Operations / Administration Leader in Residence/Executive Director
Job Description
Leader in Residence/Executive Director
Metropolitan Lighthouse Charter School, a public charter school serving students in grades K-12 in Highbridge, the Bronx, is seeking to hire a Leader in Residence to begin in December, 2020.
The Leader in Residence (LIR) will take the lead in identifying and planning for academic and instructional capacity building and developing strategies to retain and strengthen our school’s culture and sense of community. The LIR will also lead the renewal process for the school, which will begin in the 2020-21 school year and continue in the 2021-22 school year. The LIR will work closely with the school’s board of trustees, high school and K-8 principals, and the director of operations to ensure the academic, organizational, and financial health of the school and a successful renewal of our charter.
In July, 2021 the person in the position of LIR will transition into the position of Executive Director. The full description of the Executive Director role, qualifications, and responsibilities are described below.
ROLE
The Executive Director (ED) serves as the chief administrative official, providing overall leadership and direction for the school, under the direction of the Board of Trustees (the Board) and in collaboration with all stakeholders. The Executive Director supervises the High School Principal (grades 9-12), Principal of Grades K-8, and Director of Operations.
The ED is responsible for both sustaining and improving a culture of high academic excellence and will have the primary authority and accountability for the academic performance of the school. The ED provides leadership and executes the vision and strategic direction for curriculum, instruction, assessment and school improvement initiatives.
QUALIFICATIONS
A proven track record of attaining exemplary academic results is the paramount qualification for this position. In addition, a successful applicant will have the following experiences and characteristics:
- Experience that includes significant hands-on teaching, coaching, and administrative experience as a department head, head of school or principal at a private, charter or traditional public school and demonstrated success in urban school settings;
- A master’s degree in Education, Education Administration or a related field;
- An inspiring leader and communicator;
- A strong working understanding of New York State charter law and authorizer relations;
- Commitment to the school’s philosophy, mission, and values;
- Flexibility and creativity when problem-solving; and
- Commitment to educational equity.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Academic Oversight—Performs as educational leader, coaches and evaluates the Principals and Director of Operations
- Exhibits a relentless drive to improve the outcomes for, and provide strong programs to address the learning needs of the school’s students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students and other populations that require additional supports
- Communicates the school’s vision and goals in a way that inspires understanding and commitment across staff, students, parents, and community
- Leads the instructional program by harnessing the potential of all staff, and providing strong coordination and a sense of urgency to ensure that all students exhibit strong achievement gains
- Conducts regular classroom visits in coordination with the Principals and provides targeted feedback and follow-up for teachers and staff based on observations
- Collaborates with the Principals to provide high-quality coaching and support to teachers, resulting in improved instruction and classroom management
- Provides targeted guidance to the Principals to maximize the potential of the school’s teaching model
- Plans and implements data-driven, high-quality, ongoing professional learning in response to staff needs to maximize student learning gains and provide targeted resources and support to all teachers
- Oversees the alignment and implementation of the school’s curriculum with the New York State Learning Standards and Testing Program
- Routinely leverages student achievement data and other data points to evaluate program successes, and to recommend and implement granular and school-wide changes to make progress towards goals
Leadership—Ensures that people and resources are allocated appropriately to achieve the charter goals.
- Establishes and leads an effective school leadership team in a manner that engages and empowers others to take action and responsibility to achieve results
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- Articulates mission, values, and behavioral expectations that drive student achievement
- Leads staff in maintaining a climate of excellence, accountability, and respect
- Builds a school culture defined by integrity, rigor, equity, and motivation for all students and staff
- Develops a clear direction and shared purpose that guides and unifies all stakeholders
Strategic and Organizational Planning—Ensures that frameworks and practices are in place to ensure regular cycles of long-range strategic planning and annual goal setting that incorporates data on student performance and stakeholder feedback.
- Drives a collaborative planning process with the school leadership teams that results in the development of yearly academic goals aligned the school’s charter and authorizer benchmarks
- Ensures that the school’s mission is front-and-center when developing, executing, and/or modifying programs and activities
- Ensures that processes are in place to assess organizational performance and to support planning for ongoing school improvement
- Uses an ongoing process of data collection to drive the identification of student needs
- Develops, articulates, and maintains policies and procedures that are consistent with the school’s mission, philosophy, and goals
- Oversees and supports the development, design and delivery of program initiatives, assuring that the goals and objectives are aligned with the school’s overall strategic plan
- Supervises all aspects of legal and charter compliance including keeping abreast of legislative issues and developments
- Acts as the primary liaison between the school and its authorizer and maintains a strong, collaborative relationship with the authorizer
- Works with the staff, Finance Committee, and Board to prepare budgets, monitor progress, and initiate changes as appropriate
- Oversees the fiscal activities of the school, including budgeting, reporting, and auditing
- Develops and nurture new and existing philanthropic relationships while increasing the school’s capacity for fundraising and development
- Oversees ongoing development efforts, in collaboration with the Board
Positive School Culture—Ensures the development of an explicit shared vision for the school that incorporates the voices and perspectives of diverse stakeholders and opinions
- Fosters open communications among staff and respects differences of opinion
- Effectively delegates decision making and problem solving to appropriate personnel
- Listens to and responds appropriately to staff, student, parent, and community concerns
- Includes various stakeholders in decision making where appropriate
- Clearly communicates decisions and rationale to all affected
- Promotes a climate of professional collegiality and respect
Board Partnership—Works collaboratively with the Board as stewards of the charter.
- Serves as an ex-officio member of the Board and works with the Board chair to set agendas and documents for meetings
- Attends other committee meetings as invited or necessary to ensure the effective and efficient running of the school
- Provides direction and communicates to the Board on all school related matters
- Provides pertinent information and reporting to the Board
- Recommends needed policy changes and action
- With the Board chair, focuses Board attention on long-range strategic issues
- Manages the Board’s due-diligence process to assure timely attention to core issues
- Partners with the Board and leadership team to develop a strategic plan for implementation of school mission
- Informs the Board about current trends and developments in education and rules and regulations of the NYS Department of Education and state and federal laws
Administration and Human Resources—Works to ensure that the principles of best practice and integrity guide all school operations.
- Recruits and retains a highly qualified staff with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives that support the school’s mission
- Supervises hiring/firing of all personnel
- Ensures compliance of all policies, procedures, and directions
- Ensures compliance with relevant workplace and employment laws
- Ensures that job descriptions are developed and that regular performance reviews are completed and documented
- Ensures filing of all required reports by state and federal law/regulation
- Advises committees and board of the need for new and revised policies. Involves staff and committees in the process
- Implements policies of the school board and recommends actions and alternatives to the Board
- Makes administrative decisions necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the school, including working with consultants, as needed
- Oversees Staff Personnel Management
- Develops a recruitment plan and organizes recruitment of personnel
- Oversees the implementation of a personnel performance evaluation system
- Oversees planning and evaluation of professional learning program
Community Relations—Ensures robust parent and community engagement that supports students’ success and the school community.
- Develops and nurtures community relationships and maintains a positive image of the school in the community
- Directs the development of plans to promote good relations between the school and the community
- Promotes effective communication between parents and the school and encourages parent visits and involvement in decision making as appropriate
- Establishes and makes use of working relationships with peer schools and develops and maintains connections with local, state, and national organizations
- Participates in community affairs that promote the school’s mission
COMPENSATION:
Competitive salary and benefits offered.
