Description

SUPERINTENDENT AT THE LEARNING CENTER FOR THE DEAF

REPORTS TO: TLC Chief Executive Officer

The Superintendent of Marie Philip School is the top executive of the school and serves in a leadership, administration, and management role. The superintendent visions and implements the culture and mission of the school by making day-to-day decisions about educational programs, spending, staff, and facilities. The Superintendent works as a member of the Executive Leadership Team at The Learning Center for the Deaf to set the vision, goals and objectives for the school in the context of the broader organization and educational landscape, and then sees to it that the goals are achieved.

The Superintendent oversees the delivery of ASL-centric, educational services to all students in Marie Philip School, ensuring adherence to The Learning Center educational philosophy, organizational mission, and anti-bias education commitments. The Superintendent leads the Educational Leadership team, directly supervising the Director of Curriculum and Instruction and the Director of Student Services, in their service delivery and program development efforts and serves as an active member of The Learning Center Executive Leadership team and is the educational liaison for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

FUNCTIONS

Education Leadership

Academic Leadership

• Serve as the executive educational leader of the school, setting vision for curriculum from a critical lens, instruction, and equity for a highly diverse student population in the dynamic and changing landscape of Deaf Education; ensure that the mission and goals of the school are reflected in its educational program, policies and practices, and operations.
• Lead educational strategic planning and self-study processes to fulfill accreditation requirements and prepare MPS to thrive in dynamic and changing environment.
• Serve as key education leader at organization advising on current curricular and educational trends and practices, as well as current and emerging legislation impacting the school; Analyze survey data, regulatory information, and data on demographic and employment trends to forecast enrollment patterns and curriculum changes needs; Keep current with educational trends and school management developments by attending conferences and other professional development activities; anticipate application to future decision making and program planning.
• Guide strategic planning and resource allocation for the school; contribute to strategic planning and resource allocation for the organization as a whole.
• Set vision and expectation for strong culture of family and community engagement, ensuring commitment to equity and inclusion for all students and families.
• Serve on executive leadership team of multi-service organization; foster strategic alliances among programs to contribute to overall growth of organization.

Administration & Supervision

• Provide a leadership structure to ensure school employees and students are treated equitably and in compliance with organizational policies and state and federal requirements; establish procedures to ensure all administrative decisions necessary to the proper functioning of the school district are made.
• Set or recommend educational standards and goals, including the minimum goal of maintaining accreditation by NEASC and CEASD, and recommend and implement policies and procedures to carry them out.
• Supervise the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of Student Services and support all Educational Leaders (Principals, ECC Director, etc.) to ensure meaningful progress toward goals and ensure that the requirements of all IEPs are being met.
• Brainstorm with instructional leaders in bringing together varied entities to collaborate and implement culturally responsive instructional strategies that support teaching and learning.
• Act on your own discretion if emergency action is necessary in any matter not covered by policy, report such action to the Executive Team as soon as practicable, and recommend policy in order to provide guidance in the future.
• Monitor, approve and ensure compliance with all regulations and the timely completion of all reports and forms required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and other governmental agencies.
• Maintain, directly or through delegation such personnel, student, business, and other records that are required by law or by policy. Serve as the custodian for school records.
• Maintain confidentiality of information concerning staff, students, and parents in accordance with law. ? Present recommendations for the adoption or revision of policies, communicate policies to the personnel, students, and the public, and ensure, through delegation to staff, that all policies are implemented.

Curriculum and Instruction

• Administer, as chief school academic officer, the development and maintenance of a positive educational program designed to meet the needs of all students.
• Review and approve new programs; recommend modifications to existing programs, submitting program proposals for approval as necessary.
• Lead the vision for instructional leadership and instructional staff with professional development and effective use of culturally responsive existing and emerging strategies.
• Lead vision and planning for trauma-informed and inclusive curriculum and instruction, including use of instructional technology in school and at home.

