Executive Director
Rocketship Public Schools
Who we are
Rocketship is a national network of high-performing elementary schools, proudly offering parents the choice of an excellent public education in five regions of the US; the Bay Area, Milwaukee, Nashville, Texas, and Washington D.C. Rocketship Public Schools is a collective of parents, teachers, leaders, and students working together to transform the future for low-income communities across our country through a scalable and sustainable public school model that propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community. Rocketship Tennessee serves nearly 1500 students in Northeast and South Nashville. In August 2022, a third campus, Dream Community Prep, will open and serve the most diverse and fastest-growing part of the city. Nearly 93% of our students identify as Black or Latinx and 61% are classified as economically disadvantaged. The two Nashville schools were named “Reward Schools” by the Tennessee Department of Education — the state’s highest recognition for student performance and progress. Rocketship United Academy, our most diverse school with students coming from 50 different countries, was ranked the #4 charter elementary schools in the entire state by US News! Focused exclusively on elementary education, Rocketship Tennessee brings a personalized approach to learning that accelerates the highest achieving students as well students with the greatest needs.
Who you are
Reporting directly to the CEO, the Nashville Executive Director serves as the leader of the Nashville region and is responsible for setting the strategic vision, shaping the external environment, and leading the regional teams to achieve transformational results. The Executive Director oversees three public schools serving nearly 1,500 students as well as efforts to continue to grow the impact of the Nashville region in opening additional schools in the city or other cities throughout Tennessee. Supported by the larger Rocketship organization and team, you will directly manage two teams--Schools and Program Team & Growth and Community Engagement Team, which includes a focus on school leadership and management, instruction and program design, operations, external affairs and community engagement, family recruitment, education organizers, and other core functions and roles. You will also have the partnership and support of our four other regional Executive Directors as you lead this region with nearly 150 team members and a regional budget of approximately $24M. The charge of the Executive Director is to 1) ensure the success of our Rocketeers 2) cultivate the external environment for Rocketship to thrive, and 3) manage a financially sustainable network of high-performing elementary schools serving disadvantaged communities with the excellent education they deserve.
What you own (Your key responsibilities)
Ensure the success of our schools and the achievement of our Rocketeers
Ensure that school teams and staff are highly engaged in their pursuit of establishing and maintaining excellent, thriving schools.
Provide the Director of Schools and Schools Team with the support, coaching and accountability needed to realize vibrant learning environments.
Engage and inspire teams through alignment, strong communication, and ongoing feedback/coaching grounded in data and our personalized, culturally responsive school model.
Continuously drive a culture rooted in inclusion of special education students and rigorous support of a Positive Behavior Interventions & Support structure and serving all students (e.g., low level of suspensions, no expulsions, and no ‘pushing out’ students).
Provide Strategic Leadership for the Region
Partner with the Rocketship Tennessee Board and Network Executive Team to set long term plans, targets and goals for the region, plan budgets, and develop the strategy for the region.
Drive strategic vision, strategy, planning and execution for the success, sustainability and growth of the region on student achievement and existing/new charters, charter renewals, and other opportunities.
Partner effectively with the Rocketship Tennessee Board to lead the strategic direction of the region; this includes recruiting new members as needed to ensure a strong team of champions and allies.
Direct regional communications strategy and serve as a credible spokesperson, while leveraging resources and support from the marketing and communications team to effectively manage regional media/press
Serve as Regional Culture Keeper and Team Leader
Build a strong, anti-racist organizational culture in the region and in each school that is aligned with the Rocketship organization and ensures school success and impact.
Model and sustain expectations for high performance, partnership, and service orientation among team members consistent with the culture and mission of the organization.
Attract, hire, develop, motivate and lead a diverse leadership team.
Facilitate collaboration and partnership across functions and in deep partnership and collaboration between the Regional Leadership Team and the larger Rocketship network and team.
Implement strong systems to lead and reinforce role clarity, goal-setting, communication, and other processes and norms for the regional team to deliver all goals successfully.
Align teacher professional development to strategic priorities and school data in collaboration with the Director of Schools and Schools Team.
Partner deeply with the network teams to ensure that the Tennessee region is successful.
Achieve Sustainability for the Region
Partner closely with the Board to align on the strategy necessary to further grow Rocketship’s regional impact and path towards sustainability.
