2024-25 Assistant Executive Director - Network Team - Liberty STEAM Charter School

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Overview

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Liberty STEAM Charter, a tuition-free, open-enrollment public charter school, is located in Sumter, South Carolina and served 192 scholars in its inaugural year across kindergarten and first grade. Authorized by the SC Public Charter School District in April 2020, LSC is the first-ever of its existence in the community and will serve scholars in grades K-12 across four academies at its build-out with grade levels being phased in overtime to ensure quality educational programming is offered to all enrolled scholars. You can view our entire charter application byclicking here. 

In the 2022-23 school year, LSC completed its Primary Academy expansion by adding second grade and now serves 300 scholars across K-1 while it also opened its Elementary Academy in August 2023 to serve an additional 300 scholars in grades 2-3. It is scheduled to open its next site in the 2026-27 school year with 6th grade. We place a high value on the fact that we don't merely open good schools - we open excellent schools.

The vision and mission of the school is predicated upon a general theory of action that has been well-communicated by early supporters who believe if a school existed that emphasized a focus on STEAM career fields through project-based learning and personalized learning, seeking to provide scholars with a blend of rigorous & relevant academic and workplace learning experiences, then its graduates will leave with the competencies necessary to be successful in college or career. 

As such, the school will eventually serve as the cradle-to-college/workforce pipeline in the Sumter community and become an integral part of a holistic revitalization approach. The organization is currently governed by a nine-member Board of Directors with a network team of five staff members and 51 staff members who are employed at the Primary Academy Campus. By leveraging innovative practices common to some of the state and nation’s top-performing public schools, the proposed charter school is ready to shatter the opportunity gap for all scholars. In addition to a project-based learning approach with an integration of the STEAM curriculum, scholars will be provided with a strong foundation in literacy to help define and achieve their dreams. 

Assembling a World-Class Faculty & Staff to Deliver on our Promise of Excellence for all Scholars

The faculty & staff at LSC are champions who believe all scholars are capable of greatness and achievement far beyond what society has been conditioned to accept. If you have what it takes, then keep reading. You will be demanders of excellence for yourself and your scholars, encouraging and accepting nothing less than scholars’ best and most thoughtful work.

You are already a passionate learner who is hungry for professional development and thrives on feedback. Here, you will cultivate classroom cultures built on strong structures, communication and lasting relationships. You will be part of a powerful team that is all aligned around the same goals. Every day, your hard work will prepare scholars who will go on to become graduates who will be thoughtful and engaged citizens prepared to take on the leadership challenges of the 21st century. And you’ll grow. Your growth matters to us. Because doing what’s best for kids means doing what’s best for teachers, too.

This is a full-time position located in Sumter, South Carolina.

Description of Sumter

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Known as the Gamecock City, Sumter lies near the geographic center of South Carolina. Nearly 108,000 people call Sumter their home. Sumter offers a highly diversified industrial structure and is famed for its lovely gardens and charming residential neighborhoods. Part of the well-known Santee-Cooper Lakes region, Sumter is renowned for hunting, fishing, water sports, and golf. Located between two great vacation centers, Sumter is 100 miles west of Myrtle Beach’s Grand Strand and 175 miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Columbia, the state capital, lies 44 miles to the west, and the major port city of Charleston is 99 miles south. Sumter is proud to be the home of Shaw Air Force Base and the Third Army, which are integral parts of our community. Sumter has become increasingly known for textiles, manufacturing, biotech industries, a thriving retail environment, and the medical center of its region in addition to agricultural products, which makes it a hub for business in the east-central portion of South Carolina. Learn more about living in Sumter byclicking here. 

The Challenge

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Sumter is not immune to the issue that has plagued rural communities of the Palmetto State and indeed the nation for the last several years – the local public school system is not producing enough graduates prepared to enter a rapidly changing skills-based economy. Make no mistake about it: Sumter is at an important crossroads and bold, dynamic innovation is a must if our community is to move forward and increase its global competitiveness. A 21st-century education system must be centered around preparing our young people to participate in an ever-changing economy. Early backers of the school’s concept strongly believe that when kids leave school with an industry-recognized credential or some kind of skill, trade, or even a degree, they are able to take those high-wage, high-demand jobs that we desperately need to fill locally in order to further grow our Sumter economy.

Solution

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The creation and establishment of LSC, a public charter school in Sumter (South Carolina) focused on STEAM career fields through project-based learning supported by industry is the way forward.

