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Resident School Leader

Employer
TenSquare
Location
Washington D.C.

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Job Category
Administrator
Grade Level
Elementary School, Middle School
Job Type
Full-Time

ABOUT TENSQUARE
TenSquare is a national charter school support organization that works alongside schools and staff to make lasting and measurable change. Working in nine states and the District of Columbia, TenSquare has practice areas in school performance, talent services, facility development, and authorizer/agency support. TenSquare team members bring operational and management expertise from top tier schools and networks from around the country.

TenSquare works in partnership with schools and school systems to help them navigate the charter accountability landscape, grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive charter school environment, and improve student outcomes. Specifically, we:

  • Conduct in-depth performance audits and create data-driven action plans and operational road maps for change;
  • Provide strategic and focused accountability coaching for leaders and boards;
  • Develop and help implement high-impact and proven instructional coaching strategies and professional development to increase student achievement;
  • Strengthen organizational performance through enhanced processes for budgeting, staffing, scheduling, compliance, and other operational priorities;
  • Provide performance data analysis and compliance support;
  • Facilitate long-term capacity building, strategic planning, and turnaround initiatives;
  • Recruit high performing teachers and leaders for PK-12 and Adult Ed schools;
  • Support planning, development, and financing of facilities projects.

Our strategic, hands-on engagements have led to significant gains in student achievement and organizational performance as measured by state exams and authorizer report cards. 

ABOUT THE POSITION 
We are seeking an outstanding Resident School Leader to serve a pivotal role in a K-8 charter school undergoing rapid school improvement. The Resident School Leader will oversee the school’s fulfillment of mission and holds the responsibility, accountability, and authority for the school’s overall performance and success in achieving key targets and goals.  S/he will be partnering with the TenSquare team on an intensive school improvement effort to build and sustain high student achievement, top quality staff performance, and strong family satisfaction. The Resident School Leader is responsible for ensuring that the school meets academic and fiscal charter goals with the school’s authorizer.

The Resident School Leader manages all aspects of school operations at both the elementary and middle school campuses, including academics and school culture, organizational management, and communication and community engagement. The Resident HoS will directly manage a leadership team comprised of multiple campus principals and other academic, student support, and operations staff. In addition to the TenSquare Partner overseeing the work, other TenSquare team members with whom the Resident HoS will work closely include coaches and team members in all critical school functions as needed. 
 
This is a career-building opportunity for a school leader seeking a primary role on a school improvement team. This role will provide a growth-oriented school leader with the opportunity to continue to build skills and experience through job-imbedded professional development opportunities.  The ideal candidate will be team-oriented; willing to build on personal leadership strengths and address growth areas; laser-focused on outcomes; and open to operating within a school turnaround model already in progress. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong skills in vision-setting, planning and execution, and people management. Additional information about qualifications can be found below.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Academic Leadership and School Culture
The Resident School Leader must demonstrate an understanding of issues affecting education; work with the campus principals and TenSquare team to set pedagogical and programmatic priorities in the context of community, student and staff needs; and ensure an overall culture of high expectations, openness, and collaboration in accordance with the school’s mission and goals. The Resident School Leader must develop and support the people and the systems that will enable the school’s mission. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Accountability for continuous improvement on each element of the Public Charter School Board’s (PCSB) Performance Management Framework;
  • Responsibility for ensuring that the school meets and exceeds its Charter Goals and Achievement Expectations;
  • Partnering with TenSquare partners and the Board of Trustees to facilitate academic prioritization and strategic planning.  
  • Engaging other school leaders, faculty and staff, students, and other key stakeholders in embracing the school vision and establishing a school culture that enables students, teachers, and others to participate fully in that vision;
  • Together with the campus principals and the academic leadership team, continuously diagnosing the gaps between the school’s current performance versus where it aspires to be, and ensure that strategies and practices are implemented to understand and close these gaps;
  • Coaching, supervising, and evaluating school leadership team members;
  • With campus principals, overseeing administration of the assessment system and equip staff to use student performance data to set achievement targets, strengthen instruction and improve student outcomes;
  • Leading a dynamic professional learning community of leaders, teachers, student support and operations team members that embraces accountability and outstanding student results.