Lead efforts to generate private and public financial support for the school’s operations and reserve funding through foundation, government grants, and individual fundraising.
Steward and grow a significant development campaign through foundations and individuals, while also growing individual champions and allies (i.e. tours, coffees, etc).
Support the success of our family recruitment and parent leadership teams to ensure healthy student enrollment and retention and robust demand and waiting lists year over year.
Steward Parent and Community Engagement
Work with the Director of School and Schools Team to ensure that schools continue to effectively and authentically represent and partner with our families and communities, implement rituals and practices that deepen parent engagement and investment while also creating/sustaining a welcoming school culture for families in ensuring that parent goals are realized (i.e. home visits, parent hours, conferences, etc.).
Build, manage and leverage important community relationships with local elected officials at all levels (e.g., School Boards to City Council to State Legislature), power-brokers, and other influencers, as well as with school board trustees or bodies, members, and superintendents/leaders of authorizing bodies.
Forge partnerships and alliances with child and family serving non-profit organizations, public entities, community-based organizations, and civic and community organizations to provide joint advocacy, support, or services that our Rocketeers and families need.
Lead regional fundraising and philanthropic relationship management.
Build relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers in Tennessee and Nashville specifically.
How you’ll succeed (the key competencies for the role)
Extraordinary Communication, Influence & Connection
Communicate effectively, tailoring messages for the audience, context, and mode of communication to amplify access and encourage engagement.
Listen compassionately with an open mind - seek to fully understand what makes Rocketship Tennessee unique to inform the direction forward.
Navigate difficult conversations and necessary conflict with the genuine belief that it is in this essential crucible that change happens and progress is made.
Respond to external pressure in a way that inherently aligns with Rocketship’s organizational ethics, understanding deeply that trust must be earned.
Commitment to Equity-Centered Leadership Focused on Rocketeer Success
Hold self and others accountable to a fierce and relentless pursuit of success for all Rocketeers.
Demonstrate cultural fluency, sensitivity, and a strong equity lens to establish a culture of growth mindset around issues of equity and to meet the needs of our diverse Rocketeers and staff.
Solicit, elevate, understand, and value--either through personal experience or empathy--the perspective of a wide variety of stakeholders.
Recognize race and power dynamics playing out within our organization at all levels and interrupt those inequities through honest and difficult conversations and actions.
Inspire and foster a culture of inclusion by building relationships across lines of difference and including the voices of those closest to the challenge we seek to address.
Problem Solving, Decision Making, Planning, and Organization
Leverage executive judgment to identify, assess, and communicate risks/threats and opportunities, prioritize quickly and effectively, make critical decisions, coordinate remedies/solutions.
Exhibit exceptional critical-thinking skills and experience in leading data-driven practices at a systems-level, including the ability to analyze data, identify trends, pinpoint problems and root causes, ask probing questions, set goals, track resources, and develop innovative solutions.
Demonstrate financial leadership to prioritize, make decisions, deliver on plan, flex where needed, driving long-term effectiveness and sustainability.
Pursue and implement innovative ideas and methods.
Demonstrate the ability to analyze conditions for change by considering education trends and geographical markets with a focus on unique stakeholder needs.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college and/or university; Master’s degree or higher in Education, Public Administration, or a related field preferred.
Senior leadership experience in a fast-paced, and high-functioning organization; urban school operator or nonprofit management experience preferred.
A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in nonprofit management with a proven track record of success improving outcomes within their scope of management. and managing complex cross-functional projects with effective team management.
Highly proficient in business and financial management. Possesses the skills essential to managing an enterprise, such as strategic financial planning, intelligent budgeting, development of achievable business plans and analyses, prudent expense control, and required financial reporting.
Track record of success fundraising with both private donors and government entities at the federal, state or local level.
Compensation
There will be a competitive salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health and welfare benefits, 403b retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), and generous paid time off.
Rocketship Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Rocketship Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Rocketship Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Rocketship Public Schools’ employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. Click here for our Sexual Harassment Policy and here for our Title IX Policy. For questions, concerns, or complaints, please contact Equity/Discrimination Title IX Compliance Officer, Address: 350 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 109, Redwood City, CA 94065. Phone: 877-806-0920 ext. 115.
How to Apply
Alma Advisory Group is honored to support Rocketship in this search. Interested candidates should apply online at: https://apply.workable.com/almaadvisorygroup/j/218AFB3706/.