Superintendent

Job Title: Superintendent

Job Purpose:

The Superintendent supervises the Charter Management Organization (“CMO”) staff, Principals, and business services staff (or provider) of the Charter Management Organization, and operates as the chief executive officer and President of the nonprofit public benefit corporation. The Superintendent acts as the instructional leader of the Charter Management Organization, and is responsible for facilitating the instructional programs outlined in the approved charters of the CMO.

Team Relationship:

The Superintendent is directly responsible to the Board of Directors.

Essential Job Functions: Organizational architect

• Conceptualizes the broad goals of the Charter Management Organization, translates goals into plans (including a Strategic Plan), designs an organizational structure capable of accomplishing CMO goals, assesses the effectiveness of implemented plans toward achieving desired outcomes, and ensures a cycle of continuous improvement to drive the CMO toward excellence and mission/vision attainment.
• Consults with Principals to identify the staffing needs across the CMO and school sites, recruits new staff, orients and assists new staff to ensure all staff are prepared to fulfill their role in a manner consistent with the mission/vision and CMO culture.
• Determines infrastructural needs (i.e. pertaining to facilities, personnel, support services, technology, etc.) and ensures the organization makes smart investments to increase organizational capacity and support systems. Establishes and maintains the organizational infrastructure to deliver a high quality charter education.
• Establishes and maintains administrative procedures to handle vital tasks such as maintaining/managing student records, personnel records, teacher credentialing information, contemporaneous attendance logs, purchasing, budgets, and project timetables. Develops administrative procedures to ensure Board Policies are carried out in a manner consistent with law/regulations, and ensures these procedures are implemented appropriately.
• Regularly reviews CMO policies, and suggests revisions to these and CMO Employee and Family Handbooks annually.

Business/strategic advisor and steward

• Develops Board agendas and materials for regular monthly meetings and calls and prepares for Emergency or Special meetings as needed. Follows established Leadership Protocols.
• Oversees school finances and maintains up-to-date financial records to ensure financial stability.
• Serves or appoints a designee to serve on any committees of the Charter School.
• Coordinates insurance (Worker’s Compensation and personnel benefits program).
• Ensures compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and helps secure local grants.
• Initiates and participates in fundraising for the organization.
  • Completes and submits required documents as requested or required by the charter and/or Board of Directors and/or the chartering authority.
  • Ensures the organization submits all required compliance reports, including financial/budget reports, proper attendance reporting, any reports associated with oversight for authorizer(s), the SARC, and other nonprofit-related reporting.
  • Presents independent fiscal audit to the Board of Directors.

Keeper of the instructional vision/ fidelity to the charter

• Ensures the Charter School(s) enact the mission/vision.
• Supervises and evaluates direct reports, as indicated by organizational chart.
• Develops the educational program, ensures organizational alignment and consistency with the charter(s). Oversees Principals’ organization and implementation of an appropriate instructional program, and consults with Principals to periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional program, communicates support system needs to the Board.
  • Interviews and recommends employee hiring, promotion and/or dismissal for Superintendent’s direct reports, as indicated in the CMO’s organizational chart.
  • Ensures that appropriate evaluation techniques are used for both students and staff.
  • Disciplines, issues corrective feedback, or establishes Improvement Plans for individual staff members as needed.
  • Encourages and supports teacher professional development.
  • Prepares for charter renewal(s), including the rewrite of the charter document(s), and represents the Charter Schools in the negotiation of essential agreements with authorizer(s), including but not limited to a Memorandum of Understanding, Facility Use Agreement, or Special Education Memorandum of Understanding

External influencer

• Maintains appropriate working relationships with crucial stakeholders (the board, staff, authorizer(s), district itinerant staff, and community)
• Promotes and publishes the Charter School(s) in the community, promotes positive public relations, and interacts effectively with media to establish a strong CMO brand and community trust/ good will.
• Attends meetings as requested by the authorizer and stays in direct contact  with the authorizer regarding changes, progress, etc.
• Advocates on behalf of public charter education and on behalf of gifted education at  the local, state, and/or national level.

The Superintendent additionally participates in professional development as needed and performs other related duties as assigned/needed. The above duties, with the exception of personnel matters, may be delegated to an appropriate employee, or contracted as approved by the Board of Directors to a business administrator of the Charter School or a third party provider.

Job Qualifications:

Education/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree. (required)
• MA or equivalent. (desirable)
• California Administrative and Teaching Credential. (desirable)

Experience

• Teaching experience. (desirable)
• Administrative experience. (desirable)
• Charter school experience. (desirable)

Skills, Knowledge, and/or Abilities Required

• Excellent communication and community-building skills.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience with curriculum development.
  • Belief in The Academies’ educational philosophy and program elements, including commitment to the Mission and to gifted education advocacy.
  • A thorough knowledge of special education needs and issues.
  • Strong leadership capabilities, including entrepreneurial and strategic vision.
  • Caring for students and their success in learning: a deep commitment to student achievement.
  • Strong instructional leadership and a positive role model for staff and students.
    • Knowledge of educational psychology, learning theories, developmentally appropriate practices, and curriculum development.
    • Commitment to excellence and ongoing professional growth.
    • Effective conflict resolution skills.
      • Integrity in all dealings with the school community; is respectful, thoughtful, decisive, principled, honest, and fair.
      • Recognition and acceptance of his/her responsibility for the success of The Academies, the charter school as a whole, as well as the success of individual students, and flexibility, resourcefulness, and commitment to these.
      • Ability to follow established procedures in an emergency situation.

The Board of Directors of The Academies will consider candidates for the Superintendent position based upon a combination of education/certifications, experience, skills, knowledge and/or abilities, and mission fit.