Posted on November 3, 2009

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Executive Director

Designed by a coalition of community and academic leaders, the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) is dedicated to the belief that all young women deserve access to the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to succeed in college and to develop as leaders in their communities and the world. Launched in July 2009 by the Young Woman’s Leadership Academy Foundation, CGLA is the first single-sex public school in Tennessee. CGLA provides a rigorous college preparatory education for girls emphasizing science, technology, and mathematics in an environment that nurtures self confidence, inspires leadership, encourages critical thinking, and promotes academic excellence. In accordance with Tennessee Charter Law, all students admitted into Charter Schools must come from high poverty communities or failing schools. CGLA opened as a Charter School in the summer of 2009 with fifty 6th grade students and twenty-five 9th grade students and plans to grow each year until reaching its goal of 350 students in grades 6-12. A dedicated, passionate team of 15 highly committed faculty and staff are building an engaging, personalized learning community distinguished by high expectations, accelerated and integrated intervention, remediation, academic support, and outcome-oriented assessment. At capacity, 40 full time faculty and staff will engage parents and community members with the student body in enriching professional and extended learning time activities, critical to the successful delivery of the mission of the school. To learn more about CGLA please visit www.cglaonline.com.

Position Overview:
The Governance Board of the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy is seeking a highly motivated, dynamic, and entrepreneurial educational leader to serve as the Executive Director. Reporting directly to the board, and managing an exceptional team of educators, the Executive Director will take lead responsibility for the strategic development, implementation, and management of all aspects of school performance and operations for this vibrant, start up organization. S/he will design and establish key structures, processes, and policies that will ensure ongoing excellence in curriculum development, delivery, and evaluation, as well as professional development and assessment. In alignment with the mission of the organization, the Executive Director will ensure that all CGLA programs prepare students to achieve academic goals and develop social and emotional qualities that position each one of them to engage resources and maximize opportunities in their communities and around the world. Building on active school principles and core values, the Executive Director will foster a collaborative and stimulating community culture that sets and models the highest standard of high personal responsibility and academic expectations, cultivating both a love of learning and a sense of self confidence in each student.

• Organizational Leadership
• Lead the development and management of school programs, procedures, and policies in alignment with organizational mission
• Shape the culture of the academic environment to support the goals of the organization
• Build and manage a growing team of faculty, staff, and school leadership
• Work directly with the Board of Governors to support and inform decision making and policy development
• Provide financial leadership and oversee the strategic growth of the operating budget, currently set at $1.5M

• Serve as lead academic officer; develop and model highest quality instructional practices that provide direction and focus on learning and achievement
• Develop a team of senior leaders and faculty to engage with students to deliver the mission of the organization
• Drive the collaborative creation and incorporation of a systematic, coherent approach to continuous growth in the academic achievement of all students
• Facilitate instructional practices based on assessment data with a focus on continual improvement in student learning and performance
• Design and implement an integrated professional development program and an effective accountability plan

• Articulate and advocate the school’s mission and values publicly to generate support
• Serve as liaison and cultivate partnerships with key external organizations including the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) and the Tennessee Department of Education
• Identify and build relationships with model schools and organizations that promote and support charter and/or single sex education
• Establish a model of shared leadership that includes parents and community partners in decision making
• Oversee the ongoing development of a volunteer involvement model that leverages faculty and enrich programming

• 10 years of experience in education with at least 5 years of demonstrated success as a Principal, Head, or Director in an academic environment required
• Executive presence to inspire confidence and passion both internally and externally and the persistence and zeal to lead a mission driven organization toward ambitious goals
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to create and deliver compelling presentations to diverse groups of stakeholders
• Experience utilizing assessment data to inform decision-making and drive achievement of goals and objectives
• Strong experience designing and integrating professional development programs
• Demonstrated commitment to urban youth
• A belief in the benefits of single-gender education
• A strong working knowledge of school reform and experience serving as an advocate for children or education
• Entrepreneurial, positive problem solver with the ability to see opportunity in challenges
• Clear judgment, a mature interpersonal style and the ability to drive collaborative decision making processes
• Master’s degree required; Doctoral degree preferred

To Apply:  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position to the website linked below.

Find out more by visiting the organization's web site»

Job Type: Senior Management
Organization Type: Educational Institutions