Chief Schools Officer Aspire Public Schools Location: Flexible within Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Central Valley CA, and Memphis,Tennessee

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1 SUMMARY operates 40 high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools serving 16,000 students in underserved communities across California and in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1998, Aspire is one of the nation s largest open-enrollment public charter school systems serving predominantly Latino and African American students, and delivering a rigorous College for Certain education to students in grades TK- 12. Our promise at is that every child receives a high-quality education to prepare them for success in college, career and life. Every day, our community of students, parents, teachers and staff come together to learn and grow so that every child s aspirations are within reach. Currently in its 17th academic year, Aspire is one of the nation s first charter school systems. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief Schools Officer (CSO) will serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, and will lead a core part of Aspire Forward, a 5-year strategic plan the organization is embarking on. The CSO will be responsible for the network-wide implementation of its K-12 instructional program, ensuring cohesion and rigor across all subject areas in support of Aspire s five-year ambition to quadruple the number of college-ready Aspire students by As an exceptional team leader, the CSO will work closely with the Chief Academic Officer to execute on the newly developed Aspire-wide instructional program focused on delivering strong student achievement results while narrowing the disparities between the highest and lowest performing students and realizing the Aspire mission for all students and families. The CSO will cultivate a culture of high expectations across the instructional staff to ensure that every Aspire student has equitable access to high quality and culturally relevant instruction. This is a full-time position and can be located in one of the four regions where Aspire is located. For more information on please visit RESPONSIBILITIES The CSO will be responsible for the following: Instructional Execution and Implementation: Operationalize the Aspire-wide instructional program across all regions. Provide scalable instructional leadership to Regional Superintendents and Principals with specific responsibility for implementation, assessment and improvement across all current and future schools. In partnership with the Senior Leadership Team, ensure that define and co-own Aspire s College 1

2 Readiness Metrics. The CSO will use a lens of continuous improvement to ensure that the instructional program is implemented consistently across the network. Work hand-in-hand with the Chief Academic Officer to ensure that coaching, development and instructional implementation are consistent, aligned and integrated with the overall academic goals of the organization. Identify, cultivate and disseminate curriculum innovation across the network including the selective integration of technology/blended learning strategies and post-secondary success practices In close partnership with the CAO, support school leaders in creating coherence in instructional practice / routines and optimizing student learning outcomes within schools Continue to develop and embed Culturally Responsive Teaching practices to strengthen the experience and outcomes of Aspire s diverse student population Oversee the development of a robust set of resources designed to support our students and their families to identify, apply, and matriculate to the best-fit post-secondary option Lead continual improvement of the Expanded Learning program as an extension of the Aspire instructional program to maximize the opportunity for students to master concepts and engage in extracurricular activities Identify best practices and assets within Aspire and nationally to drive the continuous improvement of the Aspire instructional program. Team Management and Development Recruit, hire, manage, and develop the Regional Superintendents and the schools principals, ensuring that hires are mission-aligned, qualified instructional and operational staff. Advise and support principals on hiring other school-based instructional and operational leaders, as well as specialized support staff. Develop Regional Superintendents and Principals in their roles as instructional leaders and provide impactful feedback and coaching Working with the Chief People Officer and school leaders, develop rigorous and timely professional development for all staff. Develop and utilize data systems to drive results across the network. Ensure that data is in service to learning and is relevant and easily accessible. Support staff on creating school cultures that are aligned with the values of Aspire and are in service to the students. Build a culture of relentless self-improvement and adaptive leadership among the entire school. Operationalize CWC s performance management system for the regional team and all school-based leaders. Address staff concerns urgently and with mission-aligned, student-focused responses. 2

3 Team Management: Build and manage a strong school team that includes Regional Superintendents and Principals across the network. Senior Leadership Team: Help shape and define Aspire s overall strategy and play a lead role in establishing Aspire s instructional strategy. Work in close collaboration in particular with the Chief Academic Officer on the effective and consistent delivery of the Aspire instructional program. Professional Development: Partner with the Chief Academic Officer and Chief People Officer to support the development of a robust and impactful training, development, and coaching plan for school leaders, educators, and other instructional staff. Equity: Build strong relationships with the broad Aspire community (students, families, teachers, leaders) and leverage their input in continuing the development of Culturally Responsive Teaching practices. In partnership with the Chief People Officer (CPO), develop measureable outcomes to monitor progress and continuously improve our efforts of creating academic equity for all students. Culture: As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, support Aspire s efforts to name, nurture, and cultivate key aspects of organizational culture combining both aspects that have contributed to historical success and new attributes required to support the 5-year strategy. Make recommendations for organizational structure to facilitate a healthy, unified culture among school sites, regions, and Home office, to ensure teammates feel valued, supported and inspired. CANDIDATE PROFILE The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following professional competencies: Instructional Leadership: Understanding of current best practices and research in instructional leadership. Knowledge of the philosophies, principles, and practices of public school administration; state and federal curriculum standards/guidelines; current literature, trends, and developments in the fields of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development. Strategic Leadership/Staff Management: Experienced professional with demonstrated ability leading and inspiring a team to achieve exceptional outcomes. Creates a climate that finds joy in defying the status quo and fiercely modeling excellence for the team; nurtures commitment to a common vision of Aspire students achieving their potential and shared values of creating a more equitable society; gives people opportunity and latitude to grow and succeed; inspires others to take on new challenges. Champions new ideas and initiatives and decisively confronts and resolves issues. Relationships & Collaboration: Able to build and sustain excellent relationships both inside and outside the organization; relates well to different levels (supervisors, peers, direct reports,); encourages input and ideas from others; fosters collaboration across the organization; removes barriers to collaboration and teamwork; manages differences with diplomacy. 3

4 Passion for the Mission: The CAO will demonstrate, through their career and their personal stories, a deep commitment to improving lives through education with a particular focus on eliminating disparities in under resourced communities. EXPERIENCE The ideal candidate for this position will also possess many, if not all, of the following professional qualifications and personal qualities: Demonstrated success leading school improvement initiatives that increase student achievement in a meaningful way for all racial, ethnic, and economic groups. Proven capacity for leadership, including the ability to effectively assemble and motivate a team of experienced professionals to achieve ambitious and measurable results. Experience coaching, managing and conducting professional development for principals and other educators Deep knowledge of curriculum, results-oriented instructional practices, school operations and leadership development Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, growing entrepreneurial organization. A track record of being able to strategize at a high level while also executing that strategy on the ground. Experience in supervising compliance with federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies. Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills. Adaptability and humility. Thrives in a changing environment and demonstrates a lifelong commitment to learning and flexibility. Master s degree in Education A minimum of five years experience successfully driving student achievement as a principal or school leader, with experience working in urban communities strongly preferred. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. 4

5 CONTACT has engaged Koya Leadership Partners to help in this hire. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume to Erin Reedy here. is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBT applicants. ABOUT KOYA LEADERSHIP PARTNERS Koya Leadership Partners is a national retained executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with nonprofits and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations and ensuring that organizations have the resources and strategies to support them. For more information about Koya Leadership Partners, visit 5