Uplift Education, Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools

MISSION STATEMENT

To create and sustain public schools of excellence that empower students to reach their highest potential and inspire a lifelong love of learning, achievement, service, and responsible citizenship.

To learn more about Uplift Education, please visit www.uplifteducation.org. 

OPPORTUNITY 

The Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools for Uplift Education will play a critical role in ensuring each of our 26 secondary schools (of 45 schools total) are executing with fidelity the network’s instructional program, grounded in the International Baccalaureate framework, that prepares every scholar for college and beyond. The Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools will work in partnership with the President and Deputy Chief of Primary Schools colleagues to manage, inspire, develop, and retain Managing Directors, the Sr. Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction and Academic Directors across the network. The Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools will also be responsible for working with other senior leaders to ensure that schools are creating environments where scholars can learn social-emotional skills and are exposed to careers in developmentally appropriate ways. The ultimate outcome of the Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools’ work will be to work in partnership with the President to ensure that every Uplift middle and high school is either an “A” or “B” on the state’s accountability framework and to ensure that 70% of alumni are on track to complete college within 6 years.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position supervises Managing Directors and potentially some Academic Directors.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities of the Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools include:

Builds, develops, and leads strong school teams

• Works with the President to manage, develop, and retain Secondary Managing Directors and Campus Directors providing regular coaching, professional development, and onboarding support to ensure they are fully equipped to lead and maintain high-performing school teams aligned to Uplift’s bold academic philosophy;
• Partners with Managing Directors to hire, inspire, and develop Campus Directors and Deans, fostering stable and effective leadership teams capable of executing instructional excellence and strong school culture;
• Works with the President and Deputy Chief of Primary Schools to design and implement a scope and sequence for Managing Director professional development, ensuring common agendas for site visits, consistent instructional quality, and regular sharing of best practices across campuses;
• Encourages cross-division collaboration to align Primary, Middle, and High School academic and cultural priorities, ensuring students experience the full benefits of a cohesive PreK-12 educational experience;
• Collaborates with the COO and Regional Directors of Operations to strengthen coordination and partnership between instructional and operations teams, ensuring cohesive campus leadership;
• Directly supervises and coaches a subset of Managing Directors or Academic Directors, conducting weekly data reviews, joint site visits, coaching observations, and professional development reviews to ensure strong academic performance, operational effectiveness, and alignment with network priorities;
• Assists in resolving student, staff, and parent issues escalated from campuses, working closely with leadership to drive timely and appropriate resolutions;
• Observes and evaluates monthly Director professional development sessions to ensure they are effectively building the leadership capacity necessary for sustained school improvement;
• Collaborates with the Chief People Officer to ensure every school has a strong, diverse pipeline of teachers and leaders that reflects the demographics of Uplift scholars by participating in hiring processes.

Ensures all scholars are ready to thrive in college and beyond

• Works closely with the President, Deputy Chief of Primary Schools, and Sr. Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction to ensure effective implementation of curriculum and instructional priorities across campuses, providing feedback, support, and on-the-job coaching to campus leadership during regular school visits to monitor and improve execution;
• Works with Managing Directors to ensure every Uplift school has core systems in place including lesson planning, observation and feedback, data and scholar work protocols, intervention/enrichment structures, scholar culture, and staff culture;
• Works in collaboration with Special Education and ESL leaders to ensure that ALL scholars are receiving a rigorous academic experience that is appropriate and takes into account the needs of each student;
• Works with the Road to College and Career Department to ensure that college and career awareness and readiness strategies are being executed on each campus;
• Co-facilitates quarterly Managing Director data meetings with the President and Deputy Chief of Schools to ensure ambitious scholar achievement goals are being met;
• Serve as a champion for the network’s belonging efforts and serve as a strong voice to make sure campus systems are fair as well as scholars have the opportunity to share and appreciate a comprehensive set of perspectives during their instructional day.

Serves as a critical and valued Senior Leader at Uplift and member of Executive Team

• Works with the Executive Team and Senior Leaders across the organization to foster an organizational culture that reinforces the organization’s core values of collaboration, innovation, scholar-orientation, and high achievement;
• Supports other Chiefs and Senior Leaders in ensuring that Uplift policies and systems are being executed at each campus to minimize risk to the organization;
• Serves as the District Coordinator of School Improvement (DCSI) for the Texas Education Agency and ensures that all schools designated as “in need of improvement” complete all state requirements needed for TEA compliance;
• Serves as Uplift representative on committees, at community events, and attends Uplift board meetings and/or other events requested by CEO or President.

COMPETENCIES

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal Deputy Chief of Secondary Schools candidate will have/be a:

• High expectations (academic and behavioral) for all students;
• Relentless achiever;
• Ability to lead;
• Superior Instructional Leader;
• Reflects and self-improves;
• Constantly seek out and implement bold ideas to drive student achievement;
• Excellent communicator;
• Respectful and relationship-oriented;
• Collaborative;
• Promote a mission-driven culture.

QUALIFICATIONS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree (B. A. / B.S.) from four-year college or university required. A master's degree in education or a related field is desirable but not required. Applicants should have 3-5 years of Academic Director/Principal supervisory experience with a clear track record of success in middle and/or high school. Candidates must have extensive experience in a large charter network, having successfully managed a portfolio of 10 or more high schools or a combination of high schools and middle schools at a network or district level.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, and apply documents such as safety rules, operating procedures, and instructional manuals. Must possess strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to analyze information, apply common sense, and follow both written and oral instructions. Proven ability to communicate effectively and professionally with students, parents, and staff at all levels within the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Demonstrated ability to apply mathematical concepts to analyze data and inform decision-making.

REASONING ABILITY

Demonstrated ability to define problems, collect and analyze data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Proven capacity to solve practical problems and navigate situations with limited standardization by applying critical thinking and sound judgment. Must be able to interpret and follow written, oral, diagrammatic, or scheduled instructions with clarity and adaptability.

COMPUTER SKILLS

To perform this job successfully, an individual should be competent in Microsoft Office applications and have the ability to learn and use computer software as necessary. Ability to use basic office equipment.

SAFETY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Demonstrated commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment by adhering to organizational safety rules and procedures, actively promoting safety awareness, and modeling safe practices. Ability to identify and address unsafe actions or conditions, respond appropriately to emergencies, and report hazardous or unsafe practices to the appropriate personnel to ensure a safe learning and working environment for all.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employee must be able to maintain emotional control under stress. Occasional prolonged and irregular hours will be necessary.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and use stairs. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with frequent interruptions and varying noise levels ranging from low to high. Must demonstrate flexibility, focus, and adaptability when working in a setting with ongoing activity and potential distractions from students, staff, and other employees.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Satisfactory criminal records check, pre-hire and annually thereafter, if applicable. Must be eligible to work in the United States and provide work authorization. 

MODIFICATION OF DUTIES & ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Uplift Education retains the right to change and/or modify the duties and essential functions of this position at any time. This job description is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position offers a competitive salary range of $175,000 - $187,500, and robust benefits. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at https://apply.workable.com/j/C6DB3519AB/.

Uplift Education is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.