Mission: LSC will work to provide all scholars with equal access to a world-class K-12 education in an academically rigorous and scholar-centered learning environment, creating graduates who will be thoughtful and engaged citizens prepared to take on the leadership challenges of the 21st century.

Vision: In partnership with our families and the community, our vision is to provide real-world interdisciplinary, personalized, and project-based learning experiences through a STEAM-based academic program where graduates become the next generation of leaders, employers, and employees who contribute to the economic well-being of their communities and families.

Multiple career pathways will be offered to scholars including industrial & engineering technology, health sciences, computer technology, and early college.  The school holds a deep commitment to cultivating an inclusive & supportive community where everyone is focused on learning. The establishment of the charter school could be one part of a holistic approach to help lead a renaissance in the Sumter community and will encourage further growth, hope, and a sense of pride while being a launching pad for better education opportunities in our community. Thus, the charter school will essentially serve as a key lever for holistic neighborhood revitalization by helping to close the opportunity gap in building a strong, economically diverse Sumter community.

Our community leaders believe this will positively impact local education as a whole and also, more importantly, encourage further development throughout our community, improve the quality of life, and be a mechanism to recruit new families to Sumter while providing a world-class education system for those that already call Sumter home.

Check outLSC's YouTube Channel video collection for more videos of the meaningful work we are engaged in for the Sumter community! You can also view our organizational update videos byclicking here.

Assistant Executive Director - Network Team
 

Reporting directly to the Executive Director (ED), the Assistant Executive Director (AED) serves as the second highest administrator at LSC. The ED& AED will work together to be held responsible for all aspects of organizational health, including but not limited to: enacting the school’s vision/mission; overseeing the realization of the LSC's junior & senior academy's goals and outcomes; meeting the school’s fundraising and other financial goals; maintaining SCDE accreditation; maintaining a tier I federal programs status with SCPCSD; guiding the school’s professional culture; being accountable to the school’s authorizer; and managing finances, development, and human resources. The ED and AED are ultimately responsible for the execution of all programs and procedures in alignment with the school’s mission and vision, with input from a broad range of constituents.

Serving as the Assistant Executive Director is an ideal position for an experienced & licensed education administrator who possesses the necessary knowledge, skills, and mindsets to lead by influence that allows our academy directors to lead their respective teams to achieve off-the-charter results with their scholars. The ideal candidate is especially committed to serving low SES and minority scholars, self-reflective, data-driven, results-oriented, mission-focused, open to and actively seeks constructive feedback, and is tenacious about scholar college & career readiness. This organizational leader will be developed by the Executive Director to absorb all areas of LSC's ED Succession Plan with the goal of closing any gaps in the leader's skill set to eventually step into the Executive Director role.

Role Mission:The Assistant Executive Director role is for transformational school leaders who desire to change the educational landscape for thousands of children by harnessing their leadership efforts in leading two academy directors across their three teams - instructional, culture, and operations.  They are believers and fighters committed to giving children - no matter their socioeconomic background, ethnicity, or neighborhood they reside in - the tools needed to reach their full potential. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Academy Director spends the day ensuring that no matter what, our students are in an environment where they will develop good character, be challenged academically, and succeed on their road to and through college.

Who We Are Looking For

• Experienced K-12 educational leaders who demonstrate...
  • A belief that all students can go to and through college
  • At least two years in a role where you spend some of your time focused on instructional leadership/management of adults (likely a mid-level leadership role in a school, such as an instructional coach, grade level leader, assistant principal, etc). 
  • A strong desire to launch and/or lead a school in one of our new or existing regions
  • At least three years of K-12 teaching experience 
  • At least three years of K-12 leadership experience (principal/assistant principal) 
  • Demonstrated instructional leadership experience with proven results in the following areas: 
    • Budget (Specifically working with revenue-restricted funding streams) 
    • Development & Fundraising 
    • Federal Programs (Title I, II, III, IV) 
    • ADEPT & PADEPP Evaluation Coordinator 
    • Managing Others (The AED will directly manage LSC's Academy Directors).
    • Operations 
  • A receptiveness and hunger for feedback

