Chief Academic Officer

ORGANIZATION

Valor Collegiate Academies (Valor) is the first free, public college preparatory charter school in Nashville, TN to serve a diverse background of students. Valor serves 1,700 students across three schools, 60% of whom qualified for free or reduced lunch, 60% of whom identify as students of color and 14% of whom are designated as English Language Learners. The school consistently ranks at the top of all schools in Tennessee, with no achievement gap - its economically disadvantaged students outperform their higher-income peers in Nashville and across the state. At Valor, the belief is that it is not enough to simply be diverse - it is the responsibility of school leaders and staff to create an intentional environment where everyone feels safe to be who they are and learn to reach across lines of difference.

A hallmark of Valor is the broadening of the vision for education by placing human development at the center. Valor has created a human development model,Compass, and built the school model around it to ensure that all members of the community are engaging in deep, comprehensive development work. Ranked in the top 5% of Tennessee schools for growth and achievement since opening in 2014, Valor has proved that schools don’t have to compromise academic results for comprehensive human development. Relationships are central to everything at the school – from academic curriculum to classroom management. Valor’s success proves that education today is not only about acquiring content or knowledge but about actively engaging in our own holistic human development.

To learn more about Valor Collegiate, please visit www.valorcollegiate.org.

OPPORTUNITY

Valor Collegiate Academies is seeking an exceptional leader of curriculum and instruction to serve as the organization’s next Chief Academic Officer. This individual must be prepared to uphold the school’s clear throughline of student outcomes, teacher practice, curriculum and assessment, instructional leadership and program design. They will have a deep understanding of educator professional development, will be able to manage through influence and intense collaboration with other instructional and building leaders, and will maintain the school’s strong, research-based academic vision. This is a special opportunity for an expert in instructional design and practice to be part of leading this innovative team that is implementing a unique educational experience through its mix of rigorous academics, a comprehensive human development model, and the intentionality of building a school community that is diverse by design.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities of the Chief Academic Officer include:

• Ensuring Valor maintains its high level of academic achievement and growth, holding a high vision and bar for excellence;
• Driving curriculum, assessment, professional learning and the infrastructure for and development of instructional practice;
• Working closely with other members of the academic team to plan and execute on highly effective, aligned professional development for teachers and leaders;
• Leading the network academic leadership team, including the Managing Director of Academics, Director of Secondary Literacy and collaborating with other instructional leads;
• Directly coach a set of educators on their instructional practice.

QUALIFICATIONS

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal Chief Academic Officer candidate will have:

• A track record of 5+ years of success as a school administrator and/or senior leader for a school network, including 3+ years of experience managing the development of curriculum, instructional staff and outstanding professional development.
• Demonstrated commitment to Valor’s mission, vision and school model.
• Understanding of the Common Core State Standards, ACT standards, and ideally core Advanced Placement courses for English/Language Arts and/or History.
• A sustained record of outstanding academic results in grades 5-12; experience with both middle and high school curriculum and instruction highly preferred.
• Commitment and enthusiasm for working with an ethnically and economically diverse student body.
• A history of working well as part of a team, with a strong “whatever it takes” orientation.
• The ability to model, live, and reinforce the school’s core values inside and outside the classroom with colleagues, scholars, parents, and the larger community.
• Optimism, resilience, curiosity, a sense of humor, and a burning passion for personal growth and student success.
• Bachelor's degree, with an advanced degree strongly preferred.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position offers a competitive salary range of $125,000 - $135,000 and robust benefits including medical, dental and retirement through Metro Nashville Public Schools. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at http://bit.ly/2MwqGun. For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Jonathan Howard at jhoward@edgilityconsulting.com or at 510.575.9635.

Valor Collegiate 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.