Organizational Management
The Resident School Leader holds ultimate responsibility for the school’s finances, operations and human resources. This individual must ensure that the school remains in strong financial standing and that the school is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and requirements. S/he must delegate and empower at appropriate organizational levels; secure and allocate human and material resources; develop and manage the school budget; and maintain accurate fiscal records. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Ensuring effective oversight of finances, facility, operations, and HR in alignment with the school’s mission and goals;
    • School’s budget and financial accounting systems, including annual budgeting process, cash flow, and financial reporting for internal and external audiences;
    • Human resources and personnel policies; including priorities for recruiting, hiring, strategically assigning, developing and retaining exceptional teachers and staff;
    • Data systems management and improvement, including 1) internal student information and learning management systems, and 2) external reporting and data management systems;
    • ​Effective school facilities planning and maintenance across both campuses, including procurement, vendor management, and school safety planning.
  • ​Working cooperatively with leadership staff to coach, supervise, and evaluate all non-instructional staff members;
  • Ensuring the school’s compliance with the Public Charter School Board (PCSB), Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE), Middles States Accreditation (MSA), all federal and local laws, contractual obligations, and donor restrictions, and timely reporting to these entities.

Communications and Community Relations
The Resident School Leader is the primary external champion for the school and must represent and advocate for the school in various settings. The Resident School Leader is also responsible for ensuring accuracy and consistency in the school’s messages, both internally and externally. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Representing the school as a leader of DC’s education community in all advocacy efforts (e.g., legislative efforts to sustain and improve charter school funding) as well as a community leader to maintain support from the local community;
  • Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with students and their families through communication, outreach, and collaboration; Building and maintaining effective relationships with external partners;
  • Developing and maintaining relationships with philanthropic, business, and public sectors to increase awareness of the school and increase its donor base within a competitive nonprofit (specifically charter school) funding environment;
  • Ensuring that the annual fundraising and enrollment targets are met. 

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPENTENCIES
Successful candidates will possess the following qualifications:

  • A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; an advanced degree in K-12 school administration, curriculum & instruction, or a related field is preferred.
  • At least 7-10 years of experience within the field of public education OR in an adjacent sector and possessing familiarity with the local charter education landscape; experience in a school leadership role (teacher leader, administrator, etc.) is a plus.

Recognizing the complexity of the role and the experienced team with which the Resident School Leader will be working, a professional background with demonstrated success in several – but not all – of the following areas is important:

  • Experience with the local charter school movement, and especially familiarity with local, state, and federal compliance;
  • People management experience and the ability to hire, develop, retain, and motivate staff to excellence;
  • Experience with overseeing fiscal and human resources;
  • Program and project management experience with a focus on measuring and achieving results;
  • Experience with communications, development, community engagement, or external relations;
  • Experience as an instructional leader, with a track record of achieving results as a teacher and in a school leadership role.  

Characteristics of a successful Resident School Leader will include:

  • A desire to intentionally grow in leadership abilities through a dynamic partnership with a school improvement team and seasoned school leaders;
  • A performance- and outcomes-driven approach to leadership and student learning with a demonstrated track-record of results;
  • Comfort synthesizing and prioritizing data to solve problems and develop strategies to achieve ambitious academic goals;
  • The ability to inspire and develop others, establishing high expectations and supporting their professional growth;
  • Exceptional problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytic skills; Outstanding oral and written communication skills and the ability to present information to large groups of adults, cultivate partnerships, and attract supporters;
  • The ability to thrive in a complex environment: balancing competing priorities, problem-solving short-term challenges with long-term goals in mind, and ‘connecting the dots’ to provide transformational leadership;
  • The ability to establish a team-building, facilitative rapport with peers, staff, students, parents, and external stakeholders;
  • A demonstrated passion for advancing educational opportunities in low-income communities.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or ancestry, marital status, veteran’s status, or any other factor, which would constitute a violation of the D.C. Human Rights Act or other applicable laws or court order.
 

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