Family and Community Engagement

• Lead relationship building with parents, plan and delegate implementation of strategic engagement with parents, families, and the broader community to promote positive relations and strong engagement in student learning; lead or delegate leadership of committees of specialists, volunteers, and staff to provide technical and advisory assistance.
• Represent MPS before the public and establish and maintain a program of public relations, in coordination with the Advancement Team, to keep the public well-informed of the programs and activities, policies and practices, and needs and successes of the school, so as to promote a positive relationship between MPS and the community.
• Develop school partnerships with businesses, communities, and other organizations to help meet identified educational needs and to provide school-to-work programs.
• Promote effective communication through presenting, writing, and publication. ie the creation and maintenance of blogs, video content, newsletters, leading professional development or meetings, interviews with local media, presentations at conferences or parent meetings, and the creation of documentation.
• Maintain open lines of communication and cooperative working relationships with government agencies. When appropriate, attend meetings of other government agencies to advance the interests of the MPS.

Personnel Administration

• Work directly with Human Resources Team to establish parameters for recruiting and interviewing prospective employees. Recruit and hire or recommend for hiring the best qualified and most competent persons for positions within parameters of budget. Direct, supervise and evaluate the educational administrative staff and direct reports; Conduct staff observations and evaluations and assure that observations and evaluations are completed by others who are delegated such duties. Implement improvement or corrective action plans when needed; Recommend the promotion, salary changes, demotion, or dismissal of employees; Where such are within the authority delegated to the Superintendent, take such actions with employees and report all actions to human resources.
• Recommend and implement the school's professional development plan and staff training, ensuring that trauma-informed practice and racial equity is prioritized.
• Hold meetings of education leaders, teachers and other employees for the discussion of matters concerning the improvement and welfare of the school.
• Develop and maintain a positive and professional working relationship with the staff and students

Management of Finances

• Fiscal Planning: Conduct fiscal planning or direct such to be completed, to include forecasting anticipated revenue, expenditures, and needs to ensure sound financial operations and no unexpected budget deficits.
• Budgeting: Recommend budget priorities and the allocation of sufficient funds for each school program. Prepare the annual budget for CEO approval
• Grants and Fundraising: In collaboration with the Advancement Office, support fundraising and grant proposal development for school operations and special initiatives; determine priority needs for budget and programs; facilitate planning among education team to identify opportunities for additional funding through fundraising and grants.
• Accounting: In collaboration with the Finance Department, ensure funds are spent prudently by providing adequate control and accounting of the school's financial and physical resources and the development and implementation of sound business practices consistent with TLC policies.
• Purchasing and Contracting: Initiate and delegate the purchase of equipment, materials and supplies within the annual budget or as directed, using the TLC purchasing process and, additionally, bidding procedures where required.
• Professional Services: Manage the use of legal and other professional services as needed.

Information Technology and Property and Facilities Management

• Ensure process for student record maintenance and storage is secure and compliant with FERPA; oversee leadership of student record systems.
• Ensure that a current inventory of textbooks, library books, equipment, technology and supplies is maintained by those responsible to do so.
• Direct/delegate school maintenance services and the use of school facilities.
• Ensure adherence to codes and facility safety, security, and maintenance including implementing fire, lockdown and other drills as required by law and policy; provide suitable instructions and regulations for staff to govern the use and care of school properties.
• Recommend the sale or disposal of property no longer required by the school and delegate the proper execution of such sale or disposal through staff and advisors.
• Make recommendations with reference to improvements, alterations, and changes in the buildings and equipment to meet the needs of the school, as well as short and long-range facility needs.
• Delegate the coordination of food services contracts and ensure compliance.

*Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

**TLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and all employees and applicants for employment are afforded equal opportunity in every area of hiring and employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, age, criminal record (inquiries only), handicap (disability), mental illness, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, genetics, active military, and any other legally protected characteristic.

**TLC embraces and celebrates a spirit of inclusion and diversity, and reasonable accommodations and modifications will be made whenever possible

Requirements

• Deaf and Fluent in American Sign Language
• Master's Degree in Deaf Education, Education, or related field
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working in a school or program for deaf and hard of hearing students
• A minimum of 3 years instructional leadership experience ( preferably in a school or program for deaf and hard of hearing students )
• Demonstrated understanding of culturally responsive instruction and equity in schools
• Eagerness to fully commit to work related to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Demonstrated leadership abilities and personal characteristics for working effectively with diverse body of students, teachers, other professionals and parents
• Strong written English skills
• Flexible visionary who is able to make decisions boldly
• Demonstrate initiative and perseverance when completing tasks
• Effective communicator, active listener and respectful people manager
• Exhibit effective cross-cultural communication skills
• Ability to manage conflict to move individuals and groups toward positive change
• Coaching and mentoring experience with the ability to empower and advocate