Assistant Principal of Operations - IDEA Weslaco (Immediate Opening)

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA has grown from a small school with 150 students to a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools, serving over 80,000 college-bound students across Texas, Florida, and Ohio.

About the Role

The Assistant Principal of Operations (APO) manages campus operations for each IDEA site (two schools) and is responsible for achieving operational excellence across non-instructional areas, including front office management, student information systems, child nutrition, transportation, health services, business office, facility maintenance, new construction management, technology coordination, student recruitment, and enrollment.

Responsibilities

• 85% Ops Staff Retention:
  • Ensure top performers occupy every seat across all operations roles.
  • Institute operating mechanisms that facilitate ongoing coaching and support of team members (check-ins, tactical meetings, regular observation and feedback sessions, high-quality talent review process, and staff development cycle).
  • Leverage the APO Priorities Calendar; routinely assess team members based on progress toward goals as well as principal and HQ feedback; prioritize support accordingly.
• 100% Projected Enrollment for Academy and College Prep by the first day of school:
  • Develop and execute student recruitment efforts targeting families with school-aged children immediately surrounding each school.
  • Lead team to recruit new families with specific applicant goals per grade level (3:1 ratio for open grade levels) while ensuring applications are high quality and lead to enrollment.
  • Ensure all new families are effectively onboarded and persist through their first year.
  • Comply with all federal, state, and organizational student registration requirements throughout the enrollment process (e.g., transfers, testing).
• 97.5% Average Daily Attendance (ADA) for Academy and College Prep:
  • Ensure new and existing families understand attendance expectations, with emphasis on PreK and Kinder families.
  • Manage team implementation of standardized accountability frameworks to adhere to ADA policy (e.g., escalation matrix, official attendance taking time).
  • Track data daily and cumulatively; make it visible to stakeholders; identify trends and course-correct weekly.
  • Implement best practices and tracking mechanisms to positively impact ADA progress toward goals.
  • Work with school lead teams to invest, motivate, and implement ADA plans for maximum impact.
  • Comply with all federal and state ADA guidelines through regular audits and monitoring.
• 90% New Student Persistence for Academy and College Prep:
  • Co-lead efforts with Academic Counselors to create an environment where students learn, thrive, and have fun (school culture, praise and recognition, events calendar).
  • Implement an ongoing monitoring system to review and address parent and student feedback, particularly regarding non-instructional services.
  • Manage new family onboarding from application through their first year.
• Operational and Financial Excellence in Auxiliary Services:
  • Ensure all auxiliary support services provide best-in-class customer service while achieving operational efficiency and financial targets.
  • Indirectly manage and provide tactical oversight in Transportation and Child Nutrition (CNP).
  • Directly manage, coach, and mentor Certified Nurse’s Assistants (CNAs) and Facilities Managers.
• Campus Safe and Operational One Week Before First Day of School (FDOS):
  • Manage all Beginning of Year (BOY) efforts, focusing on:
    • 100% of positions filled, staff onboarded, and in attendance at summer training.
    • 3.5 average score on both parent and staff BOY surveys.
    • ≥90 score on BOY quality scorecard.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree (Required).
• Experience: Experience managing and developing others to achieve ambitious results.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: Over 8 direct reports, including:
  • Receptionist
  • SIS Coordinator
  • Registrar
  • Cafeteria Manager
  • Transportation Manager
  • Health Aide
  • Business Clerk
  • Facilities Manager

Skills

We look for team members who embody the following values and characteristics:

• Believes and is committed to our mission and being an agent of change: that all students are capable of getting to and through college.
• Has demonstrated effective outcomes and results and wants to be held accountable for them.
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly.
• Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes.
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change.
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, shared often and freely across all levels of the organization.
• Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships to achieve outcomes.
• Holds themselves to a high level of conduct, professionalism, and behaviors as models for colleagues and students.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Special benefits include:

• Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on tenure and caregiver designation.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year (subject to manager discretion and budget availability).
• Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions per year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services at no cost.
• Dental and vision plans.
• Disability and life insurance.
• Parenting benefits.
• Generous vacation time.
• Referral bonuses and professional development.
• Relocation allowance may be offered to defray moving costs for this role, if applicable.

Pay

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $84,618 and $99,426, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for a performance bonus based on organizational performance and goal attainment.