Wisconsin Regional Executive Director

Organization
HOPE Christian Schools is a network of six college preparatory schools in Milwaukee and Racine. HOPE is a part of Open Sky Education (OSE), an entrepreneurial not-for-profit, Christian organization in tireless pursuit of a full and lasting education for all children. OSE works to ensure that world-class academics, character formation and faith-based educational choices are accessible and affordable for all. Open Sky Education creates, supports, leads, and grows a family of learning environments, including HOPE Christian Schools, EAGLE College Preparatory Schools, Soaring Education Services, Compass Educational Programs, and the Character Formation Project.
Currently, Open Sky Educations Wisconsin region provides educational programming on six campuses serving roughly 3,000 scholars. On each of these sites is located a HOPE Christian private school through which the HOPE Board and OSE works collaboratively to ensure they offer rigorous academic, character, and faith formation programming in a safe and loving environment.
Mission and Vision
Mission: HOPE Christian Schools exist to provide a high-quality, Christian education in a safe, supportive environment where teaching and learning are exciting and students graduate well prepared to become inspirations to their families, leaders in their communities and successes in their workplace.
Vision: HOPE is dedicated to developing a network of schools that provide a Christian education that is genuinely transformational for our students. We are tireless in our commitment to establishing a distinctive identity as one of Americas finest college-preparatory institutions, developing students who are academic standouts and active community servants.
Purpose:HOPE Christian Schools are driven by the love of Christ, building learning communities that inspire, equip, and support Serving Leaders to transform the world.
Today, HOPE Christian Schools is a network of six private K4-8 Christian college-preparatory schools serving nearly 3,000 scholars in Milwaukee and Racine, Wisconsin. The six HOPE schools in Milwaukee participate in the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program. Their school in Racine is part of the Racine Parental Choice Program. Nearly 100 percent of the scholars qualify for free or reduced lunch and live in some of the most impoverished areas of these two urban centers. Despite the statistical odds being stacked against them, HOPE scholars are proving what is possible. Their elementary scholars demonstrate strong academic results and grow faster than their peers, as demonstrated on the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP), a nationally normed growth assessment.
All of this began with the passion, energy, and inspiration of HOPE's founders, who had hearts for service and a love for children whom they saw not as statistics but rather as God's own children, created on purpose and for a great purpose. None of this could have happened, or indeed can continue, without God's ongoing grace and blessing at every step along the journey. Looking back on over two decades of the growth and development of HOPE Christian Schools, it is clear that God put the talented people, the courageous leaders, and groundbreaking public policies in place at key moments in time to bring HOPE to life, sustain it and grow it.
HOPE is an acronym that stands for "Holding Onto the Promises Everywhere." This acronym's formation was one step of many along the way as HOPE has evolved and developed more clarity in its communication. From the very beginning, the culture of HOPE Christian Schools has been a continuous improvement with an entrepreneurial mindset, always refining and finding better ways to accomplish our mission. HOPE's mission has included the same three pillars since the beginning:
1.Deliver excellent academics
2.Create the opportunity for strong character formation
3.Share Christ with our scholars to support them in building an ongoing, deepening relationship with Him
The founders also envisioned that each of these three pillars should be delivered in a sustainable way for our people and those we serve, as well as scalable, to open up more opportunities to serve more children. This three-fold mission has been refined and is now stated by our team as "Christ. College. Character. for all."
Position Summary
The Wisconsin Regional Executive Director for Open Sky Education (OSE) reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and will lead the OSE regional team to ensure successful launch, performance and growth of all HOPE School operations in the assigned region. A prominent focus for this role will be to ensure we provide a high-quality learning environment, achieving the objectives of HOPE Christian at each of the six locations. The role includes overseeing the ongoing school operations and priorities, supervising regional staff, providing leadership to six Principals in conjunction with the OSE Regional and National staff, and directing the growth of the region. HOPE Christian Schools Executive Director will oversee a $30M budget and
eight direct reports (including six school Principals, one Regional Director of Teaching and Learning and one Regional Director of Operations).
The Wisconsin Regional Executive Director will work closely with the HOPE Board and OSE collaboratively to ensure we offer rigorous academic, character and faith formation programming in a safe and loving environment, OSE and local team members to set the vision and strategy in order to increase our organizational impact on children in the region and build sustainable partnerships with the community.
The Wisconsin Regional Executive Director is an integral part of advancing OSEs model for high quality, full, and lasting education in the region and across the nation and is a member of the Open Sky Education National Team, including responsibilities on the education committee, strategic planning, and leading or supporting strategic projects.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND COMPETENCIES:
Educational Leadership
Set and lead a standard of consistency across HOPE Schools that establish and allow for achievement of academic, operational, and financial excellence.
