Director of Academics and Schools Management

The Director of Academics and Schools Management serves as a senior instructional and operational leader responsible for supporting, developing, and holding schools accountable within a school-based management model. Two Directors will share oversight of approximately 18 schools, ensuring coherence, consistency, and high-quality implementation of district priorities.

This role is responsible for building the capacity of school leaders to design, implement, and sustain effective systems and structures that drive student outcomes. These systems include, but are not limited to, instructional leadership, evaluation, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), intervention frameworks, climate and culture systems, and continuous improvement processes.

The Director ensures that schools are both empowered to lead and accountable for results, with a strong emphasis on equitable, standards-aligned instruction and whole-child outcomes.

Core Leadership Responsibilities

School Portfolio Leadership 

• Supervise and evaluate principals and assistant principals across an assigned portfolio of schools
• Establish clear expectations for school-based autonomy within district-defined systems and guardrails
• Hold schools accountable for academic performance, student experience, and operational effectiveness
• Facilitate ongoing performance management cycles using key data (achievement, attendance, behavior, intervention effectiveness)
• Support school leaders in developing and executing School Improvement Plans aligned to district priorities

Instructional Leadership & Academic Systems

• Lead the implementation of standards-aligned, grade-level instruction across all schools
• Build principal capacity to:
  • Monitor instruction through walkthroughs and data cycles
  • Lead high-functioning professional learning communities (PLCs)
  • Implement research-based, culturally responsive instructional practices
• Collaborate with Teaching & Learning and content departments to ensure coherence of:
  • Curriculum
  • Assessment systems
  • Instructional practices
• Ensure instructional systems are consistent, scalable, and adaptable across schools

MTSS & Integrated Student Support Systems

• Ensure every school designs and implements a comprehensive MTSS framework integrating:
  • Academic interventions
  • Behavioral supports
  • Social-emotional learning
• Build school leader capacity to:
  • Use data to identify student needs and assign appropriate tiers of support
  • Monitor effectiveness of interventions and adjust in real time
• Oversee systems that ensure:
  • Tier 1 core instruction is strong and aligned
  • Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports are targeted, timely, and effective
• Align MTSS with:
  • Instructional priorities
  • Climate and culture systems
  • Student support structures in partnership with Director of Climate & Safety
• Partner with the Directors of Students Specialized Services, Director of Climate & Safety and Multilingual Services to ensure coherent, inclusive support delivery in the least restrictive environment

Leadership Development & Professional Learning

• Design and facilitate a coherent leadership development model for principals and assistant principals
• Lead differentiated professional learning focused on:
  • Instructional leadership
  • Systems design and implementation
  • Data-driven decision making
  • MTSS and intervention effectiveness
• Develop leadership PLCs that:
  • Promote shared problem-solving
  • Build collective efficacy
  • Support continuous improvement across schools

Systems Design & School-Based Model Implementation

• Develop and refine a district-wide school-based management framework, including:
  • Clear systems and structures required at the school level
  • Defined autonomy vs. non-negotiables