effort. In both areas, the information function (collecting and analyzing data) and collaboration, knowledge exchange, and knowledge retention among the professionals involved play a key role.

We are looking for an executive director who can provide leadership in a unifying and inspiring way to guide the process through which these developments can be implemented and realized.

Who are we looking for?

Based on the responsibilities described here, we are looking for someone who is passionate about and knowledgeable in the field of inclusive education—someone who keeps the best interests of children and their parents/guardians at the forefront of everything we do. We believe that, given the current stage of the partnership, you must strike a good balance between the ability to build connections and the drive to take decisive action. This calls for someone who is strong in process management and knows how to act effectively within a complex environment, while keeping an eye on the interests of the various stakeholders (including external stakeholders such as municipalities) and relevant societal developments. And who also has the ability to bring these ambitions to fruition—with a keen eye for the process. To effectively ensure the organization’s operational processes, business management experience is desirable, and you will also need to be an inspiring leader for your colleagues. Finally, you must possess sufficient flexibility in both thought and action.

Our question

We have provided an overview of the context and challenges facing SWV PassendWijs and have outlined what we believe our new director should be able to bring to the table. But what we’re really curious about is your own perspective on this.

That is why we ask that, instead of a cover letter, you submit a brief statement (no more than 2 A4 pages) in which you share your thoughts on the following questions:

• The SWV PassendWijs is still under development. Central to this is the question of how the quality of appropriate education within our region can be strengthened by further developing the quality of the support plan, establishing and ensuring quality assurance and its implementation (both in terms of content and finances), and by developing the role of the knowledge center (as a learning organization). Our question is whether you could share your perspective on these developments and how you envision the desired positioning of the SWV (the roles of the various stakeholders within the SWV) in 2025.
• In addition, we’re interested in what you can bring to the table (what qualities you possess), but also what you need to make this a reality. We’re also curious about your self-reflection. No one is good at everything. What are your areas of weakness, and what qualities would you like to see in your team to complement those areas and help you realize your vision for the future?

You can find more background information (structure, financial statements, and support plan)on the SWV PassendWijs website.

What do we offer?

We are offering a management position within a growing organization. In this role, you will have ample opportunity to take the initiative and help shape that growth. Together with all team members, you can make a difference for children who need appropriate educational support. You will do this in an environment filled with passionate and dedicated professionals, working partly under direct supervision and partly through collaboration. We offer employment terms commensurate with the responsibilities of the position, for a 32- to 38-hour workweek (32 hours over 4 days is possible). We are also open to hybrid work arrangements.

Procedure

SWV PassendWijs is being assisted in this process by the executive search firm Colourful People. If you would like more information about SWV PassendWijs or the process, please contact Rick Verhoeven, a partner at Colourful People (06 267 067 57).

If you are interested in this exciting and challenging position, please submit a brief statement outlining your vision along with your resume (in PDF format) by December 24 at the latest using the "Apply" button on this page.

The selection process is as follows:

• Colourful People will handle the initial screening for us. From among the candidates they deem suitable, the selection committee will choose up to four candidates to be invited for an interview;
• The selection process at SWV PassendWijs is as follows:
  • An initial interview with the selection committee, which includes representatives from the Board of Trustees and the Student Council;
  • Candidates deemed eligible for appointment by the selection committee will proceed to the next round, where they will have an in-depth interview with the selection committee.
  • In addition, there will be a meeting with the advisory committee, which includes representatives from MRP and OPR as well as the management team.
  • Based on the outcome of those interviews, the selection committee will recommend the preferred candidate to the Board of Trustees for appointment.

Interviews with the selection committee and the advisory committee are scheduled for weeks 3 and 4 of 2023