When I accepted the Head of School role at Genesis Global Community School, it wasn't a school yet.
It was a vision, a campus, and a lot of ambition. The founder wanted to build an IB World School from scratch — Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme. I had two years to make it happen.
We did it. Both programmes authorized within our target timeline.
This is the story of how — including the parts that aren't in the accreditation reports.
What We Started With
Let me be clear about the starting point:
- A new campus, still being built
- A handful of enrolled students (very few)
- Almost no staff
- No curriculum documentation
- No policies, handbooks, or systems
- No IB experience on the team
- A very tight budget
What we had: a founder with deep pockets and commitment, a supportive (if inexperienced) board, and a clear goal.
That's it. Everything else had to be built.
The First 100 Days
My first priority wasn't curriculum or IB preparation. It was building the operational foundation that would allow everything else to happen.
I've since codified this into the 5 systems every new Head needs. Back then, I was figuring it out as I went.
Hiring the Right People
We needed teachers who could both teach and build. In a new school, you can't hire people who just want to execute a curriculum — there is no curriculum yet. You need people who can create and iterate.
I looked for:
- IB experience or certification (ideally both)
- Comfort with ambiguity
- Collaborative mindset
- Resilience
I was honest in interviews: "This will be hard. There will be no systems when you arrive. You'll be building the plane while flying it. Is that exciting or terrifying to you?"
The people who said "exciting" were the right hires.
Creating Basic Systems
Before we could do anything sophisticated, we needed basic operations:
- Communication systems (email, messaging, parent portal)
- Documentation systems (shared drives, templates)
- Meeting rhythms (weekly team, monthly all-hands)
- Decision protocols (who decides what)
These weren't fancy. But they created the infrastructure for everything else.
Setting the Pace
New schools can burn out their staff quickly. The temptation is to do everything at once because everything feels urgent.
I set a deliberate pace: two major initiatives per quarter, maximum. We couldn't do everything. We could do a few things well.
This meant saying no to good ideas. A lot of good ideas. But it kept the team sustainable.
The IB Candidacy Process
To become an IB World School, you go through a multi-phase process:
- Consideration: IB evaluates if you're a serious candidate
- Candidacy: You're approved to prepare for authorization (1-2 years)
- Authorization: IB evaluates your readiness and grants (or denies) authorization
We applied for candidacy in both PYP and MYP simultaneously. This was ambitious — most schools do one programme at a time. But our timeline required it.
The Candidacy Application
The candidacy application requires demonstrating:
- Commitment to IB philosophy
- Adequate resources (facilities, budget, staff)
- A realistic implementation plan
- Board and leadership support
We spent months on this application. It forced us to articulate things we hadn't yet figured out:
- What would our curriculum look like?
- How would we structure our school day?
- What professional development would we provide?
- How would we assess student learning?
The application was exhausting. It was also clarifying. By the time we submitted, we had a real plan.
The Candidacy Visit
An IB team visited to verify our application. They toured the campus, interviewed staff, met with leadership, reviewed documents.
The visit was stressful. But we prepared thoroughly:
- Every teacher knew the IB philosophy and could speak to it
- Documentation was organized and accessible
- The campus looked like an IB school (displays, language, environment)
- We were honest about what we hadn't figured out yet
Candidacy was approved for both programmes.
Building the Programmes
Candidacy gave us a runway to build. Here's what that looked like.
Curriculum Development
IB doesn't give you a curriculum. It gives you a framework. You have to develop the actual content yourself.
For PYP, this meant:
- Creating units of inquiry for each grade level
- Mapping transdisciplinary themes to learning outcomes
- Designing assessment strategies
- Building resource libraries
For MYP, this meant:
- Developing subject guides for each discipline
- Creating assessment criteria aligned to IB standards
- Planning interdisciplinary connections
- Designing the service learning programme
This work happened collaboratively. Teachers worked in teams to design and review each other's work. I protected time for this — sacred curriculum days that couldn't be interrupted.
Professional Development
Most of our teachers had never taught in an IB school. We needed intensive professional development.
