Executive Director, La School For The Deaf

Supplemental Information
Louisiana is a State as a Model Employer for People with Disabilities.
The LA SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking applicants for an
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the LA School for the Deaf
The Executive Director's core purpose is to provide professional, highly-effective leadership and management that will achieve outstanding results for students at LSD. The Executive Director promotes an inspiring vision and clear direction that is shared by all members of the school, preK-12. Ultimately, the Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that the curriculum, teaching and assessment practices inspire high levels of engagement, achievement and progress for all students at LSD. The anticipated salary range for this position is $90,000 to $110,000 depending on the candidates experience and educational qualifications.
The Louisiana Special Schools do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in our programs and activities, and we provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination may be referred to Santa Patterson, Human Resources Director at spatterson@lsdvi.org .
RELEASE OF ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION INFORMATION: La. R.S. 17:3884(D) requires that any school board wishing to hire a person who has been assessed or evaluated pursuant to the Children First Act, La. R.S. 17:3871, et seq., whether that person is already employed by that school system or not, shall request such person's assessment and evaluation results as part of the application process. Please be advised that, as part of the mandated process, your previous assessment and evaluation results will be requested. You have the opportunity to apply, review the information received, and provide any response or information you deem appropriate.
To Apply
Please email the following documents to Diane LeBlanc at dleblanc@lsdvi.org.

• Letter of Interest
• Resume
• Phone number and email addresses of three professional references
• Educational Leadership Philosophy (no more than one page typewritten) and a 3-5-minute video articulating this philosophy in ASL*
• Deaf Education Instructional Philosophy (no more than one page typewritten) and a 3-5-minute video articulating this philosophy in ASL*

*The educational leadership and Deaf education philosophy videos should be combined into one video. The video should be no longer than 3-5 minutes per topic (6-10 minutes total). The video should be uploaded to YouTube and the unlisted link included in your email application for easy access.
All applications should be received by Friday, May 26, 2023 for full consideration. Please contact Diane LeBlanc with any questions by calling (225) 757-3208 or emailing dleblanc@lsdvi.org .
Special School District
The Special School District (SSD) was established by the Louisiana Legislature and serves over 1,800 students annually across Louisiana. Our mission is to provide compassionate, collaborative, and innovative educational opportunities for students with low incidence disabilities, meeting each student's unique needs. Our goal is to ensure 100 percent of the students served in our schools and programs will leave with a clear path to success. #EducationWithoutLimits
Louisiana School for the Deaf
The Louisiana School for the Deaf (LSD), established in 1852, has a long proud tradition of educating deaf and hard of hearing children in the state of Louisiana. We are dedicated to providing a quality education for all deaf and hard of hearing children by incorporating innovative teaching methods, rigorous curriculum, state-of-the-art technology, and the American Sign Language/English Bilingual Approach throughout our program. LSD provides extracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and mentoring by successful deaf and hard of hearing adult role and language models. Students directly interact with teachers, staff, and peers daily.
LSD will continually work to ensure full communication access in all settings; to present instructional materials in a bi-lingual environment utilizing both American Sign Language (ASL) and English; to ensure that we are driven by research in best developmental practices for learners that are deaf and hard-of-hearing; to value and recognize the diverse language learning styles of our students; and to use advances in audiological and educational technology.
LSD strives to be an educational environment that encourages students to become literate/analytical thinkers; that encourages families to develop reciprocal communication with their child and to share in decision making about their child's education; that promotes teachers who are experts/specialists in language and literacy instruction and who reflect on their students' progress; that is led by an administration that supports and advocates for innovation, expansion of curricular and dormitory residency programs and over-all school improvement; with the full collaboration of the school's core stakeholders.
Qualifications
Qualifications and Qualities

• Deep belief that all students, regardless of their backgrounds and educational pasts, have the potential to succeed in college and beyond and that it is the responsibility of schools to help students realize that potential.
• Master's Degree required
• Educational leadership certification (principal level) required (Louisiana or out-of-state)
• American Sign Language proficient
• Must meet the certification requirements of the State of Louisiana as a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. If not currently certified as a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, you must obtain this certification within three years. For more information, please visit https://www.teachlouisiana.net/pdf/laspedbooklet.pdf (page 9)
• Minimum of three (3) or more years as a school leader (assistant principal or principal)
• Experience working with deaf students
• Special Needs Experience, preferred
• Desire to work at a college-prep school rebuilding education for deaf and hard of hearing learners.
• Demonstrated leadership ability, which includes effectively managing and motivating a team to achieve goals
• Outstanding organizational skills; capacity to manage multiple responsibilities and competing demands
• Strong strategic thinking, problem solving and implementation skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a calm and respectful manner; commitment to fostering a collaborative, professional, and respectful work environment.

Job Concepts
Academic Goals: ensure every scholar is prepared for and experiences academic success.

