Executive Director

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Reports to: Board of Directors

About Jennings Community School: Jennings Community School (JCS) is known as an exemplary, progressive, urban, community-based school that serves a high percentage of at-risk youth and fosters achievement for responsible citizenship, productive work, lifelong learning, and creative, healthy lifetimes. The culture of JCS embraces trust, respect, caring, relationships, and student-driven learning. This public school, guided by the school’s Board of Directors, encourages Staff and administrative professional growth and is an equal opportunity employer.

The school environment is innovative and non-traditional with extensive experiential out-of-class learning, including annual educational trips. Students start from a place of personal interest then develop projects with individual guidance from advisors licensed in Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and more. An advisor working with each student and their parent(s), guardian(s), or invested adult(s) creates a personal learning plan to advance each student. JCS teachers see themselves as “facilitators of learning” in helping students be responsible citizens, achieve fulfilling careers, become self-directed, lead healthy lives and become lifelong learners. With experiential learning, everyone is a learner and everyone is a teacher. JCS offers a work-based learning program helping students earn credits through job skill development.

The Executive Director of JCS is not a traditional administrator position, and is more than a job, it is a calling and a mission to: provide learner-directed experiences and mentoring relationships for success in school and life. The Executive Director role will provide overall leadership and direction that will ensure the success of Jennings Community School, its vision, mission, goals and objectives for the long-term. The Executive Director provides oversight and boundaries so teachers and students lead the learning and development of the academic achievements. The Executive Director is responsible for student behavior management, discipline, student support and advocacy.

Purpose: The purpose of this position is to provide overall leadership and direction that will ensure the success of Jennings Community School, its vision, mission, goals and objectives.

Responsibility:

Student Support and Advocacy

● Foster a learning environment that is free of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination which values personal and cultural diversity, and celebrates achievement of excellence; encourage open dialogue about issues and use multicultural methods to engage the learning styles of all students

● Implement a behavior management system with meaningful incentives and consequences

● Oversee the development and implementation of student supports and intervention

Behavior Management and Discipline

● Develop and implement policies and procedures to define, communicate, encourage, and monitor expectations for student behavior

● Work closely with staff to address disciplinary concerns from a trauma-informed and restorative lens

● Develop and administers disciplinary action in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws.

● Implement and follow policies and procedures related to maintaining a positive school culture.

Student and Program Management

● Oversee a curriculum that best meets the needs of students and achieves desired outcomes; direct the evaluation and revision of instructional programs and curriculum

● Analyze needs to design programs to address language, health, and safety programs

● Provide leadership and direction toward building the capacity for teachers, students, and communities to flourish in a shared environment conducive to school success

● Oversee the design and implementation of a collaborative evaluation process that will provide ongoing information about program effectiveness

● Ensure a program in place to monitor and report student progress

● Provide direction and insight to concepts that embrace multiple teaching strategies and that enable teachers to work with multicultural, urban students and complex social situations

● Direct the revision of instructional programs and curriculum as needed in order to meet student needs and reach accountability goals for the Authorizer while staying true to the school’s mission and model

Organizational Leadership

● Provide leadership in defining, communicating and achieving the mission and vision of Jennings Community School within the school and in the greater community

● Oversee the development of JCS’s programs and assign staff in order to carry out the vision, mission and goals.

● Lead JCS toward long term sustainability by providing insight, intuition, vision, new methods and technology; encourage innovation and cultural adaptation

● Enforce federal, state, local and school laws and policies related to school programs, personnel, safety, finances and other aspects of the school; oversee preparation of records and reports required by school, authorizer, local, state and federal mandates

● Oversee development of internal processes for effective management and control of the school’s resources

● Work collaboratively with the School Board, authorizer and staff to develop an ongoing strategic planning process to achieve the mission. Identify long- and short-term goals and strategies to achieve them

● Provide leadership in the development of positive and collaborative relationships in all sectors of the school and community

● Create partnerships with other education &/or community institutions

● Perform all other related duties as needed to meet the needs of students

School Operations and Business Management

● Responsible for revenue forecasting, budget development, planning, and allocation; Manage state, federal and special education funding needs and requirements effectively.

