Executive Director of Diverse Learners Support

NOLA Public Schools envisions every student receiving a high-quality education that fosters their individual capabilities, ensuring they thrive, achieve physical and mental wellness, and are prepared for civic, social, and economic success.

About the role

Under the guidance of the Senior Chief Student Support Officer, the Executive Director of Diverse Learners Support will play a significant role in supporting and creating conditions to foster continual improvement among charter schools in New Orleans. This position requires consistent collaboration across a diverse group of stakeholders, inside and outside NOLA-PS, to identify, analyze, and formulate solutions that ensure maximum impact at both the district and school level. Priority areas include teacher and school leader talent pipelines, English Language Learners, shared services and supports across charter schools, and operational efficiencies. The Executive Director will directly support charter school leaders and their teams when challenges arise that must be addressed at the local or state level. As a premier portfolio school district, NOLA-PS presents unique governance and policy development challenges, requiring an entrepreneurial critical-thinker committed to uncovering solutions that increase the efficacy of both NOLA-PS and individual charter school organizations.

Direct Reports

• Director of Specialized, Programming, Placement, and Facilitation
• Special Education Ombudsman
• Director of English Learner Support Services

Responsibilities

• Directly support and engage school leaders on their needs to increase organizational effectiveness and student achievement through professional development and oversight of shared services models.
• Lead efforts to create and regularly convene Communities of Practice that actively support Special Education Leaders and other identified groups needed to improve outcomes for diverse learners.
• Independently generate and propose solutions to address specific needs arising from engagement with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Research, develop, and plan for implementation of policies and practices that directly impact NOLA-PS in meeting its organizational goals and strategic priorities related to school operations and improvement.
• Regularly communicate, coordinate, and liaise with state and local experts and partners with experience and knowledge related to the given issue or topic.
• Consistently engage with NOLA-PS staff across divisions to increase effectiveness and efficiency when supporting and engaging schools.
• Collaborate with team members from various departments within NOLA-PS to identify emerging issues.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, orally and in writing.
• Evaluate and manipulate a variety of data to inform policy and practice discussions and development.
• Annually review and analyze data needed to make support determinations in alignment with the Diverse Learner School Support Framework, develop and submit a Diverse Learner Support Plan, and deploy the identified supports to schools.
• Provide identified school supports to schools in the portfolio, as determined by the Diverse Learner School Support Framework.
• Oversee the implementation of the Special Education Ombudsman role to ensure families and schools are supported.
• Collaborate with Accountability to respond to special education complaints and non-compliance issues, in alignment with the Charter School Accountability Framework.
• Oversee Specialized Programming to ensure compliance with the expectations set forth by NOLA-PS.
• Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Special Education or related field required.
• Minimum of five years of professional experience required.
• Work with or in charter schools strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of state and national best practices in supporting diverse learners strongly preferred.
• Experience in school leadership (teacher leadership, administration, or principal) preferred.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with special education and Louisiana Charter School policy and law strongly preferred.
• Experience in implementation of shared services models strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of state and national best practices in charter school authorization strongly preferred.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to work cooperatively and courteously with others and communicate with a variety of personalities in a tactful, pleasant, and professional manner.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills, with the ability to tailor messaging and respond effectively to the needs of diverse audiences.
• Ability to use basic office procedures and equipment. Expertise in personal computers, with literacy in Windows, Microsoft Office Programs (proficiency in Word and Excel), and financial management software.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and multitasking skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent information-gathering and information-monitoring skills.
• Problem analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate and partner with various stakeholders.
• Ability to use good judgment and strong decision-making skills.
• Ability to take initiative on projects and complete them successfully without supervision.
• Ability to work well under pressure, while projecting high motivation, maintaining strict confidentiality, and handling clients with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to follow-up/follow-through on assignments is essential.

Pay

Salary offers reflect a commitment to equity and transparency. Each offer is determined by education, years of experience, and alignment with compensation across similar roles within the district.

Work Environment

• Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation) part of the workday.
• Required to exert physical effort in handling objects more than 30 pounds rarely.
• Required to be exposed to physical occupational risks (such as cuts, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals) rarely.
• Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes, or similar elements rarely.
• Normal setting for this job is an office/school setting.