Deputy Superintendent - Academics

Job Title:  Deputy Superintendent - Academics

This position is open until filled. Applications submitted will begin to be reviewed on December 6, 2019.

Reports to:  Superintendent

Work Schedule/FLSA Status:  Exempt, per contract agreement

Social Security Contribution:  Ineligible

Salary:  $160,000-$200,000

Purpose Statement

The Springfield, Missouri Public School District is currently seeking qualified applicants for the position of Deputy Superintendent - Academics.  The Springfield School District is Missouri’s largest public school district and has built a reputation of academic excellence based on the outstanding performance of our students and schools. About 25,000 students attend 36 elementary schools, an intermediate school, 9 middle schools, 5 high schools, and a variety of alternative education and choice programs.

The Deputy Superintendent - Academics is responsible for supporting the execution of the district’s vision and direction for improving instructional quality for all students by developing engaging learning experiences for all students. Lead the aligned integration of the district’s curriculum and instruction, assessment, professional learning, and language and cultural services teams with the goal of developing powerful and engaging experiences for all students. Support schools by developing instructional programs designed to improve achievement and ensuring high quality instructional tools and systems are available to teachers and school leaders. 

Essential Functions

• Provides visionary leadership for the departments and programs which directly impact teaching and learning for the purpose of ensuring a common vision for student success.
• Establishes strategic objectives for student learning and ensures alignment between schools, departments, and programs that deliver that service for the purposes of furthering the District’s strategic plan and ensuring student success.
• Regularly monitors district climate/culture and academic success metrics and holds leaders accountable to construct and execute improvement plans that positively impact performance.
• Supports and develops school leaders by gathering feedback from stakeholders, monitoring progress and coaching performance for the purpose of continuously improving academic achievement, and the school climate.
• Supports the implementation of instructional strategy and curriculum for the purposes of meeting the needs of the District’s diverse learners and ensuring alignment to the expectations of the Board of Education, superintendent, national and state standards, and strategic goals.
• Evaluates (in partnership with applicable executive directors) the results of departments within the Learning Division for the purpose of ensuring objectives are achieved.
• Regularly observes teaching and learning process at the classroom level for the purpose of staying attune to the needs of teachers and students.
• Participates in community engagement for the purposes of advocating for identified priorities and increasing community support.
• Monitors legislative actions affecting the financing of K-12 education and communicates with legislators, lobbyists and other administrators for the purpose of influencing state legislation.
• Performs personnel administrative functions (e.g. evaluating, supervising, training, etc.) for the purposes of enhancing productivity of personnel and achieving objectives within budget.
• Presents information to the Board, Department of Education, district staff, the general public, etc. for the purposes of communicating information and gaining feedback.
• Responds to a wide variety of inquiries of staff, district personnel, other professional organizations, etc. for the purpose of resolving problems, providing information and/or referring to appropriate personnel.
• Participates in meetings, workshops and seminars for the purpose of conveying and/or gathering information required to perform functions.
• Prepares a wide variety of materials for the purpose of documenting activities and issues, meeting compliance requirements and/or providing supporting materials for requested actions.
• Collaborates with internal and external personnel for the purpose of informing instructional practices.
• Compiles data from a wide variety of sources for the purpose of analyzing issues, ensuring compliance with organization policies and procedures and/or monitoring program components.
• Supports the Superintendent for the purpose of serving as liaison with other District personnel, outside agencies and the public.
• Represents the collective work of Springfield Public Schools to both internal and external audiences; demonstrates and conveys clear understandings and communications with stakeholders, executive leadership team, existing and potential partners; and, manages a variety of complex situations, crisis incidents and media inquiries as appropriate.
• Provides general administrative and departmental assistance to the Superintendent in the execution of district operations; coordinates and facilitates a wide variety of projects; and assists in the development and prioritization of program planning for the improvement of the District’s Strategic Plan.
• Establishes administrative regulations to comply with adopted school board policies; and, assists in the interpretation and execution of the policies and regulations.
• Leads a high performing team of leaders; and models and sustains a culture of high performance and service orientation among team members.
• Instills a culture of leveraging data to drive equitable and differentiated decision making relative to instruction.
• Supervises and evaluates work of all assigned staff; and develops recommendations for staff which may involve staff development, placement, dismissal, or reassignment of personnel in conjunction with the appropriate district personnel.
• Serves as a liaison and ensures on-going communications with district staff, as well as community and school organizations.
• Represents the district as assigned by the Superintendent; serves as an advisor for various issues; and makes public presentations.
• Takes all necessary and safety precautions to protect students, equipment, materials and facilities.
• Supports collective bargaining for the purpose of directing the negotiations on financial issues.
• Directs and conducts personnel administrative functions in order to ensure legal compliance, enhance productivity of personnel and achieve objectives within budget.
• Presents information to the Board, district staff, and others in order to accurately communicate information, gain feedback and ensure adherence to established internal controls.
• Perform other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functions of the work unit.

 Other Functions

• Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Qualifications and Requirements

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities are required to perform multiple, technical tasks with a need to occasionally upgrade skills in order to meet changing job conditions. Specific skill based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:

• A strong belief in the vision, mission and educational model of Springfield Public Schools with the ability to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, flexible and autonomous environment.
• Strong analytic, performance management, accountability and systems-thinking orientation needed to inform strategic planning and execution.
• Innovative, forward thinker with demonstrated competency in strategic thinking and leadership.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills with a keen ability to navigate among all levels of the organization, the school network and with external stakeholders.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with others to support the operations of the school district.
• Demonstrates cultural competency and a deep understanding of and empathy for students, families, staff and the community.
• Demonstrates excellent execution and project management skills.
• Knowledge of and demonstrates excellence in effective change management for culture, systems and practices.
• Builds coalitions and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels, including but not limited to, district personnel, students, families and the community.

Responsibility

Responsibilities include: working independently under broad organizational policies to achieve organizational objectives; managing multiple departments; utilization of significant resources from other work units is routinely required to perform the job's functions. There is a continual opportunity to significantly impact the organization’s services.

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in job-related area, required;
• Doctorate degree in job-related area, preferred.

Five years’ of recent and relevant school leadership experience within a specialized field with increasing levels of responsibility is required, with proven experience leading effective teams, individuals, managing organizational change and initiating key innovations.

Miscellaneous Requirements

• Background clearance, the results of which must be satisfactory to the District, required

Certificates and Licenses

• Educator Certification as required by the MO Department of Education, required. 

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 30% sitting, 35% walking, and 35% standing.  This job is performed in a generally clean and healthy environment.
• Work environment is primarily inside, where the noise and temperature levels are moderate.
• The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects.
• Must possess the physical ability to work primarily with fingers, perceive the nature of sounds, make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes, express or exchange ideas by the spoken word, substantial movements (motions) with the hands, wrists, and/or fingers, and discern letters or numbers at a given distance.
• Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: balancing, grasping, hearing, manual dexterity, mental acuity, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, visual acuity and walking.