Palouse Prairie Charter School: Executive Director

Palouse Prairie Charter School (PPCS), a free public charter school serving students in grades K-8, seeks an accomplished, dedicated, and passionate Executive Director to join our crew. PPCS is a credentialed and committed EL Education school, with a mission to engage the children and the community of the Palouse in a rigorous and collaborative education of the highest standard by fostering a spirit of inquiry, a persistence towards excellence, a responsibility for learning, and an ethic of service.

 
Palouse Prairie Charter School uses the EL Education (Expeditionary Learning) model. There are more than 150 EL Education schools nationally – located in both urban and rural areas. We strive to be one of the best EL schools in the nation. We teach students how to learn through a focus on academic achievement, critical thinking, and social responsibility, preparing them for high school and beyond. Our standards-based, portfolio assessment system makes explicit the criteria by which success can be measured and documents the accomplishment of high academic and character standards.
The Executive Director provides instructional and operational leadership for our school, leading a staff of 22 and serving as a culture-leader for a highly engaged school community. As in many small charter schools, the Executive Director wears many hats as a charter school administrator including District Superintendent, Principal, Title IX Coordinator, Special Education Director, Federal Programs Director, ELL Director, and Operations Supervisor.

Palouse Prairie Charter School may be a good fit for you if you:

1. Flourish in a collaborative environment that deems alignment, consistency, and fidelity to programs and school design integral to school and student success.

2. Thrive in a diverse, intellectually challenging environment where reflection and improvement of professional practice are regarded as hallmarks of individual and group growth and development.

3. Believe all children - regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, or home language - can achieve at high levels, AND believe that the teacher must actively engage students to make that happen.

4. Have knowledge of child cognitive, social, moral and ethical development as well as different learning styles and can implement this knowledge in a caring and collaborative community.

5. Demonstrate competence using qualitative and quantitative data to inform instruction and to assess students' progress over time.

6. Have the desire to work in a non-traditional school environment.

7. Are passionate about what Palouse Prairie has to offer staff, students, and families.

Essential Functions:

Fostering a Cohesive School Vision

Unite staff, students, and the broader community to create and implement a shared vision for student and school success centered on challenging, engaging, and empowering all students. Align resources to ensure that all domains of the school - curriculum, instruction, culture and character, student-engaged assessment, and leadership - support this vision.

Leading Evidence-Based Strategic Improvement

The Executive Director sets priorities and supports their achievement by engaging the school community in a strategic improvement and work planning process. This entails establishing high-priority goals and specific strategies, creating a clear timetable for implementation, and monitoring school improvement progress. The school leader works in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Specialist to build staff’s capacity to understand and use data effectively to improve teaching and learning.

Cultivating a Positive Professional Culture:

The Executive Director models and promotes our school’s consistent culture of courage, respect, empathy, and welcoming. The ED leads the staff in creating a culture of trust, continuous learning, constructive feedback, and professional growth. The ED exemplifies fair, equitable, and inclusive behaviors and a continual investment in the success of all members of the team. The ED must possess emotional composure and self-mastery, be able to listen to different perspectives, and be willing to be honest and explicit about their own growth and revision.

Instructional Leadership:

The Executive Director oversees teaching and learning at PPCS, in partnership with the school’s Teaching and Learning Specialist. This includes leading an Instructional Leadership Team, ensuring effective professional development, working closely with staff to gather and analyze data for decision-making, and evaluating and supporting staff through formal and informal observations.

Administrative and Operational Oversight:

In partnership with PPCS’ Business Manager, the Executive Director develops and implements the school’s budgets, administrative systems, policies, and procedures. This includes: overseeing Federal Programs, managing the school’s facility and grounds, and ensuring compliance with safety requirements. The ED works closely with the Board and has ultimate responsibility for schedules, addressing parent concerns, and overseeing the recruitment, enrollment, transfer, and discharge processes for students.

Required Qualifications:

● Must hold an Idaho Administrative Certificate, be in the process of obtaining an Idaho Administrative Certificate, or be willing to obtain a charter administrator provisional license within two months of hire. More information can be found here.

● Master’s Degree in related field

● At least 6 years of teaching experience

● Leadership experience

● Experience with EL Education is highly preferred. Commitment to become highly proficient as an EL Leader is required.

● Special Education leadership experience preferred

Essential Attributes:

● Exemplary communication skills, both oral and written.

● Ability to juggle multiple competing priorities.

● Commitment to life-long learning, authentic, hands-on education, and ongoing professional learning and development.

● Collaborative approach to seeking and valuing the input of staff, board, families, and other educational leaders.

● Openness to new educational approaches and ideas.

● Emotional intelligence and composure, self-mastery, and personal resilience.

Compensation and Benefits

This position is a salaried position on a 12-month contract.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $91,000 dependent on experience, qualifications, and education

Employee Benefits: Medical, dental, and optional vision insurance coverage as well as payment into the state employees’ retirement plan (PERSI)

To Apply:

Please send your cover letter, CV, and the names and contact information for three references to the PPCS ED Hiring Committee, c/o Board Chair, Jessica Bearman, jbearman@palouseprairieschool.org by April 25, 2022.

For additional information about this position, please see the full JOB DESCRIPTION and ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FAQs document. Please visit the Palouse Prairie Charter School website: https://palouseprairieschool.o... to learn more about our school and school community.

Pursuant to Idaho Code 33-512(15), all first time employees of Palouse Prairie Charter School (PPCS) must submit to a criminal background check. PPCS is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation in the education programs and activities it operates.