Director of Community Schools

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Community Schools will build and sustain coherent systems that support LAEP coaches, partner schools, and fee-for-service clients in achieving agreed upon outcomes and initiatives that support the mission and vision of LAEP. The Director of Community Schools must direct a wide range of initiatives, grants, and projects; these activities can be described by distinct but intertwined roles:

• Visionary Leader of Community Schools
• LAEP Representative & Connector
• People Leader
• Member of LAEP’s Leadership Team

This position will be hired and supervised by the Chief Program Officer of LAEP.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

Visionary Leader of Community Schools

• Serve as visionary leader and driver of LAEP’s Community Schools work which is dedicated to expanding the capacity of educators, students, and communities to share responsibility for producing college-and career-ready graduates and sustainable change.
• Stay abreast of education research and best practices and recommend strategies to build LAEP’s connection to them.
• Champion equity and embed culturally responsive practices across all program strategies, ensuring they inform design, implementation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with LAEP’s Evaluation, Accountability, and Impact team, Executive Leadership Team, and partners to set strategic goals, identify research questions, analyze data, and share findings to promote continuous improvement and provide strategic direction for the program.
• Collaborate with Chief Program Officer to develop strategies for long-term program sustainability

LAEP Representative & Connector

• Serve as a prominent representative of LAEP with education, civic, and cultural leaders in Los Angeles, statewide, and nationally.
• Facilitate partnerships and relationships between post-secondary, cultural, and business leaders to further school connections, network opportunities, and research endeavors.
• Work in close partnership with schools focused on building the community school strategy with particular emphasis on four pillars: expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities, collaborative leadership and practices, active family and community engagement, integrated student supports.
• Provide oversight of the LAEP partner schools by fostering partnerships, setting strategic direction for the work, and supporting the capacity-building of staff.
• Serve as an advocate for community schools at local and state levels to impact policy leadership and systems change.

People Leader

• Recruit, train, appraise, supervise, support, develop, promote, and guide qualified personnel, both paid and volunteer.
• Communicate LAEP’s values, vision, and direction in ways that build shared meaning and engagement across teams
• Empower staff and volunteers by respecting and leveraging their skills, expertise, and insights, while providing clear expectations, roles, and needed resources.
• Support professional growth by coaching, modeling effective behavior, and helping people develop their skills and leadership capacity.
• Foster effective communication and learning, helping staff transform information into actionable knowledge and encouraging strategic thinking and questioning.
• Ensure strong collaboration and decision-making by anticipating conflicts, facilitating resolution, and engaging people in both processes and tasks.
• Promote accountability and ownership, encouraging individuals to use their power, practice their authority, and embrace their responsibilities.
• Collaborate with the Human Resources Team to ensure alignment between talent strategy and Community School goals. This collaboration will include workforce planning, leadership development, onboarding, performance management, and staff engagement. 

Member of LAEP’s Leadership Team

• Represents Community Schools on LAEP’s Leadership Team.
• Foster capacity building across the organization to integrate the principles and practices of Community Schools through collaborative planning and coordinating the design and implementation of internal professional development. 
• Work in tandem with the Leadership Team and the Board on implementing the Strategic Plan.
• Develop and manage an annual budget process, in collaboration with the Finance Team and Executive Leadership Team; ensure responsible use of funds; monitor program budget and maintain compliance with grant requirements and restrictions.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to promote the work of the Community Schools Team and LAEP.
• Collaborate with the Development Team to ensure the sustainability and growth of the Community Schools program including developing and cultivating funding opportunities, maintaining positive relationships with funders, government agencies, and clients by meeting and reporting grant deliverables.
• Participate in monthly Board meetings and assist with LAEP fundraising efforts.

Other duties

• Performs other duties as required.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES)

• Extensive school leadership experience, either through direct experience or through partnering with school leadership to design and implement programs.
• Proven experience as a Director or Senior Manager in the nonprofit sector is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership while ensuring operational excellence; ability to balance vision with execution
• Demonstrated ability to manage a team, coach, and direct staff in pursuit of mission-aligned results while fostering a culture of staff well-being and professional growth.
•  Demonstrated track record in using data for program improvement, equity monitoring, and reporting.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-disciplinary teams and functions both internally and externally to promote shared goals and deliver on LAEP’s mission.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor communication to varying audiences from families to program staff, school system leaders, Board members, funders, and other external audiences.
• Demonstrated experience leading equity-focused initiatives and embedding culturally responsive practices in program design.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a dynamic environment with initiative and adaptability.
• Knowledge of the principles of Community Schools frameworks, including integrated student supports, family engagement, and collaborative leadership models.
• Integrity, credibility, humility, and commitment to community, educational equity, and LAEP’s mission; servant-leadership mindset.
• Balances strategic vision with flexibility to adapt given changing needs of the program, community or context
• Proven ability to lead complex, multi-site initiatives and build coherent systems across schools and/or organizations, a plus
• Bachelor’s degree required in education, liberal arts, psychology/sociology, or relevant field; Advanced degree strongly preferred or equivalent extensive experience.
• Proficiency with MS Office