Phoenix schools challenge resilient, disconnected students with rigorous academics and relentless supports, so they take ownership of their futures and succeed in high school, college, and as self-sufficient adults.

Philosophy

Phoenix Charter Academy exists to serve young people that are the most disconnected in their communities, providing pathways to college and the possibility of economic freedom. Phoenix Charter Academy was founded on the unwavering belief that all students can succeed at high levels. Phoenix truly endeavors to reach every student, focusing on the growing number on the margins of the traditional public district education system: students who have dropped out of high school, are parenting children of their own, are or have been involved with the juvenile justice system, are older and new to the country and cannot gain access to public schooling, and students who are under-credited relative to the number of years they have spent enrolled in high school. Our students are not only capable, but also demonstrate key strengths, that facilitate the development, of the skills necessary to set themselves up for lifetimes of economic prosperity and success. In this way, Phoenix Charter Academy aims to show the world what all young people can do, and to defy the limitations of societal assumptions, classism, and racism.

Role Summary

Phoenix schools are committed to increasing the number of students who graduate each year and ensures Phoenix graduates are ready to achieve beyond high school in order to hit our ultimate goal of economic viability.  Phoenix schools are innovating in order to create clear, accessible college and career pathways for our communities’ most vulnerable students. Through our Barr funded Phoenix Forward initiative, schools are working to achieve ambitious goals. We strive to be reflective and community responsive in order to continuously improve our model and best support our students’ unique talents and differentiated needs.  Phoenix focuses on restorative practices and the Head of School must possess a collaborative and inspirational leadership style grounded in accountability, concrete metrics, and must be a passionate advocate for students, staff, and families. Phoenix school leaders are visionaries within the network and the external community, representing - through evidence and urgency - that non-traditional students can achieve at high levels.

Leaders model the core values and mission of Phoenix consistently, in every aspect of their work. A culture of professional learning is central to the success of Phoenix schools and scholars; the Head of School models this continuous learning mindset. The Head of School reports directly to the Chief Academic Officer or their designee.

Qualities of a Phoenix staff member:

• Unwavering Belief in Phoenix Scholars - Phoenix staff operate with the deeply held belief that all young people want to and can succeed even in the face of what can seem like insurmountable barriers and societal constraints.
• Ability to Put Scholars First - Phoenix staff go above and beyond to ensure student mastery of the skills and development of positive self-identity that will ensure success for college, careers and beyond. Phoenix staff find every opportunity to engage in teaching and learning with scholars, using conflict to build supportive relationships with scholars and never taking things personally.
• Eager to Learn Under Pressure - Phoenix staff must be able to learn as they go in a fast paced, ever evolving, urgent environment. They have the desire to receive direct feedback and the ability to implement the feedback into practice quickly.
• Humility - Phoenix staff approach problem solving with curiosity and desire to understand the perspectives of others. They carry an internalized sense of “I can always learn more” from others, and know that adults at Phoenix must model the qualities of being open-minded and willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Experience with Low Income Communities - Staff have the proven ability to work across cultures and experience serving low-income communities and/or academically-disconnected adolescents.
• Ability to Find Inspiration In the Small Things - In the face of challenge and hard work, Phoenix staff must have the ability to find humor, inspiration, success and joy in the day to day interactions with scholars and the larger Phoenix Community.
• Personal Commitment to Cultural Proficiency and Ongoing Development - Phoenix staff are ongoing learners about diversity, equity and inclusion and seek to understand the ways that their self-identity and experiences impacts and interacts with their daily work, colleagues and scholars.

Specific Job Responsibilities:

Envisioned as the comprehensive leader of the school, the Phoenix Head of School must be able to demonstrate and juggle leadership across multiple priorities.

