Director of Education

Essential Job Duties

• Provide servant leadership that reflects HopeTree’s mission and core values while creating a welcoming, respectful, and hopeful school culture focused on student growth, dignity, and success.
• Ensure staff are equipped, trained, coached, and supported to educate students effectively while maintaining a safe, structured, trauma-informed, and relationship-based school environment.
• Ensure a supportive, inclusive, and professional educational environment for middle and secondary students.
• Collaborate with teachers, families, students, clinical partners, and referring school divisions to provide individualized educational support that helps each student progress toward academic, behavioral, vocational, and personal goals.
• Participate in recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and retention efforts for instructional, behavioral support, and administrative staff to build a strong, mission-aligned team.
• Ensure students receive appropriate guidance, support, and referral to services that advance their academic, vocational, social-emotional, and behavioral goals.
• Lead professional development and ongoing coaching for teachers and support staff, promoting continuous learning, excellence, accountability, and effective practice.
• Establish and monitor curriculum guidelines in collaboration with Academy leadership, teachers, and referring school divisions, ensuring instructional practices are aligned with student needs, regulatory requirements, and expected outcomes.
• Oversee budgeting, grant-related activities, and resource allocation in a manner that reflects responsible stewardship and supports high-quality student services.
• Select, implement, and oversee effective academic curricula and instructional approaches in coordination with the Leadership Team and teaching staff.
• Partner with clinical leadership and service providers to ensure coordinated, appropriate, and effective supports are available to students and staff.
• Supervise the administrative team to ensure appropriate staffing, clear roles, separation of duties, consistent communication, and accountable job performance.
• Evaluate instructors and support staff to ensure curriculum, classroom management, student support, and professional expectations are implemented consistently and effectively.
• Evaluate HopeTree Academy’s compliance with the Virginia Department of Education and maintain full accreditation through VASIEF.
• Oversee consistent implementation of student motivation, accountability, and behavioral support practices that promote safety, learning, restoration, and growth.
• Develop and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with local school divisions, payers, Virginia Department of Education contacts, VASIEF, families, and other stakeholders vital to the Academy’s success.
• Track, analyze, and use key metrics, student outcomes, compliance data, and stakeholder feedback to lead the Academy effectively and support continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular staff and leadership meetings that strengthen communication, alignment, accountability, collaboration, and shared commitment to the Academy’s mission.
• Ensure student education records are accurate, secure, timely, and maintained in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Ensure meaningful classroom observations are conducted for teachers and behavioral support staff, with feedback, coaching, and support provided to strengthen performance and student outcomes.
• Model and promote HopeTree’s core values of Ministry, People, Stewardship, Excellence, and Accountability in decisions, communication, supervision, and daily interactions.
• Establish and act on appropriate priorities that balance student needs, staff support, compliance, operational effectiveness, and responsible stewardship of Academy resources.

Qualifications

• No less than a Bachelor’s Degree in education from an accredited college or university.
• A current special education license to teach at the middle and secondary education levels with endorsements for and experience with working with learning disabled, emotionally and intellectually disabled and other “at-risk” students is preferred.
• A Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and a current Virginia Department of Education postgraduate professional license with an endorsement in Administration and Supervision or Special Education, in accordance with 8VAC20-671-300.
• Minimum of three years of experience working with students with disabilities, with strongly preferred experience in alternative, special education, private day, or other non-traditional school settings.
• Experience in an instructional leadership role such as principal or assistant principal and demonstrating the ability to effectively lead and develop administrative, instructional, and behavioral support teams.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, problem-solving, and supervisory skills, along with the ability to collaborate effectively with staff, families, referring school divisions, and regulatory bodies.