Head of Belmont Charter Middle School

Posted by Belmont Charter Network on March 19, 2018

About the Network
Belmont Charter Network is a family of charter schools working to address the academic and social-emotional barriers hindering our students’ overall success. We strive to equip each of our students with the resources and skills necessary to become successful and productive members of society. In addition to a fundamental academic curriculum, in partnership with the Community Education Alliance of West Philadelphia, we provide physical and mental health services within the school environment along with a wide variety of extracurricular programming including sports, academic enrichment and the arts. Together, our mission is to promote the academic, social and emotional well-being of each child we serve.

Our organization currently operates four schools in the Belmont area: Belmont Academy Charter School, Belmont Charter School, Belmont Charter High School and Inquiry Charter School. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, we have made the decision to separate Belmont into two distinct schools – a middle school (6-8th) and an elementary school (1-5th).

Position Summary
The Head of School will be responsible for leading its team through the process of creating a separate Middle School and founding the school’s renewed vision. We seek a seasoned leader with solid middle school leadership experience.

Duties of the Head of School include, but are not limited to
● Drive and support implementation of Belmont’s vision and guiding principles to ensure a positive, achievement-focused school culture among teachers, staff, and students
● Manage and support middle school team; continually collect various forms of academic, culture, and team data to drive decision making and problem solving
● Create, manage, and evaluate operational processes to ensure consistency with the school’s values and goals
● Build relationships, both internally and externally, to promote student-based programs like the school health center and social service programs, to ensure students receive all of the benefits of attending a community school
● Oversee parent and community involvement in school-wide events
● Act as liaison between Belmont Elementary Charter School, the Community Education Alliance of West Philadelphia and other schools within the network
● Maintain compliance with state and federal regulations for education standards and requirements

Core Competencies
● Ability to motivate staff, students and families around the school vision
● Clear and effective communication skills for diverse audiences including staff, students and parents
● Well-organized; ability to balance competing priorities and multi-task
● Passion for developing staff’s leadership capacities
● Willingness to foster creativity and innovation
● Leadership style that encourages teamwork and collaboration
● Persistence in the face of obstacles, productive problem solving to counter setbacks, initiative to seize opportunity to make change
● Belief in student empowerment and willingness to allow students to play an active role in supporting the BCHS vision
● Commitment to the service of students and families
● Clear understanding of policies and law affecting special populations, ELL students and students receiving special education services
● Model an exemplary work ethic

Qualifications
● Superior grasp of effective instructional and behavioral methods and strategies for educating urban youth
● Strong process, people, and project management skills with a proven ability to train, supervise and coach professional staff in order to foster a cooperative team environment
● Intellectual agility, a commitment to maintaining rigorous standards, and a demonstrated ability to think strategically and execute on multiple priorities simultaneously
● Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and rapidly-changing environment
● Ability to leverage computer software programs and other technology that will support the learning environment

Education and Experience
● Master’s Degree or Doctorate in Education Administration or related field
● 3+ years of demonstrated educational leadership experience, preferably within an urban school setting
● Understanding of public education and charter school environment
● Prior experience working within a corporate, entrepreneurial or start-up environment desirable

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