BACKGROUND

Carmen Schools of Science and Technology (Carmen) is the largest public charter school network in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a mission to graduate all students as critical thinkers and self-directed learners prepared for success in college, meaningful careers, community involvement, and family life. Carmen Schools currently operates five campuses, each one is as an independent charter school authorized by Milwaukee Public Schools or UW-Milwaukee.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Schools Officer (CSO) is responsible for leading and overseeing the implementation of the Carmen vision and model in schools. The CSO is primarily responsible for managing and developing Carmen Principals at each campus. Through this close work with school leaders, the CSO is responsible for ensuring a strong school culture, transparent and student-centric discipline systems, and high academic achievement at every school. The CSO will report directly to the CEO and will be a part of the leadership team responsible for shaping the direction of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 15 years experience in education, preferably in a Charter Management Organization, with explicit experience as a teacher and Principal
• Proven track record of coaching, developing, and managing Principals at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels
• Proven track record of implementing strategic initiatives across a network or district with evidence of driving and improving student academic achievement
• Proven ability to lead and retain a high-performing, cohesive, diverse teams with demonstrable results against goals
• Ability to build a culture of high performance that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Clear, tested, vision for operational excellence and its relationship to academic achievement
• Ability to collaborate with senior leadership to surface problems and develop solutions in ambiguous situations
• Spanish fluency, preferred

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage and develop Carmen's educational leaders by providing the coaching, mentoring, and development necessary to build their capacity in alignment with Carmen's core leadership competencies and effectively support campus teams. Implement strong goal setting, data tracking and accountability systems to manage strong follow through on campus-based priorities and individual performance-based systems
• Equip Carmen school leaders to lead, inspire, and motivate teachers to be energized to deeply learn both the curriculum and pedagogies that will allow our students to thrive, identify and develop the next group of Carmen school leaders at the Dean, AP, and Principal level
• Work side-by-side with the Teaching & Learning team to ensure strong communication and prioritization of academic growth and achievement between teams so that Principals and leadership teams at the schools are aligned on priorities and action steps for themselves and their teams
• Work closely with the MD of Teaching and Learning to ensure targeted and high-quality school based coaching and professional development is happening weekly
• Develop school leaders' capacity to build a talent centered culture with a strong DEI lens across all of our campuses and ensure that there is strong DEI professional development for staff to support an inclusive environment where every staff member has the opportunity to grow and develop
• Develop school leaders' capacity to set high expectations for team members, deliver feedback, and manage hard conversations
• Build and implement strong culture and discipline systems that are student centric and lead to high student engagement as well as strong student and family voice
• Ensure schools are developing strong data systems that allow them to use data focused on academic growth, school culture, discipline, family engagement, and teacher feedback to create a culture of continuous improvement
• Ensure all Carmen schools design and execute strong family engagement plans aligned with the needs and culture of the school community and maintain student attendance at 90% or higher and student retention at 90% or higher
• Support and align with a strong operations team that seamlessly supports academics and school culture. Develop and ensure that student enrollment and re-enrollment is aligned with strategic plan goals and initiatives

WHO YOU ARE

Our ideal Chief Schools Officer (CSO) will have an unwavering belief that all our students can achieve at an exceptionally high level and that the work we do is transformative and worthy of sharing. Beyond that, a successful candidate will be:

A serial optimist. You've got a deep, personal commitment to the mission of Carmen Schools of Science and Technology, and a genuine belief that all students can achieve academic excellence, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. You have a 'healthy rage' about the state of public education in Milwaukee - and you want to be a part of a team that is doing something about it every single day.

A systems builder. You're comfortable with ambiguity, and thrive in situations where you get to

create, implement and hold people accountable to implement strong systems. You are comfortable working alongside leaders and understand that building blocks need to be put in place to move forward one step at a time.

A driver of results. You've demonstrated the ability to manage and motivate a team of leaders and drive results in the pursuit of an ambitious vision and strategy, and you combine your exceptional strategic, analytical, and critical thinking skills with your penchant to use data to drive decision-making at the school, class and student level.

A high bar for excellence. You are relentless in making sure that we always make decisions that are in the best interest of students and hold a high bar for a culture of excellence both culturally and academically. You work shoulder-to-shoulder with our leaders to hold the bar high and are committed to leading by being “in the work” and modeling alongside our leaders. You are relentless in knowing that our students can meet these standards if provided with a consistently rigorous instructional program pre-K – 12.

A team leader and relationship builder You understand how to listen to the voices of our leaders and staff to drive the highest results for your team as well as lead cross functional initiatives that drive academic excellence.

An organizational mastermind. You appreciate the big picture, but you know it's all about tight management and execution at the school level. You manage projects fluidly, fiercely prioritize, and track timelines, data, and information in an organized and systematic fashion.

An entrepreneurial learner. You are a self-directed go-getter. You take initiative, generate

ideas/solutions to problems, operate with a growth mindset, and seek opportunities for feedback.

A hustler. You are doggedly persistent. You know that it takes time to cultivate strong

relationships, and you're not afraid to put yourself out there to make the ask.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

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The CSO will be expected to spend the majority of their time at the Carmen campuses and to travel, with their own transportation, between campuses on a regular basis. Given the nature of a senior leadership role, occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

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Carmen Schools of Science and Technology provides salaries commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health and worksite benefits, free life insurance, free employee assistance program (EAP), free short-term disability insurance, 403b retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, and generous paid time off.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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Carmen complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, gender, disability, genetic information, marital status, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, lay-off, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Carmen 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. Any actions or behaviors that create an uncomfortable work environment and prohibit an employee to perform their expected duties will not be tolerated.