Head of School, Belmont Charter Network

Posted by Belmont Charter Network on January 5, 2018

Belmont Charter Network is a family of charter schools working to address the academic and social-emotional barriers hindering our students’ overall success. In addition to a fundamental academic curriculum, 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. We strive to equip each of our students with the resources and skills necessary to become successful and productive members of society.

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. Additionally, we partner with the Community Education Alliance of West Philadelphia to provide social service programs to our students beyond academics. Together, our mission is to promote the academic, social and emotional well-being of each child we serve.

Position Summary
The Head of School is the keeper and driver of the vision for Belmont Charter School. This person is charged with leading the school to fulfill the mission and vision of a community school. We seek a seasoned leader with solid K-8 leadership experience. As a community school, a large part of the role of the Head of School is to form, manage and maintain community partnerships which create supports for students beyond academics.

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
• Supervise and manage school leadership and other key operation personnel
• Manage and support leadership 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 and oversee strategic partnerships, including school health center and social service programs, to ensure school reaches vision of a community school
• Oversee parent and community involvement in school-wide events
• Act as liaison between Belmont Charter School, the Community Education Alliance 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 school 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
• 5+ 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

To Apply
Please complete an application at http://www.belmontcharternetwork.org/careers.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants who meet our selection criteria will be notified about next steps in the application and hiring process.