Anticipated Opening (January 2025) Director of Visual & Performing Arts - Springfield Public Schools

Primary Role- High level description:

Provide direct support to administrators and educators around curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the Visual & Performing Arts (V&PA). Generate, manage, and facilitate V&PA professional development opportunities for all V&PA educators. Build and maintain community connections that support and showcase student work in the arts through V&PA exhibitions and performances for students and their families. Reports to the Chief Instructional Officer.

Core Responsibilities:

Attend to and implement the Standards and Indicators of Effective District Administrative Leadership through the delivery of:

Instructional Leadership that promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.

Management and Operations that promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment, using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling

Family/Community Engagement which promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, community organizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the school and district.

A Professional Culture that promotes success for all students by nurturing and sustaining a school culture of reflective practice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Instructional Leadership-

1. Supervise, evaluate, and provide timely, clear, actionable feedback and targeted supports to Visual and Performing Arts educators by conducting observations and learning walks.
2. Oversee V&PA curriculum development, monitor curriculum implementation, and direct updates to the SPS Visual & Performing Arts curricula with alignment to the arts standards in the Massachusetts Arts Frameworks. Advise arts educators in the selection and use of supplemental instructional materials and resources.
3. Provide new arts educators with a content mentor and collegial support for the purpose of developing and enhancing the most effective instructional strategies.
4. Coordinate arts-integration opportunities in cooperation with non-arts educators and their school administration.

Management and Operations-

1. Plan, coordinate and supervise district art exhibitions and performances.
2. Work with principals and arts educators to effectively plan and initiate new arts programs, maintain and grow established arts programs, and address needs around arts instruction, assessment, and curriculum implementation.
3. Communicate with clarity and follow up in all instances including planning for meetings, district arts inventories, arts events, schedules, and arts equipment maintenance/repair.
4. Maintain extensive district arts budgets, attend to arts-related contracts and bids, and seek opportunities for funding to support district arts programming and associated materials.
5. Manage and attend to extensive equipment purchase, repair, and maintenance needs in all arts programs.
6. Advise on the specifications for the purchase of arts related equipment and supplies.
7. Assist in recruiting and screening of arts teaching personnel.
8. Serve as a consultant in new facility planning for arts instruction.

Family/Community Engagement-

1. Provide clear, informative, and responsive communication with families and the community around Visual & Performing Arts events and opportunities.
2. Encourage community support and advocate for growing SPS arts programs. Work with partner community organizations to develop collaborative arts ecosystems, targeted trainings, and arts opportunities that serve SPS educators, students, and their families.
3. Highlight large district initiatives through the lens of the arts to showcase SPS students’ achievement, building public awareness and celebration.
4. Generate, support, and grow the work of partnership programs that deliver opportunities for students to participate in high-quality arts instruction during school and after-school hours.

Professional Culture-

1. Plan and deliver arts content PD that exemplifies standards-based, culturally relevant, inclusive, and high-quality arts instruction.
2. Participate and make recommendations as a member or contributor to various arts-focused local and state-level committees to ensure a cohesive understanding and foster commitment to SPS and urban arts education
3. Oversee projects and develop programs/courses that reflect and celebrate the cultural diversity of our students. Respond to student demand for culturally relevant programming by engaging cultural teaching artists, new courses, and thematic programming.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Highly qualified with required competency in the content area; and
2. Appropriate content/program area Supervisor/Director license 
3. Bachelor’s Degree with appropriate license; or
4. Master’s Degree with appropriate content area license preferred and/or expected within 5 years
5. Content/Program area teaching experience

The Springfield Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, age, handicap, or military service, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.  

Reach out to Carmen Molina-Figueroa, the Human Resources Analyst, at 413-787-7100 ext. 55394, the email address is molina-figueroac@springfieldpublicschools.com. She will be happy to answer any questions that you have.  

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability or military service or marital status. The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in admission to, access or treatment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

NOTICE OF SEX NONDISCRIMINATION

Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination, including sex-based harassment, in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and its regulations, including in admission and employment.

Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to the Springfield Public Schools’ Title IX Coordinator, titleix@springfieldpublicschools.com, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights at https://ocrcas.ed.gov/contact-ocr, or both.

The Springfield Public Schools Title IX Coordinator is Katie O’Sullivan, Senior Administrator of Human Resources, 1550 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103, 413-787-7100 ext. 55428, titleix@springfieldpublicschools.com.

Springfield Public School’s sex nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedures can be located on the Springfield Public Schools website, www.springfieldpublicschools.com/non-discrimination

To report information about conduct that may constitute sex discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, please refer to titleix@springfieldpublicschools.com