Achievement First, Superintendent

ORGANIZATION

Achievement First (AF) is non-profit organization that manages 41 public charter schools that serve 15,000 students in five cities across three states (Brooklyn, NY; Providence, RI; and New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford, CT). More than 2,000 staff members work onsite at AF schools while 300 individuals are employees of the network more broadly. AF exists to address the legacy of systemic racism in education and believes that all of America’s children - regardless of race, zip code or economic status - deserve access to great schools. Its mission is to prepare students to deepen their knowledge of self and community, to excel at college, career and life, and to lead lives of purpose and leadership. The organization’s current priorities include: COVID health and safety; ensuring that schools can find and keep high quality staff; organizational culture; and planning for this and future academic years.

To learn more about Achievement First, please visit https://www.achievementfirst.org/.

OPPORTUNITY

Achievement First is hiring a Superintendent to oversee the network’s schools team starting in the 2022-2023 academic year. This individual will be the leader of AF’s Senior Instructional Team, managing Academy Leads (i.e. managers of school leaders) and the Chief Program Officer. They are also responsible for the success of all 41 AF schools across all domains, including: educational equity; overall instructional practice and academic performance; student supports; culture and climate for all stakeholders; staff engagement, including talent management, development and career supports; partnerships with families and communities. This person will be an instructional expert with a clear and transformative vision for academics who knows how to realize that vision at scale. They can effectively manage through others to get work done, including supporting and leading change efforts when needed. This individual will also be able to clearly articulate their expectations and vision for academic excellence to all stakeholders, including school leaders, site-based and network staff, students and families. And the ideal candidate will be comfortable making tough calls in service of what is best for students.

PRIORITIES

A successful first year in this role for the new Superintendent will include:

• Leading schools that are safe, agile and provide supportive learning spaces for students and educators, including leveraging what we have learned from the past couple of years to strategically improve AF’s academic and social emotional support model and service delivery to students.
• Developing a clear understanding of - and evolving - AF's model by leaning on internal experience as well as integrating other best-in-class models to create a transformative vision, communicate it to all stakeholders, build a 5-year strategic plan around it, and - in partnership with the CEO and executive team - marshal the resources to successfully implement it.
• Building and sustaining the team to run AF’s schools and lead the org into its future, which will require the ability to balance the management of daily school operations with the work of reimagining AF’s learning environment for the future.
• Remaining poised and grounded, setting an example of calm and decisive decision making for others to appreciate and emulate, by continually assessing the current state, adjusting strategies as needed, articulating a clear and compelling vision, exuding confidence, and exhibiting comfort in managing through change while helping others see the benefits of new ways of working and being.

QUALIFICATIONS

In order to fulfill their responsibilities, the ideal Superintendent candidate will be/have:

• An accomplished leader with a minimum of 7-10 years of senior management experience in K-12 public school organizations.
• Demonstrated commitment to Achievement First’s vision and mission.
• A track record of implementation of high quality instructional service delivery at scale, with a vision for academic excellence and understanding of how to execute that vision across all of AF’s schools.
• Demonstrated success in leading systems-wide turnaround and school design (strongly preferred).
• Culturally competent and a self-reflective leader who understands the effects of race, class, ethnicity, income, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and other issues of difference in society and is able to lead direct conversations about them.
• A builder of authentic relationships with school leaders, site-based and network staff, senior leaders and other key stakeholders; able to engage with a variety of individuals while speaking in a clear and compelling manner about the organization’s goals and priorities.
• Comfort navigating uncertainty and effectively managing complex challenges as they occur; balances urgency with the ability to bring others along towards solutions.
• Experience serving on an executive leadership team and/or in a similar capacity reporting to a CEO or Superintendent.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position offers a competitive salary range of $225,000-275,000, a potential signing bonus, and robust benefits including medical, dental and retirement. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at https://apply.workable.com/j/DEBA36E771. For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Serena Moy at smoy@edgilityconsulting.com or at 510.495.0040.

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.