About Dayton Public Schools

Dayton Public Schools (DPS) is situated in the 4th largest metropolitan area in Ohio and serves approximately 12,500 students in 27 pre-school, elementary, middle and high schools. Known as the Birthplace of Aviation, Dayton has a long history of innovation, and a rich higher education community including Central State University, Wilberforce University, Sinclair College, Wright State University, and University of Dayton, all nearby. We are also proud of our arts and culture scene, and we boast over 16,000 acres of outdoor recreation including parks, hiking trails and open green spaces. Our district spans 49 square miles and has approximately 2,300 dedicated staff. Students attending Dayton have benefited from a rich athletic history, one-to-one technology, the College Credit Plus Program, Challenging Learning Centers, and the expansion of Project Lead the Way and STEM programming. The mission of DPS is to equip our students to achieve success in a global society by implementing an effective and rigorous curriculum with fidelity.

About the Superintendent Role

The seven-member Board of Education of the Dayton Public Schools is seeking the district’s next permanent Superintendent. In completing this search, the Board is seeking a leader with the ability to develop a unified vision for education in the district, setting the foundation for the next 5, 10, even 20 years of the district’s future. We are seeking a leader who has demonstrated success for students, and is able to provide schools with the guidance, tools and autonomy to enable the success of each of our students. At this time, the Board has deliberately organized the district’s leadership to allow the Superintendent to maximize their focus on the academic success of students. The Business Manager role, which is accountable for operations, will report directly to the Board, along with the Treasurer role responsible for Finance (the treasurer role normally reports to the Board in the state of Ohio.)

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities) 

Develop a unified vision for student success, inspiring hope and strengthening our culture

• Partner with students, staff, families and the Board to identify our top priorities moving forward and to develop a vision for DPS that can take us into the next 5, 10, even 20 years into the future.
• Set educational/academic goals and galvanize action across the board members, administrators, teachers, parents, students and the broader education, civic, and philanthropic communities around a shared plan to ensure high quality learning experiences for our students in every building.
• Adopt instructional models and structures based on practices that are research based, culturally responsive and demonstrated to be effective and holistic; serving the whole child to meet student needs.
• Develop innovative approaches to prepare our students for careers or college while addressing systemic inequities in order to improve the experience of students, teachers and families.
• Ensure learning environments that fully support multilingual learners and students with diverse learning needs.
• Ensure the wellbeing of students navigating challenging circumstances including foster care system, students that are unhoused or in temporary housing, and students grappling with issues of gender and sexual identity.

Cultivate a thriving workforce of staff and educators through thoughtful professional development systems and retention practices

• Develops and leads a high-performing leadership team to achieve ambitious goals aligned with the district’s strategic plan.
• Recruit, retain, develop and inspire effective staff at every level of the organization with an emphasis on diversity, fair and equitable compensation, and culturally responsive education practices.
• Create the conditions where our intergenerational workforce wants to stay with us because they have the appropriate guidance, support, development, and collaboration that they need in order to do their best work on behalf of the students they serve.
• Create and nurture conditions for professional growth and organizational learning through purposeful cycles of continuous feedback and coaching.

Build and cultivate strong relationships across the district and in the community

• Nurture trusting relationships with community members and partners in an effort to offer solutions that create value for students, families, and staff.
• Work closely and openly with the Board and foster an open relationship and clear vision for role clarity between the Board of Directors and the Superintendent.
• Expand trust, partnership and connection with our community, learning what matters to our families and our communities to inform key decisions and priorities for the district.
• Welcome students as partners in the decision-making process ensuring that students’ voices and feedback are heard at all levels of the organization.

Partner and collaborate with the district’s Business Manager to understand and assess the footprint of the district and support efficient operations within the district 

• Ensure the safety and security of every student in our care and every staff member in our district across our schools and sites.
• Support the equitable maintenance of district facilities and operations to support the instructional vision for the district.

Partner and collaborate with the district’s Treasurer to ensure effective financial management strategies Set priorities to maintain a high quality and equitable academic program within the district’s financial means.

• Ensure maximum resource utilization, budget management, and sustainable finances.
• Support the identification of funding opportunities that enhance revenues through grants, partnerships, and state legislation.

What Skills You Need to Be Successful (Competencies)

Student-Centered Leadership

• Leads courageously, centered on children, and seeks out the voices of marginalized communities to ensure diverse input on key decisions.
• Demonstrates belief and holds self and others accountable for reaching high academic achievement of all students.
• Takes a holistic view of student success, supporting the whole child and seeking measures beyond standardized test scores to understand the district’s progress in providing successful learning experiences for each student.
• Pushes back thoughtfully when needed to avoid distraction from core priorities and goals in the better interest of student success.

Strong Communication and Collaboration

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to connect and engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Leads with empathy and humility; listens to understand, and seeks feedback to improve communication and relationships.
• Engages in transparency in decision making and shares with stakeholders how their input informed the district’s decisions.
• Builds trust among board members, district staff, teachers, and leaders, and core stakeholders to establish a shared vision for the district.
• Effective collaboration and coalition building skills; passionate about bringing in other voices, feedback and perspectives.
• Maintains consistent visibility and ensures the organization’s accessibility to stakeholders.

Demonstrated Ability to Implement and Manage Equitable Practices 

• Addresses matters of race, equity and bias in how decisions are made with clarity, confidence, humility, historical context, and empathy. Recognize power dynamics that exist within the organization at all levels and eliminate inequities through honest conversations and purposeful actions.
• Navigates systemic racism and other oppressive systems through intentional analysis and documented action; addresses systemic inequities to improve the experience and outcomes for students, teachers, staff and families of color across the district.
• Fosters, promotes, and drives a culture of inclusion in the organization and commits to strengthen equitable practices in the district’s planning, prioritization and implementation of key initiatives.
• Creates authentic, meaningful relationships across lines of difference (race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic background, LGBTQIA+ status, etc.) both internally and externally.

Capacity Building and Team Champion

• Empowers direct reports to provide frequent and open feedback regarding district practices and policies, and to elevate the impact the team’s work has on stakeholders.
• Supports a collaborative and healthy work environment with mutual respect to achieve ambitious goals.
• Accurately assesses team and individuals skills, identifies development needs, and provides feedback and support to improve practice, build capacity, maximize talent, and distribute leadership.
• Celebrates successes and rewards team achievements.
• Models professional growth and learning through continuous feedback, honesty, reflection, and coaching.

Innovation and Systems Change Leadership 

• Commits to using a process of continuous inquiry and improvement, communicating results transparently while establishing the path forward.
• Establishes and maintains a systems perspective while managing/prioritizing competing demands.
• Exhibits exceptional critical-thinking skills and experience in leading data-driven practices at a systems-level, including the ability to analyze data, identify trends, pinpoint problems and root causes, ask probing questions, set goals, track resources, and develop innovative solutions.
• Pursues and implements innovative ideas and methods. Committed to seeking out and sharing current research and evidence-based best practices to reimagine what education looks like.
• Navigates complex environments and acts with integrity, honesty, transparency, and courage in the best interest of students.
• Analyzes complex situations and data, before making decisions, and then sets clear metrics for success, monitor progress, and communicate progress along the way.