About Equitas Academy

Equitas Academy (“Equitas”, “EQ”) was founded in 2009 and now serves over 2,000 scholars across six campuses – four TK-4 elementary campuses and two 5-8 middle school campuses, with more schools opening in the near future. Serving the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles, Equitas provides a structured, achievement-based community that prepares scholars to graduate from four-year colleges and universities.

About the Managing Director of Schools

Reporting to the Chief Schools Officer (CSO), the Managing Director of Schools will provide equity-driven leadership focused on leadership development and coaching, aligned instruction, professional development, data analysis, and continuous improvement. The Managing Director of Schools will provide direct oversight of School Directors and will work closely with the CSO, Managing Director of Academics, Managing Director of Student Services, network leaders, and teacher leaders related to instruction, curriculum design and implementation, progress monitoring, and development opportunities. This individual must be an experienced and accomplished instructional leader who is compelled by the opportunity to serve scholars and families of our community, aligned with our mission, and approach all aspects of the work with an equity and inclusion mindset.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Visionary Instructional Leadership and Strategy (25%)

• Support the Chief Schools Officer in overseeing school management and performance of all Equitas schools, fostering a culture of achievement, anti-racism, community orientation and growth;
• Assess the effectiveness of the schools using qualitative and quantitative data outcomes to effectively prioritize, plan, and implement improvements, while maintaining a warm, joyful, and inclusive space for scholars.
• Build on Equitas’ successes to drive innovation and apply research-based best practices which inform instruction, intervention programs and improve the delivery of support services.
• Implement the model of Strategic Operator in relationship between the network office and the schools by defining the network program expectations and the opportunities for school based design.
• Apply current research and best practices in school design, school leadership, school turnaround, and school improvement to ensure accountability targets are met and align with the network’s strategic and annual plan priorities and goals.

People Leadership and Growth Development (40%)

• Manage, develop and lead individual School Directors towards strong talent outcomes such as teacher performance, retention, and staff engagement.
• Facilitate collaboration among School Directors and school sites to ensure high quality implementation of the schools’ educational design and to promote Equitas’ culture in strong central office and school partnership.
• Use qualitative and quantitative data to assess leadership capacity, to provide coaching support and to deliver formal and informal feedback aligned to established performance plans and goals.
• Actively coach and develop School Directors to be effective in their roles and in the management of their teams.
• Develop and lead professional development opportunities for School Directors and their site leadership teams (individually and collectively) that increase leadership skills, performance, and organizational leadership.
• Collaborate intensively and strategically with organizational leaders in order to align support to schools and prioritization of student and educator experiences.

Results Orientation and Systems Support (35%)

• Maximize the use of data in informing instruction and making decisions about student learning and access to ensure systems are in place for school directors to engage in data driven conversations with their teachers and site leaders.
• Lead the goal-setting process with school directors to ensure that academic and culture goals are ambitious, aligned with the vision of Equitas Academy and rigorous for all scholars.
• Assess the efficacy and effectiveness of the academic programs through coaching conversations, regular observations and school walk-throughs and support school directors in identifying appropriate resources to ensure alignment in implementation.
• Establish performance management processes for evaluating the effectiveness of school programs, operational efficiency, and accuracy in the district support and school level implementation.
• Create proactive systems that garner feedback from stakeholders (network team members, school directors, site leaders, teachers and staff) to inform school support and school improvement strategy and practice.
• Ensure that the plan for student culture supports a culture of achievement, aligns with organization values, utilizes restorative justice theory and practices, and maximizes the right balance of warmth and high expectations across all school campuses.
• Build and manage the system to investigate, respond to, and resolve conflicts, complaints, and concerns of families, community groups and other public stakeholders which have been elevated to the network office.
• Collaborate with network departments to organize communication and support for School Directors and site leadership teams.

Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following:

Vision and Courage to Ensure All Scholars Achieve

• Demonstrate a deep passion, commitment, and action oriented belief in our mission to support all of our scholars to and through college.
• Hold self and others accountable for high academic achievement of all scholars.
• Navigate complex environments and act with integrity, honesty, transparency, and courage in the best interest of scholars.
• Lead scholars towards academic success.

Advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism

• Address matters of equity, race, and bias in decision-making with clarity, courage, and empathy.
• Foster and promote inclusion across the network and the community.
• Build trust and authentic relationships across lines of difference through self-reflection, self-awareness, openness, and empathy.
• Acknowledge race and power dynamics that play out within the organization and community, and continuously interrupt those inequities with action, courageous dialogue, and honesty.

Influence and Communication

• Communicate in a clear and concise manner while being mindful of the audience and mode of communication.
• Demonstrate ability to transition quickly from individual, detail oriented projects to collaborative, people oriented conversations.
• Build positive relationships and coalitions primarily with network team members and School Directors and inclusive of all staff, scholars, parents and families, communities, and advocacy groups.
• Maintain visibility and presence in the schools and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
• Facilitate conversations and assist in securing buy-in for projects, programs, and initiatives aimed at supporting the academic and social emotional growth of scholars.

Team Leadership and Coaching

• Effectively balance the tension between individual school director’s needs with the need for coherence across all schools.
• Develop meaningful professional relationships built on trust and collaborative actions that align with the mission.
• Collaborate and plan professional learning experiences for school directors, site leaders and staff which utilizes effective adult learning techniques.
• Model integrity and lead teams to collaborate with each other and with other departments, teams, and stakeholders.
• Influence others to produce high quality work in the effort to increase student outcomes and culture.

Strategic Planning and Problem Solving

• Exhibit deep understanding of the complex role of the school leader, the complexities of teaching and learning, and the tools/supports necessary to improve teachers’ practice.
• Understand and implement promising, innovative, and effective school models and school improvement strategies.
• Possess a deep understanding of school improvement and turnaround, school leadership, and organizational design in order to support schools in delivering desired results.
• Manage several projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
• Solve problems strategically while weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each approach with a network-wide lens.
• Exhibit a strong focus on short and long-term goals, accountability, and results; establish clear metrics for success.
• Assist in identifying effective teaching practices and develop improvement strategies to build capacity.