Key Outcomes

• 85% Math Proficiency
• 85% Reading Proficiency
• 50% of Scholars in CSI Meet Growth Targets in Math & Reading
• 85% SEL Proficiency
• 85% Enrichment Standards Met 
• 85% Million Word Readers
• 85% Parent, Staff, & Scholar Satisfaction 
• 100% Enrollment Maintained 
• 100% Financial Goals Met 
• 85% Staff & 85% Teacher Retention 
• $1 million in Funds Raised 
• 65% of Scholars Enrolled from Low SES Backgrounds 
• 90% Scholar Persistence 

Responsibilities

• Focus on LSC's core purpose to get all students into college
• Hold high expectations for self and others to achieve and surpass intended goals
• Assists in Managing the Managing Director of Operations & Academy Directors 
• Lead academy directors to improve their teaching quickly and measurably through daily observations, on-the-spot coaching, data conversations, and effective evaluations
• Coach and manage academy directors and/or school leaders to achieve measurable and ambitious results
• Leads a monthly instructional round 
• Leads weekly instructional walks using the LEEA Guideposts for Excellent Teaching 
• Facilitates each Academy's Talent Review each Semester 
• Oversees the LEEA Performance Evaluation Cycle for each Academy 
• Attend trainings, coaching sessions, and school visits
• Synthesize, analyze, and prioritize data and opportunities to develop strategies that achieve quantifiable goals
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve and consistently reflect on past actions to guide future decisions
• Establish and maintain a cooperative working relationship with students and families based on trust, understanding, and respect for the communities in which they identify
• Effective facilitation and personal use of technology as a communication and educational tool to improve teacher development, student achievement and manage work-related tasks
• Support the creation and implementation of a clear and consistent behavior management system while developing students’ character and sense of community
• Participate in weekly manager check-ins, grade-level meetings, before and after-school duties, and school-wide meetings and functions
• Minimum of 45-50 hours spent in schools per week
• Must be willing to assist with evening & weekend programmatic offerings, at times. 
• Is required to attend monthly board meetings
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

Competencies: 

• Mission Focus – focuses on LSC’s core purpose of getting all students into college or a meaningful career  
• Record of Results – holds high expectations for self and others to achieve and surpass intended goals 
• Managing Others to Deliver Results -- leads multiple teams to achieve measurable and ambitious results 
• Instructional Leadership – leads instructional staff to improve their teaching quickly and measurably through observations, coaching, data conversations, and effective evaluations 
• Problem Solving – able to synthesize, analyze, and prioritize data and opportunities to develop strategies, for achieving quantifiable goals 
• Coaching & Developing – develop team through formal and informal methods; makes professional development a top priority 
• Communication – effectively conveys information using a variety of channels and techniques 
• Continuous Improvement – proactively identifies opportunities to improve and consistently reflects on past actions to guide future decisions   

Minimum Qualifications and Experiences:

• Education: master's degree required/doctorate preferred
• Experience:
• • Minimum 3 years of successful full-time teaching experience
  • At least five years of successful full-time instructional leadership experience (school administrator, dean, etc.) but three years of head principal experience is strongly desired 
  • Proven track record of personally achieving success and of leading others to improved results
  • Valid SC Educator License Required in Early Childhood/Elementary Education 
  • Valid SC Principal's License (Tier II) is Required 
  • Valid SC Superintendent’s License is Preferred 

AdditionalKnowledge and Skills: 

• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills  
• Ability to manage student behavior  
• Belief in and alignment with LSC’s mission and values is non-negotiable 
• Ability to adjust and adapt to a multitude of situations in the school environment  

Compensation

The salary for this position is very competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range is $90,000-120,000 based upon experience relevant to the position.

This role is also eligible for a 13-15% performance bonus based on individual and organizational performance and goal attainment. LSC also offers a relocation stipend to defray the cost for individuals hired (if applicable). Additionally, Liberty STEAM Charter offers a comprehensive benefits package to include health, dental, vision, life insurance, and 401k options. Learn more about our unique employee benefits byclicking here.

To Learn More About Liberty STEAM Charter

Please visit the website byclicking here to learn more about the story, mission, and model of Liberty STEAM Charter. Liberty STEAM Charter is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Use Your Talents and Passion to Help Deliver Life-Changing Opportunities for Kids…Apply Today

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Interested applicants should apply directly to the job posting via Jazz HR. Candidates who apply can expect the following recruitment flow: candidate application, video screening, phone interview, and a final interview with network leaders. 

Closing date: Rolling Basis until the Position is Filled

Start Date: Negotiable with Candidate

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