Executive Director Of School Leadership

Job Description:
The Executive Director of School Leadership is responsible for providing exemplary and innovative leadership as well as executive coaching for 18 school principals in developing the essential instructional leadership skills and practices to become high-performing instructional leaders. The Executive Director coaches, evaluates, and systemically reinforces school leaders' understanding and achievement of the ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan and the priorities associated with the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership.
This role provides executive coaching and mentoring support to and engages in joint instructional leadership tasks with individual school leaders for the purpose of fulfilling a coherent agenda to improve teaching and learning in their schools. This leadership support to principals will include planning and conducting instructional walk-throughs and/or instructional rounds, modeling instructional leadership practices, planning for and facilitating leadership team meetings with principals and assistant principals, and facilitating data sessions to achieve a school-wide instructional agenda with continuous improvement. The Executive Director will also lead principal and assistant principal meetings and facilitate "School Leader Instructional Networks" as a collaborative learning-focused strategy to improve student performance division-wide. Further, this individual conducts all principal evaluations. The Executive Director supports 18 principals and one administrative assistant as direct reports.
Additionally, the position works collaboratively with all TLL offices and ACPS departments to ensure the coherence and implementation of prioritized school improvement goals, initiatives, services, and supports.
This position is a direct report to the Chief Academic Officer.
Qualifications:
Education:

• Master's degree required in a related field. Doctorate preferred. A combination of training, experience, and education may substitute for educational requirements.

Licenses:

• Valid Virginia Department of Education License or ability to obtain one with an Administrator and Supervisor Prek-12 endorsement within 30 days of hire.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5-8 years of job-related experience and evidence as a successful leader focused on improving teaching, learning, and leadership. Experience as a school principal is highly preferred.
• Central Office experience in a public school division is highly preferred.
• Evidence in implementing a systemic focus on building the principals' capacity as an instructional leader focused on leading learning while ensuring that the school leader's management functions are maintained and improved.
• Evidence of experience leading and facilitating principal professional learning, principal networks, and/or conducting courageous conversations.
• Experience in executive coaching and mentoring school-based leaders to deepen their instructional leadership practices as leaders of collaborative school improvement to support the day-to-day work of staff and students in classrooms is required.
• Effective at facilitating collaboration among division and school-based leaders to serve schools better and to foster excellence and equity in teaching and learning division-wide.
• Experience with providing job-embedded assistance and support to help school leaders continuously improve as instructional leaders as a central priority.
• Experience with leading the continuous improvement process at the school level.

Essential Functions:

1. Provides support to leaders in developing and implementing processes and procedures that will support their continuous professional growth and development.

• Supervises and evaluates 18 school principals (one Pre-K, twelve Elementary, two K-8, two Middle, and one High School (two campuses)).
• Models effective instructional leadership practices to systematically improve instruction related to the Multi-Tiered Systems of Instructional Supports (MTSS).
• Develops professional learning "networks" focused on principals learning and sharing instructional leadership practices.
• Designs, provides, and brokers professional learning sessions for principals based on individual and collective learning needs.
• Demonstrates excellent service-oriented, collaboration, facilitation, communication, and organizational skills to partner with principals to be highly effective instructional leaders.
• Models practices that engage principals in deepening their understanding of how to support both new and experienced staff.
• Supports the implementation of the division's Leadership Development Plan and relationship with specific universities and/or associations in collaboration with the Executive Director of Instructional Support.
• Schedules and coordinates bi-weekly walk-throughs in collaboration with Executive Directors of Instructional Support, School Improvement, Specialized Instruction, and English Learners to provide feedback to administrators and teachers to improve the quality of instruction and enhance learning.
• Provides principals with feedback and clear action items associated with ongoing collaborative efforts for improvement following classroom visits, walkthroughs, conferences, etc.
• Ensures the implementation of Instructional Rounds, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and a data-driven culture of learning in ALL schools.
• Supports to Office of Instructional Support to ensure the implementation of division-wide instructional practices, interventions, and lesson planning requirements in ALL schools.
• Supports the Office of Specialized Instruction to ensure the implementation of specialized instructional best practices and progress monitoring tools for students with disabilities.
• Supports the Office Of English Learner services to ensure the implementation of best instructional practices for English learners.
• Supports and works with the Office of School Improvement to ensure the implementation of a collaborative process that deliberately, effectively, and efficiently monitors school improvement plans, school-based supports and services.

1. Provides direct managerial and oversight support to School Leaders and Staff.

• Oversees schedule development in all elementary, middle, and high schools to ensure that students have equitable access to rigorous and relevant coursework
• Provides leadership and coaching to assist principals in assessing school community needs in order to enhance family and community relationships.
• Brokers support for principals by seeking services, resources, and responses from internal ACPS Departments to ensure effective and efficient school operations and compliance with policies.
• Collaborates in developing effective discipline methods and in fostering a safe and positive environment for students and staff.
• Works with school leaders and staff to develop annual goals and monitor the progress of the goals.
• Assists principals in staffing and budgeting as needed.
• Models vision, integrity, passion, professional moral, and ethical standards in all interactions.

1. Additional Responsibilities:

• Participates in professional learning activities to enhance student learning and provides service to the profession, the division, and the community.
• Serves as a member of the Chief Academic Officers Leadership Team, including participation in the following activities:
• Senior Leadership Team
• Project Management Oversight Teams (PMOT);
• One-on-one meetings with the Chief Academic Officer;
• Quarterly Chats for School and Department Improvement Planning Updates;
• Participate on Division-Wide and Departmental Committees
• Facilitate Principal and Assistant Principal Meetings; and
• Selected School Events and Activities.
• Advises the Chief Academic Officer's Team on issues related to teaching, learning, and School Leadership.
• Able to work in a multicultural, multilingual, and multigenerational work environment
• Supports the Division goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief Academic Officer.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrates outstanding communication, written, interpersonal, organizational, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
• Able to operate a vehicle to visit schools and offices.

Clearances:

• Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance.
• Tuberculosis Skin Test.

Public Health Compliance:

• Must follow safety and health protocols.