Operations / Administration Director, School Quality
Job Description
About RootED Denver
We’ve set an audacious goal: All Denver Public Schools students will attend a high-performing school that prepares them for what’s next—success in college, in careers, and in life.
At RootED, we believe students, schools, and communities thrive when they have the access, tools, and resources to drive change. That’s why we provide funding and strategic support to schools and organizations that authentically engage their communities to create world-class public schools for every student in Denver.
Reaching our goal requires a departure from the status quo. The lack of access to a quality education disproportionately affects students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities. Many of these children, their families, educators, and surrounding communities are left out of efforts to improve their schools.
So, we’re investing in partners that ensure those voices are at the center of decision-making. Specifically, our funding priorities include:
- Empowering students, families, and educators by providing access, tools, and resources for traditionally underrepresented stakeholders to advocate for better educational outcomes
- Expanding high-quality schools—specifically those that successfully serve students who are low-income, students of color, and/or students with disabilities
- Recruiting, developing, and retaining strong teachers and leaders who reflect the diversity of the students they serve
About the Role:
As the Director, School Quality you will play a pivotal role in overseeing the effective prioritization, execution, and resource allocation for various initiatives in support quality schools in Denver with a focus on closing the persistent racial equity gaps and supporting the Denver charter sector. Your responsibilities include leading initiatives and projects related to overall school quality and charter sector work related to collaboration, advocacy, growth and district relations with Denver Public Schools.
This position requires a detail-oriented, collaborative, and proactive individual with excellent organizational and communication skills.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Develop tools to monitor school quality in Denver with focus on addressing the persistent equity gaps among disadvantaged student populations.
- Lead strategy and advocacy for policies to improve school quality and minimize racial equity gaps across DPS.
- Manage support for the Denver charter leaders, Collaborative Council and various consultants to ensure effective collaboration, prioritization and execution of charter sector initiatives.
- Monitor, evaluate and support charter sector quality to improve student outcomes and improve racial equity gaps.
- Engage and support charter leaders (new and existing) to support enrollment growth.
- Manage RootED grantmaking initiatives to the Denver charter sector related to new school development, enrollment support, advocacy and quality improvement.
- Facilitate strong relationships with charter school leadership in order to support expansion and tailor support provided by RootED and other key partners.
- Lead efforts to engage with charter board members including building a pipeline of potential charter board members, supporting understanding of charter sector initiatives, strong governance, collaboration and advocacy.
- Maintain relationships with key Denver Public School staff related to school quality, charter school matters and authorizing.
- Engage extensively across the organization to rapidly connect information and individuals, driving projects, programs, and initiatives on an organization-wide scale.
- Lead and orchestrate the planning and development of key events and meetings, ensuring they align with desired outcomes.
- Collaborate with diverse community partners to conceptualize, define, and enhance innovative ideas in alignment with organizational priorities.
- Anticipate the needs of the ecosystem and respond promptly.
- Collaborate with all RootED staff to generate regular reports on program metrics and outcomes for both internal and external stakeholders.
- Assist in the preparation of grant impact reports and other documentation for RootED funders and stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and efficiency in program implementation.
This position will be employed within RootED and will report to the Managing Partner.
Key Qualifications:
Strong candidates will have the following skills and experiences:
- A minimum of 5-10 years professional experience working in a public charter school context with a track record executing on strategies and delivering results to improve quality and expand access..
- Knowledge and expertise related to charter school governance and the policy context that charter schools operate under in Denver and the State of Colorado.
- Ability to foster collaboration across a diverse set of stakeholders and operators.
- Experience driving school quality and growth initiatives.
- Strong understanding of the Denver education sector and the relation to the broader Colorado education ecosystem.
- An unwavering commitment to community-driven change, educational quality and advancing racial equity in Denver.
- An ability to build trusted relationships and effectively communicate needs across lines of difference.
- Confidence in developing and communicating program strategy to senior stakeholders and system leaders.
- Strong organizational, coordination and project management experience.
- Connection and/or proximity with the Denver communities most impacted by educational inequities and an appreciation of the nuance of Metro Denver neighborhoods (we encourage DPS alumni to apply).
Team Orientation:
- Collaborative: Oriented toward flat team hierarchies and highly collaborative decision making that frequently requires working through varying points of view to reach consensus.
- Adaptable: Skilled at pivoting approaches based on changing needs and contexts.
- Action-oriented: able and willing to jump into a wide variety of tasks that advance the team’s mission, including tasks beyond their official job duties and tasks they haven’t done before.
- Responsive: Able to make themselves available and accountable to stakeholders and to the RootED team (including on evenings and weekends as needed).
- No Ego: Oriented toward supporting and empowering senior civic leaders and communities to lead.
- Growth Mindset: Comfortable regularly giving and receiving feedback and making changes based on feedback to support the collective growth of the team.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary for this position is $90,000-$125,000 per year depending on experience. RootED also offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k), plus other benefits.
RootED is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.
How to Apply
Application To apply, please submit a resume and a response to the prompts below to jobs@rootEDdenver.org. The preferred application deadline is Monday, April 1, 2024. Please answer the following briefly and in a medium of your choosing (if you answer in written form, please keep to under 150 words per response; if you answer in video form, please keep to under 2 minutes per response).- What makes you a great potential fit for this role?
- What does community-driven change mean to you?
