About InspireNOLA
As the highest performing open-admission charter network in the city of New Orleans, InspireNOLA is working to inspire and transform an educational movement where students can develop the academic and personal skills necessary to be prepared for college, their community and the world. InspireNOLA currently operates eight public charter schools and educates over 5,500 students, the majority of whom are African American and qualify for free or reduced lunch. With a focus on providing outstanding instruction and differentiated support to meet the needs of all students, InspireNOLA is achieving outstanding results and is a model for excellence within the education community. The work of our team makes a profound and enduring contribution to the revitalization of New Orleans.
Position Summary
The Chief of Schools (CoS) will drive excellence across all operational functions within the network of PK-12 schools. The CoS will directly manage network-level operational and support staff, and will provide oversight of operations, food service, transportation, technology, student information systems, student support, and overall health and well-being of students. The CoS will report to the CEO and, as a member of the senior leadership team, contribute to the overall organizational health and mission of InspireNOLA. The ideal applicant for this position has a history of displaying a solid capacity for systems-level and strategic thinking, excessive consideration to detail, strong interpersonal skills in building relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and unequivocally comprehends the need for highly effective operating practices that move forward the academic and behavioral success within the schools for all scholars.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities
Student Support
· Draft and lead the implementation of a Student Engagement Plan for extracurricular activities, student leadership programming exploratory field trips, afterschool programs and clubs, etc., to accelerate student involvement and improved experiences on campus
· Coordinate partnerships that can educate and support students in attaining the mission of the organization
· Develop activities that foster student voice, choice, and independence and create an inclusive community on campus where students can be successful both in and out of the classroom
· Provide resources for student leaders to manage events and organizations on campus and in the local community; create a broad opportunity for community service and outreach
Student Information Systems (SIS) Data & Reporting
· Support the Senior Data Analyst in implementing and maintaining the network-wide student management systems
· Lead efforts to standardize internal data management and analysis processes
· Coordinate with School Data Mangers the efficiency systems to complete master scheduling, attendance, final grades, and transcripts with full accuracy
Family & Community Engagement
· Guide and monitor implementation of a comprehensive, network-wide strategy for family and community engagement initiatives
· Support school-based family outreach strategy aligned to improving student outcomes
· Develop a partnership portfolio to include community-based organizations, programmatic partners, corporations, governmental agencies and educational bodies that further improve student achievement
· Support parent and community relationships to advance student success and resolve concerns by our parent stakeholders
Safety & Well-Being
· Develop and provide oversight of operational procedures to maintain safe school campuses
· Ensure implementation of emergency safety plans for schools
· Monitor and support the training of a Safe School Crisis Team to respond to the various needs of the school during an emergency on or off-campus
· Manage school nurses and ensure adherence to systems for day-to-day operations and incident reporting
· Ensure vision, hearing and dental screenings are completed annually by August 30th
· Coordinate physicals for students of ESS and athletic groups
· Work with Chief of Strategy & Advancement to respond to legal issues regarding student incidents
Operations
· Define operational excellence and build a dashboard to manage school-based and network operations staff towards achievement of organization goals and expected quality
· Identify, develop and implement sustainable and cost-efficient operational systems and process improvements to ensure school and organizational efficiency and effectiveness
· Build a unified culture among network and school-level staff that is student focused and results driven
· Ensure a strong customer service orientation is woven into all aspects of InspireNOLA
· Communicate effectively with InspireNOLA Board members and school community by preparing and providing various operational performance reports
Facilities
· Support the Director of Facilities in management of the InspireNOLA’s facility portfolio, ensuring facility solutions and plans are in place to achieve growth while integrating mission, finance, development and facility perspectives
· Ensure effective oversight of the facilities plan and coordinate for inspections, repairs, and improvements for the network schools to ensure healthy and safe learning facilities for the students, staff and community
· Monitor the routine cleanliness of campuses and manage and/or support custodial contract vendors to provide the highest level of excellence in school cleanliness
· Support the Director of Facilities in the management of grounds vendors and ensure lawn care is maintained on a regular basis
· Obtain bids from facility vendors for the procurement of grounds keeping, custodial, and building maintenance and provide recommendations regarding which bids/proposals are in the best interest of the organization and its schools
· Interface and coordinate facility plans with local agencies (e.g., NOLA-PS) as it pertains to all school facilities and properties
· Ensure the effective supervision the Building Maintenance Technician (BMT) and ensure cost efficient measures are in place and overall outputs are being maximized for school building repairs
Food Service
· Ensure appropriate meals are provided to students and monthly menus are prepared and communicated
· Be knowledgeable of and comply with the most up-to-date national food service guidelines and Department of Food Services mandates
· Obtain bids from vendors for the procurement of food services and make decision regarding which bids/proposals are in the best interest of the organization and its schools
· Manage the food service vendors in an efficient manner to ensure overall effectiveness for meal provision
· Serve as a resource to schools to provide guidance on daily snacks and fundraising events that incorporate food items
Transportation
· Create systems for bus safety and work with transportation service providers to ensure all required state and local inspections are maintained and recorded
· Communicate with service providers to ensure excellence in transportation day-to-day operations through monthly and/or quarterly meetings, reports, and bid negotiations
· Respond effectively to bus discipline concerns and accidents, create effective systems for reporting complaints, concerns, accidents and coordinate with network communications team to provide media request when school bus accidents occur
· Coordinate with EDSS to ensure door-to-door service is provided per IEP requirements
· Coordinate with the Athletic Directors and business managers to provide transportation services for extracurricular activities, in-state and out of state field trips, and summer and afterschool programming
Technology
· Directs the installation of technology systems and tools that includes hardware, software, wiring, and applications
· Manage the maintenance of technology equipment and systems (e.g. servers, phone systems, software applications, promethean boards, document cameras, networks, etc.)
· Authorize permissions and individual access to technology applications and services that adhere to federal systems guidelines
· Maintain technology budget to align all expenditures to allocations and grant specified requirements
Risk Management
· Create sound policies that reduce the liability and cost of governance, operational and regulatory risks (i.e., property management, athletics, vendor policies, compliance, etc.)
· Develop an organizational and school culture that includes risk management and clear responsibilities for all members of the school community in controlling for and reducing the likelihood of risk
· Proactively identify certain risks, classify risks and document them to be evaluated and mitigated
· Help the organization CEO and executive team understand, evaluate, and act on all risk they face
Position Qualifications and Competencies
· Belief in the mission and values of InspireNOLA
· Bachelor’s degree (required), Master’s degree preferred
· Minimum of two years of experience working within a school setting as a School Leader/Administrator
· Proficient knowledge of school operational systems and strategic planning
· Strong interpersonal and communication skills, organizational skills including the ability to coordinate activities across team members at multiple locations
· Proficiency in Microsoft programs, and comfort using database programs
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. InspireNOLA offers a comprehensive benefits package along with TRSL.
InspireNOLA is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. People from all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus.