School Leader - Willamette Connections Academy

Position Summary and Responsibilities

The School Leader is responsible for establishing an organizational culture that puts the interests of students and families first. They recruit, retain, and develop faculty and staff, build and grow relationships with key external stakeholders, and implement the vision where every child receives a personalized and customized education, with academic achievement at the forefront.

This individual works from home, reporting to the Director of School Operations and managing staff who consult regularly with Learning Coaches and students. They oversee overall school operations, working with parents, students, support staff, and certified teachers. The School Leader manages a range of special projects and duties, collaborating with Pearson Virtual Schools (PVS) to implement strategic initiatives that align with best practices in virtual learning and Connections Academy schools.

Education

The School Leader must lead by example regarding continuing education and professional development. They must participate successfully in training programs offered, review current trends, developments, and research pertaining to education and school operations, and be familiar with school law and Oregon State Statutes.

Other Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate in partnership with Pearson Virtual Schools (PVS) to implement strategic initiatives that align with best practices in virtual learning and Connections Academy schools.
• Manage the implementation of the proven Connections Academy curriculum and school operation protocols.
• Exhibit high-quality communication with all staff, students, and families and ensure that teachers exhibit and maintain a high level of professionalism, instructional support, and customer service.
• Ensure the academic success of individual students by utilizing all levels of academic support available and maintaining a high level of communication with parents to deliver program information and address individual student needs.
• Build and maintain a positive and transparent relationship with the Charter School Board while being responsive to the Board's strategic plan; attend and actively participate in all Board meetings and related governance activities as required.
• Work with school staff as well as other stakeholders to create, implement, manage, and monitor the School Improvement Plan and meet all ODE CIP requirements.
• Work with PVS to coordinate marketing, enrollment, curriculum, human resource, and training resources.
• Work with school leadership regularly as a Community of Practice to complete data analysis and documentation and use data regularly to assess the progress towards meeting department and school-wide goals and in monitoring continuous school improvement using Oregon’s CIP processes.
• Set up clear systems and structures to identify and provide additional support to at-risk students based on student academic data that are below proficiency level.
• Coach school teams to hold conversations with each other that incorporate the use of student learning performance as a driver for instruction.
• Work directly with Truancy Officers to monitor and evaluate the behavioral intervention framework and the truancy intervention framework and collaborate with stakeholders for the purpose of serving as a liaison and resource for development of dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery support opportunities for students.
• Work collaboratively with the administrative team in implementing, monitoring, and supervising the Connections Academy School Year Cycle.
• Recruit, supervise, and evaluate all school staff as required by the state.
• Establish, monitor, and implement the school’s budget; including working closely with the Director of School Operations and other stakeholders on staffing, budgeting, grants, and contracts in accordance with Oregon laws and regulations, as well as federal laws and regulations.
• Support school administration in managing the school’s budget and various grants.
• Handle any student problems escalated by parents and teachers and maintain all Handbook Policies and state requirements in handling these matters.
• Respond to all Learning Coach/Caretaker inquiries within 24 hours, including responses in Webmail, email, telephone, and message board postings, as appropriate and document all interactions in user logs.
• Implement with fidelity the universal design for learning framework along with multi-tiered systems of support that encompass 1) school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports and 2) response to instruction and intervention.
• Oversee the management of, contracting and/or delivering Special Education services to ensure that the school is in compliance with state and federal laws; Attend and participate in Special Education and Section 504 Meetings as required.
• Work closely with appropriate Legal Counsel as needed.
• Work closely with PVS staff to implement the core operational model.
• Work with administrative team to implement any program changes, processes, and procedures, and/or new software application introductions.
• Act as the “face of the school” at school events and with the Department of Education, this could include testimony.
• Help coordinate stakeholders to provide testimony or statements on legislative matters.
• Build a high performing leadership team to oversee staff and school.
• Continue to grow professionally through collaboration with colleagues and professional growth experiences.
• Maintain a high level of personal integrity and strong work ethic.
• Comply with local, state, and federal rules and regulations.
• Support a robust “school community” through a program of in person field trips around the state and virtual activities.
• Be available to handle emergencies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from a regionally accredited college/university required.
• Valid Oregon Administrator Certification.
• Valid Oregon Teaching Certification with three years minimum of successful teaching experience. Virtual teaching experience preferred.
• Three years of administrative or management experience required.
• Charter school management a plus.
• Strong leadership qualities and a commitment to goal-directed management and accountability.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Knowledge of Professional Learning Communities.
• Customer-focused approach.
• Flexible, ability to transition from task to task quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment.
• Team player.
• Tech-savvy (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite).
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support families.

Pay

The anticipated salary for Oregon-based individuals interested in this position starts at $115,000 - $130,000.

Schedule

Note: The anticipated salary for Oregon-based individuals interested in this position starts at $115,000 - $130,000. Benefits available to eligible employees can be seen at https://www.connectionsacademy.com/careers/benefits/.