● Develop a strategic financial plan that reflects the educational priorities of the school and sustains fiscal health and stability

● Develop and monitor school budgets to ensure a financial plan that reflects the educational priorities of JCS and sustains fiscal health and stability

● Direct and oversee relationships with external financial service providers for accuracy and completeness in accounting and reporting of all funds

● Contract with and oversee vendors/consultants to provide student services such as food service, transportation, and special education

● Oversee financial and compliance reporting to internal and external stakeholders including preparation of records and reports required by school, local/Authorizer, state and federal mandates

● Accurately monitor expenditures in relation to the Board-approved budget and to assure that fiscal activities comply with federal, state, and local agency requirements

● Keep the school’s Board fully informed on the condition of the organization and important factors affecting the organization

Human Resources and Staff Management

● Oversee HR processes for: recruitment, support, evaluation, development compensation & benefits, safety, employee relations and retention of high-performing staff; ensuring remediation or removal of underperforming staff

● develop staff schedules and assignments

● Develop and implement an effective staff evaluation/performance management system, ensuring expectations are well communicated and regular evaluations are complete.

● Analyze needs, plan, organize, and implement an inclusive staff development program to address individual, organizational needs, regulatory needs and requirements for working with multicultural students in complex social, economic and emotional situations.

● Accurately maintain personnel related employment records

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, the Executive Director should demonstrate the following competencies.

● Leadership: Effective leadership requires the ability to influence, motivate and manage others to achieve the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the organization. It also reflects initiative, stewardship of Jennings Community School’s creative, innovative learning environment, calculated and measured risks, and effective verbal and written communication. Leading others will require the willingness to accept and seek responsibility and at times share leadership with others.

● Ethics: Effective leadership requires working collaboratively with school staff and community to create a positive context for learning by ensuring equity, fulfilling professional responsibilities with honesty and integrity, and serving as a role model for the ethical and professional behavior of others.

● Personnel Management: The Executive Director’s personnel management role calls for establishing and maintaining processes and systems that result in recruitment, induction, support, evaluation, development and retention of high-performing staff. This role also calls for ensuring processes that facilitate remediation and, when necessary, removal of non performing staff members.

● Resource Stewardship and Development: Stewardship refers to the responsible oversight of school resources, financial, human, and material, to support Jennings Community School’s program. Resource development addresses the ability to develop sustainable financial resources through grants, fundraising and earned revenue to support the organization’s programs and development.

● Community Relations: Effective development of Community Relations requires the ability to work with the community, constituents, stakeholders, funders, the media, and others to build positive relationships and recognition for the organization. Includes building and sustaining relationships beyond the local community that will benefit Jennings Community School and its educational model.

● Professional Development: Professional development addresses the willingness to take initiative in maintaining and enhancing the individual’s knowledge, skills, and professional stature so as to ensure effective current and future performance as Executive Director. This includes participation in relevant continuing educational programs, and related associations locally and statewide.

Minimum Qualifications:

● Master’s Degree in education or related field required

● Minimum of 5 years classroom experience combined with understanding of educational theories, principles and techniques required

● Minimum 5 years school administrator or management experience in a similar complex school environment required; school administrator license preferred

● Belief in student-centered focus

● Lead trauma informed education of youth populations

● Proven experience managing and developing organizational finances and budgets

● Proven experience in managing, organizing, and developing the human resources of the school

● Excellent oral and written communications skills

● Ability to effectively interact with children and adults from diverse backgrounds within the organization and the public at large

● Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills

● Knowledge and understanding of Minnesota charter school statute and rules

Compensation

Dependent on experience: $90,000 to $105,000

Application Deadline Date:

April 12, 2024

How to Apply:

Please submit resume and cover letter to Micah Ruelle, Jennings Community School

E-mail: micah@jenningsclc.org

Mail: 2455 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55114

Fax: 651-649-5408

Jennings Community School is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Saint Paul, MN 55114: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $90,000 - $105,000