We invested in:
- IB workshop attendance for every teacher
- Regular internal training sessions
- Collaborative planning time
- Visits to other IB schools
This was expensive. But there's no shortcut to IB authorization — you need trained staff.
Documentation
IB authorization requires extensive documentation. Not for bureaucracy's sake, but because good documentation reflects good practice.
We created:
- Programme overviews
- Assessment policies
- Inclusion policies
- Language policies
- Academic honesty policies
- Curriculum maps
- Unit planners
Every document went through multiple drafts. We got feedback from IB consultants, from experienced IB teachers, from our own team.
By authorization, our documentation was comprehensive. Not because IB required it, but because building it forced us to clarify our practice.
The Authorization Visit
After 18 months of candidacy, the authorization team arrived.
This is the make-or-break moment. A team of IB educators spends several days in your school:
- Observing classes
- Reviewing documentation
- Interviewing teachers, students, parents, board
- Evaluating facilities and resources
They're looking for alignment between what you say and what you do. It's not enough to have good policies — you have to be living them.
What We Got Right
Several things helped us succeed:
Authentic implementation. We weren't performing for the visit. We were showing what we actually did every day. Our practices were embedded, not staged.
Teacher ownership. Teachers could speak fluently about IB philosophy because they had internalized it. They weren't reciting talking points.
Student voice. Our students could explain what they were learning and why. They understood the IB language because we used it with them constantly.
Honest reflection. We didn't pretend to be perfect. When the team asked about challenges, we were candid about what we were still working on. This built credibility.
What Made It Hard
The visit wasn't easy. Some challenges:
Documentation gaps. Despite our preparation, the team found documents we hadn't developed or hadn't connected clearly. We had to produce materials on the spot.
Inconsistent implementation. Some teachers were further along than others. The team noticed the variation.
Facilities still developing. Our campus was new and some spaces weren't fully equipped. We had to explain our plans.
Exhaustion. By the time of the visit, our team was tired. Two years of intense building had taken a toll.
The Result
Both programmes authorized.
When I got the call, I cried. Then I called my team together and we celebrated.
We had done something that many said couldn't be done in our timeline. We were an IB World School.
What I Learned
Looking back, several lessons stand out:
Lesson 1: Hire for the Situation
New school building requires different skills than established school leading. I needed builders, not maintainers. Every great hire understood the context and was energized by it.
Lesson 2: Systems Enable Everything
Without operational systems, the curriculum and IB work would have drowned in chaos. Basic infrastructure — communication, documentation, meetings, decisions — enabled everything else.
This is why I now help other school leaders build these systems first. It's the foundation for everything.
Lesson 3: Pace Matters
We could have tried to do everything at once. We would have burned out. By limiting our focus to a few priorities at a time, we maintained quality and sustainability.
Lesson 4: Documentation Is Thinking
Writing policies and curriculum documents wasn't busywork. It was the thinking that made our practice clear. The writing forced clarity.
Lesson 5: Authenticity Wins
We didn't try to look like something we weren't. We built practices that were real and showed them honestly. The authorization team could tell the difference.
The Cost
I should be honest about the cost.
Building this school consumed my life for two years. Evenings. Weekends. Mental energy even when I wasn't working.
My relationships suffered. My health suffered. I recovered, but not everyone does.
I've written about this in What I Wish I Knew Before My First Year as Head. The work is intense. Self-care isn't optional.
Would I do it again? Yes. But I would build better boundaries. I would protect my sustainability even when the work felt urgent.
The school exists because of what we built. I'm proud of that. But I learned that martyrdom isn't leadership.
What's Next
I've since moved on from Genesis. The school continues to thrive under new leadership — which is how you know you built something real.
Now I help other leaders build their schools. Not because I want to consult, but because I know how hard this work is without support. I could have used someone who had done it before.
If you're building a new school, preparing for IB authorization, or leading through a major transition — let's talk. I've been where you are.
And if you want the systems and templates I wish I'd had from day one, check out the No-Admin Second Brain Guide — it's everything I learned about running a school without being run by one.