• Ensure that the school meets all academic goals as measured by interim and summative norm- and criterion-referenced assessments.
• At the high school level, ensure that all scholars who are eligible for college are on track for college success, including meeting all GPA, ACT and credit requirements to be eligible for a four year university in the state of Louisiana and beyond. (2.5 GPA, 18 on the English Section of the ACT, 19 on the Math Section of the ACT, 20 Composite for TOPS Eligibility)
• Ensure scholars have access to quality early post-secondary experiences including Career and Technical Education and Work-Based Learning opportunities.
• Lead the School Building Level team to ensure all scholars with 504s, IEPs, and in the RTI process are on track for academic success.
• Ensure testing administration goes off without a single glitch or breach of security.

Teacher Coaching and Professional Development: Do whatever it takes to make teachers successful.

• Ensure all teachers receive regular observations and engage in coaching meetings with the appropriate personnel. Conduct on-going coaching across content areas, across experience levels, and needs, from curriculum to lesson planning, rigor, execution, behavior management, classroom culture, etc.
• Utilize the highest leverage tools you have as a coach of coaches, including but not limited to: real time coaching, debriefing with teachers, co-planning lessons, lesson plan review, and data meetings.
• Norm the bar for excellent teaching based on academic data (daily exit ticket data, unit and interim assessment data) and observational data, using the observational teaching rubric.
• Manage performance of the team through ongoing leadership team and staff-wide professional development, all staff meetings, and individual meetings with the team. Identify trends across classrooms and plan and execute professional development sessions to target key growth areas. Hold teachers and leaders accountable for improvement across all teachers.
• Support leaders to support teachers in non-classroom skills needed to be successful: time management, organization, self-awareness and self-management. Support teachers in the emotional currents of joining the LSD team.

Team Leadership: Lead the school team in every way with the assistance of the LSD leadership staff.

• Orient the team at the beginning of the year and on an ongoing basis on the following best practices: lesson planning, data driven instruction, and assessment design.
• Build strong relationships with the whole team, and each individual staff member founded on trust, honesty, accountability, and enthusiasm.
• Use your influence in the school to improve any part of the school that you see needs addressing. Never hesitate to bring something up that you think can be better.
• Regularly recognize the work of individuals and of the team to drive performance and create a positive team culture.
• Work with the leadership team to assess trends throughout the school and create and execute plans to improve the school based on trends.
• Approach all conversations with honesty and transparency with the leadership team. Always say what is on your mind.

Data Driven Instructional Leadership: Ensure all teachers meet their interim assessment and end of year goals.

• Ensure that student data is being used and acted on daily by the teaching team.
• Provide individual coaching and support to teachers as needed to improve their data driven instruction.
• Use school-wide academic data to make decisions about where to focus instructional coaching, how to spend instructional time, what shifts the school should make to the schedule, and what gaps the school needs to fill to ensure that we achieve academic success for all.
• Ensure that every child has a schedule of classes that meets them where they are academically and pushes them towards college success.

Professional Ethics

• Model ethical behavior at both the school and community levels.
• Communicate to others expectations of ethical behavior.
• Respect the rights and dignity of others.
• Provide accurate information without distortion and without violating the rights of others.
• Apply laws, policies, regulations, and procedures fairly, consistently, wisely, and compassionately
• Minimize bias in self and others and accept responsibility for his/her own decisions and actions
• Address unethical behavior in self and others

Managerial Responsibilities

• Serve as the chief executive officer of the Louisiana School for the Deaf (LSD).
• Frequent communication with the SSD Superintendent, daily communication with other LSD personnel.
• Provide professional administrative leadership in executing and implementing school philosophy, policies, procedures and programs and policies and regulations mandated by SSD and other state and federal regulatory agencies.
• Ensure compliance with all federal and laws and ensure all associated reporting requirements are completed.
• Provide professional leadership, make administrative decisions and develop and establish long range strategic plans necessary for the proper administration and management of the educational programs, services and operations of the school.
• Prepare budgets, projects, contracts, interagency agreements and reports as directed.
• Exercise leadership and responsibility in the management, allocation and utilization of school resources.
• Keep the SSD Superintendent fully informed regarding school operations.

Additional Responsibilities

• Oversee the planning, preparation, and distribution of the student and faculty handbooks.
• Supervise the work of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals.
• Assists with the recruitment, selection, and assignment of personnel.
• Maintain direct contact with parents, students, teachers, and other staff members.
• Utilize discipline measures when necessary, in a positive manner consistent with school policy.
• Cooperate with community agencies whose purpose relates to the health, safety, and welfare of students.
• Direct the closing of school activities.
• Display dependability and punctuality in attendance and in meeting obligations.
• Exhibit initiative.
• Exhibit willingness to accept and use suggestions for improvement.
• Recognize and follow established communication channels.
• May be required to develop and implement a Professional Growth Plan in consultation with SSD Superintendent.
• May be required to complete a Self-Evaluation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Examples of Work
See job concepts
Benefits for unclassified employees are determined by the individual hiring authority.