Instructional Leadership

• Ensure the Phoenix priority academic standards for core content areas: foundational academic skills, social-emotional development, and college and career readiness are implemented into a backwards planned curriculum.
• Lead a scholar focused academic program by ensuring scholars have demonstrated the ability to master and apply skills in new environments through a variety of assessments and activities, with the ultimate goal of completing college and/or other post-secondary opportunities.
• Lead, support and evolve a curriculum that integrates the meta-cognitive and social emotional skills across the College Services, Advisory, and content areas, to ensure that scholars are developing the skills, habits, and mindsets of successful college students.
• Work with the Leadership Team and Instructional Leadership Team to design and deliver engaging and focused professional development to ensure that all staff are continuously engaged in growing their practice.
• Lead Instructional Leadership Team to identify academic needs and develop shared team action plans to ensure that gaps are addressed.
• Utilize instructional data to drive academic results and address school-wide needs.
• Coordinate with the CMO Instructional Team to align academic work to centralized competencies, curriculum and assessments to ensure a consistent approach to helping scholars achieve the learning milestones.
• Supervise the Special Education and English Language Development programs and services for Phoenix scholars, ensure that staff complies with responsibilities and continuously develops practice in these areas.
• Supervise the planning and implementation of Summer Academy programming for scholars.

School Culture Leadership

• Foster a positive school culture built on trust,  in which, scholars are continuously learning to hold themselves to high expectations and to make decisions that reflect a high degree of respect for self and others.
• Oversee the development of school wide discipline practices communicated in annual student handbook. Practices are restorative and require consistent administration of policies and compliance with state law.
• Develop the capacity of staff to build positive relationships with scholars and their adult supporters to ensure that they are making positive and healthy decisions that will lead to success at Phoenix, in college, and beyond.
• Lead community-wide rituals such as community meetings to share key information, recognize scholar and staff achievements, and provide a ritual for community connections and celebrations.
• Ensure coordinated and innovative student support services through the Student Support Team.
• Remain responsive to professional needs of staff and infuse added supportive and developmental professional development as needed.
• Collect ongoing feedback from staff to identify needs and to develop actions plans to provide appropriate supervision, direction, support, and recognition to staff.

Student Recruitment, Retention and Community Engagement

• Oversee yearlong student recruiting practices and management of all new scholar orientations to ensure that enrollment targets are met.
• Supervise attendance support and intervention programs to ensure all school goals and benchmarks are attained.
• Ensure scholars are constantly re-engaged and that they are attending school  regularly using Phoenix core practices of relentless outreach.
• Build and maintain critical community partnerships that will ensure that the most disconnected young people can access Phoenix as an opportunity to get back on track to college and careers.
• Ensure that Phoenix is a visible and trusted community institution.

Operational Leadership

• Manage instructional budget and work closely with school’s operations leader to monitor the relationship between budget and enrollment; become deeply knowledgeable of fiscal boundaries of school budget.
• Ensure building is clean, welcoming, and conducive to learning at all times, and that building sends positive messages to scholars about their worth and importance in our community.
• Ensure DESE regulations are met and delegated to appropriate staff (including but not limited to data collection and annual disciplinary reporting).
• Ensure technology platforms are updated and accessible to staff and students.
• Oversee hiring processes through final offer with the network’s Talent Team; manage recruitment and retention of diverse and talented staff; participate in salary discussions when appropriate.

Supervision and Development of Leaders

• Supervise, continuously develop, and evaluate members of the School Leadership Team.
• Manage Leadership Team meetings to ensure weekly coordinated action plans of enrollment, attendance, culture and academic achievement data.
• Support leaders in effectively supervising and evaluating staff to ensure that all staff members have focused goals for professional growth and receive ongoing feedback to improve their performance.
• Work with Chief Academic Officer and Instructional Leadership Team to develop Teacher and Fellowship Institute and annual Professional Development Plan.

We seek a diverse workforce. Phoenix Charter Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Phoenix Charter Academy is committed to providing equal opportunity to staff and applicants in all areas of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other area protected by federal, state or local law. Phoenix Charter Academy is committed to making any reasonable accommodation necessary to support an individual's employment.

**It is understood that this Job Description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the position. It is not intended to be a complete and total description of every duty and responsibility. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties requested by his or her supervisor. It is also understood that the Charter Management Organization retains the right to modify this Job Description at any time, for any reason, at the CMO’s discretion**