Partner with key stakeholders on strategies that drive successful results, partnerships and overall growth.
Work closely with HOPE regional leadership and HOPE principals to develop and implement the HOPE regional strategic plan.
Align with Open Skys overarching strategic plan to HOPEs regional strategy.
Monitor and hold school leaders accountable for achieving school related goals.
Demonstrate a passion for our mission and act as the primary brand and culture ambassador for HOPE Christian Schools, the Character Foundation Project, and any other Open Sky operations in the region.
Ensure each school in the region achieves its academic standards and track progress to achieve stretch goals.
Actively engage through onsite presence at schools to support and coach principals in day-to-day problem solving, to provide counsel and to review tactics.
Guide the execution of talent strategies for the region with a vigilant focus on recruitment and retention efforts for staff. Support school principals in staff development and support, performance management, and school team structure, in collaboration with the national Talent and Finance teams. Directly influence leadership development of principals and future leaders.
Collaborate with the National Director of Enrollment Management to develop and implement regional enrollment strategies, ensuring that each school achieves its enrollment goals.
Facilitate clear communication with principals to ensure their full understanding and support of the plans.
Oversee adherence to the enrollment process by all members of the admissions team, aiming to create exceptional experiences for both current and prospective families.
System-Wide Operational Excellence
Work with each principal to manage her/his budget, coaching them on expense management, reductions and enrollment/revenue enhancements as needed to achieve annual sustainable results.
Coordinate major facilities maintenance issues and new school growth opportunities with the national facilities team.
Ensure that the region has a viable long-term financial plan and a diversified and sustainable funding base.
Direct management responsibilities for all regional staff and hire/termination decision rights for all direct reports.
Responsible for any and all support for the HOPE Board, including board meeting plan, agenda, content, and follow-up; works with HOPE Board and other stakeholders on board member recruitment.
Ensure high quality service to the region by acting as a liaison of two-way communication for all national support team services.
Leverage the power of data to identify opportunities and drive efficiencies to ensure a high-quality regional performance.
Culture and Community Engagement
Establish and deliver personalized relationship building that brings to life and differentiates HOPE Schools and leaders through consistent and ongoing communication with teachers, students, families, and school leaders to build a strong culture and inform our plans for growth.
Build meaningful relationships with centers of influence in the community and key local connectors to talent and families.
Grow and maintain a sustainable, diversified state-wide funding base that will include gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Grow relationships and engage in activities related to local advocacy for school choice, charter schools and other areas of key strategic importance to OSE operations in the region.
Work closely with HOPE Board members to use their talent, experience, expertise, and networks to support our shared goals.
Work effectively with local media outlets and national communications team to elevate the organizations presence in becoming a destination school for scholars and staff within the region.
Be the face and voice of Open Sky Education, HOPE Christian Schools and representative for any other related regional operations.
Education
Minimum bachelors degree; MBA or graduate degree preferred.
Qualifications
Minimum of 10 years of professional leadership and management experience required.
4-6 years in an urban educational leadership/administrator role and/or multi-school or system wide leadership desired.
Experience leading, managing, and developing a team of direct reports.
Strong business and financial acumen.
Strong proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Personal Qualities
Embodies and promotes Christ-centered, caring, and committed organizational norms, core values, and beliefs.
Belief that every child is child of God, every child can learn, and every child deserves a high-quality education.
A serving leader, willing to do whatever it takes to serve and lead their team successfully.
Demonstrates Open Sky Educations five pillars of Loving, Learning, Leading, Lasting, and Laughing, and promotes those values through team members in our Christian organization.
Integrity, credibility, and passionate commitment to our mission of providing a full and lasting education for all children coming from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds.
High energy, constantly aspiring to improve and grow the organization.
A mindset of humility and serving leadership with the willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure every scholar has an excellent education.
Commitment to mentoring, training, and retaining a diverse team.
Keen analytic, organization and complex problem-solving skills.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; experience in effectively building relationships and communicating at all levels.
Exemplifies serving leadership by continually raising the bar, managing through others, and delegating successfully.
Compensation
The range for the base salary is $175,000 $225,000, with an additional bonus plan eligible.
HOPE Christian Schools has partnered with Spano Pratt Executive Search to identify the Wisconsin Regional Executive Director. For a confidential conversation and to learn more about this opportunity, please contact Lindsey Kriete:
Spano Pratt Executive Search
Lindsey Kriete, lkriete@spanopratt.com
www.spanopratt.com
M: 414.234.9033