School Director

New Dimensions: A Public Charter School

School Director Job Description

The School Director is the centralized leadership figure of New Dimensions: A Public Charter School ("NDS" or "School"), providing attentive and thoughtful instructional, operational, and administrative leadership to the students, staff, parents, and community. The School Director exercises a variety of responsibilities to address critical points of accountability across the K-8 program. The School Director organizes, administers, supervises, and evaluates all aspects of the School's mission and operation, and is a representative of the School in the community.

The School Director is expected to guide staff in understanding and implementing the current approved curriculum across each applicable grade level and content area. The School Director partners with the Board of Directors (or "Board"), the administrative leadership team, and the North Carolina Office of Charter Schools to deliver on the School's Mission and embody the School's Core Values. The School Director is expected to have a vision for the future of the School while continuing to support and preserve the School's mission.

The School Director will be held accountable for the continuous improvement of the School and its staff and for increased student achievement. In this regard, the School Director reports directly to the Board, and will receive an annual evaluation from the Board based on the expectations set forth in this job description.

Qualifications preferred master's degree or higher in education or related fields. Compensation will be commensurate on the candidates qualifications and experience.

The various areas in which the School Director is expected to provide effective guidance, leadership and administrative success are set forth below.

A. EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The School Director:

• Is the chief executive officer of NDS, and represents the School in relations and communications with agencies of government, school systems, professional organizations, businesses and the general public.

• Possesses strong knowledge of federal, state and local educational laws, regulations and programs, particularly as they pertain to NC charter schools; remains informed of trends, research, and legislation that may affect the School, and recommends policy changes to the Board when appropriate.

• Continuously monitors and implements appropriate systems and procedures to ensure NDS remains in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

• Endeavors to stay up-to-date and informed on current and new programs, research, curricula, structures, methodologies and technologies and works collaboratively with the leadership team and staff.

• Maintains an environment that cultivates high academic standards and individual and collaborative leadership; promotes continuous quality improvement for both staff and students.

• Serves as an encouraging, strong, and inspirational leader for teachers at the School; establishes structures and programs to guide teachers in professional development and attainment of appropriate educational goals.

• Serves as a liaison to the North Carolina Office of Charter Schools to ensure compliance with all state mandates including End of Grade testing.

• Ensures students meet or exceed academic growth as indicated by measurement tools which include, but are not limited to, testing and the NC Report Card: School Performance Score and Growth status.

• Understands the importance of extracurricular activities to students' educational experience and works collaboratively with extracurricular coaches/instructors.

• Monitors and continuously seeks ways to improve educational achievement of all NDS students, from those who are struggling to those who are seeking more advanced challenges.

B. FISCAL AND FACILITY RESPONSIBILITIES

The School Director:

• Executes the financial policy set by the Board of Directors.

• Ensures that NDS maintains sound financial management practices; works with the Treasurer and the School's financial advisors to ensure the accuracy and stability of financial/budgetary reports, and to facilitate long-term planning.

• Ensures and oversees periodic state and other audits.

• Ensures that necessary records for NDS are maintained in an organized manner, including a system of financial accounts, business and property records, personnel records (including teacher licensure records), and scholastic records; acts as titular custodian of such records and all contracts, securities, documents, title papers, books of records, and other papers belonging to NDS.

• Ensures that all funds, physical assets, and other property of NDS are appropriately safeguarded and administered.

• Identifies, investigates and pursues appropriate funding sources, with the support of the Development Committee, (including but not limited to corporate gifts, grants and donations) to ensure NDS's continued financial stability and ability to fund and achieve strategic goals.

• Supervises daily operations of the School, ensuring a safe and friendly environment; ultimately responsible for security and maintenance of School facilities; ultimately responsible for procurement and maintenance of School equipment.

C. COMMUNITY RELATIONS

The School Director:

• Serves as a spokesperson for the School; promotes NDS locally, state-wide and nationally, e.g., through participation in relevant educational organizations such as the North Carolina Charter School Alliance.

• Explains and promotes the School's mission to families of prospective students and the broader community; seeks to enhance or maintain (as appropriate) the School's enrollment.

• Maintains constructive ties to other schools and organizations.

• Serves as the primary point of contact for media inquiries, except where the media contact should be the Chairperson of the Board or the PR committee because of the nature of the particular inquiry (the School Director will advise the Chairperson of all media inquiries so the Chairperson can determine whether the exception should apply).

• Maintains a procedure for coordinating with PR Committee for news releases and/or other items of public interest emanating from all NDS staff which pertain to education matters, policies, procedures, school related incidents or events and approves all media interviews with any NDS staff.

• Develops good working relationships with local media, community and business leaders.

• Works with the leadership team to implement a system of effective communication with parents and the School community; develops plans to promote positive parent involvement and volunteerism within the school.

D. PERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION QUALITIES

The School Director:

• Leads with integrity, honesty and respect and exemplifies a strong inner moral compass. Values and models the School's Core Values both within the school and in the community; expects and requires the same from faculty, staff, and administrators, and holds them accountable for actions that do not demonstrate these qualities.

• Demonstrates effective oral communicative abilities; speaks persuasively in front of individuals and groups, expressing ideas in a logical, respectful and forthright manner.

• Thinks quickly and logically and reacts appropriately and respectfully when faced with unexpected or negative events.

• Demonstrates effective written communication abilities and writes in the proper style and tone for a given situation and audience.

• Demonstrates an ability to work with diverse individuals and groups while maintaining poise and focus; fosters a culture of inclusion.

• Maintains own professional development by being well-read, attending useful conferences, working on professional committees, and developing and maintaining relationships with peers; is eager to learn and improve.

E. PERSONNEL MATTERS AND SUPERVISION

The School Director:

• Monitors and directs the school staff personnel and is responsible for their performance; meets with them on a regular basis and provides them with constructive feedback, support and guidance when appropriate.

• Involves administrators in the formulation of internal objectives, plans and programs.

• Develops and executes sound personnel procedures and practices within the parameters of policies set by the Board of Directors.

• Keeps morale high among staff, develops an honest and trusting relationship with all key stakeholders (administration, staff, parents, students and Board of Directors); nurtures strong staff loyalty to NDS.

• Delegates authority to staff and administration appropriate to the position each holds.

• Recruits and retains effective, creative, inclusive educators and administrators.

• Evaluates administrative and other personnel in a consistent and documented manner; responsible for conducting required staff evaluations; makes decisions for employment, promotion, or dismissal of personnel in writing and with supporting data, and accepts responsibility for these decisions.

• Ensures that the salaries for all personnel are appropriate and recommends to the Board salary schedules which, within budgetary limitations, will best serve NDS's interests.

• Maintains transparency in keeping stakeholders informed of personnel plans when appropriate.

F. RELATIONS WITH THE BOARD

The School Director:

• Is accountable to the Board of Directors for the administration of the School's educational system.

• Executes the intent of Board policy; communicates Board policy and actions to the School's stakeholders and, when appropriate, to the broader community in a supporting way.

• Reports to the Board regarding all matters affecting the School in any material way, including matters related to the School's educational mission, finances, and facilities.

• Ensures effective communication between the Board and the staff, faculty, and administration; relays communications by the Board regarding personnel to NDS administration and staff, as appropriate; shares with the Board any communications from administration or staff that may require Board involvement.

• Responsibly acts, if action is necessary, in any matter of an urgent nature or not covered by Board policy; reports such action to the Board as soon as practicable, and recommends policy recommendations in order to provide guidance in the future.

• Develops, in conjunction with the Board, a viable strategic vision for NDS's continuous pursuit of educational excellence and other key goals; develops and recommends to the Board long-range plans consistent with population trends, cultural needs, and the Board's objectives for NDS; collaboratively implements tactical measures to achieve these plans.

• Works with the Board to develop appropriate annual goals for NDS and accomplishes these goals within the stated time frame.

• Works with the Board's Chairperson to prepare the agenda for Board meetings; prepares and submits recommendations to the Board for all matters requiring board action; places before the Board such necessary and helpful facts, information, analysis and reports as are needed to ensure the Board can make informed decisions within the limited time possible during a board meeting.

• Attends all meetings of the Board (except where absence is requested or is excused for non-recurring urgent matters or emergencies); ensures the attendance of other employees of the School as necessary depending on the meeting agenda.

• Works with the Board to develop or revise appropriate programs and policies, upon either the recommendation of the administration or the initiative of the Board.

• In collaboration with the Board, designs and implements a fair and thorough evaluation process for the School Director position.

• Develops a harmonious relationship with the Board; remains impartial, treating all Board members fairly and equitably.

(Note: In the event of any inconsistency between the foregoing and the School's by-laws, the Board and the School Director understand that the by-laws will control.)

ABOUT NEW DIMENSIONS

New Dimensions Charter School is located in Morganton, NC and serves over 530 K-8 students. New Dimensions ranks in the top 20% of all North Carolina charter schools in both reading and math proficiency, according to the 2021-22 state testing data. Small class sizes (16:1 in K-5 and 24:1 6-8th) allow for attentive instruction and parental involvement creates a united learning community. We offer a variety of sports and extracurricular programs, a robust STEM program, and a variety of community-led middle school electives to broaden students' horizons. The mission of New Dimensions: A Public Charter School is to nurture every student, every day to develop strong character, academic excellence and good citizenship.

Application questions: To learn more about this position or to apply, please email your resume and letter of interest (highlighting relevant experience which qualifies you for charter school leadership) to rrhodes@ndschool.org.