UPDATED POSITION DESCRIPTION AND CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION

Transcription

1 UPDATED POSITION DESCRIPTION AND CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION Position Title: Location: Company: Reports To: Founding President Miami, FL SEED Miami/SEED Foundation Board of Trustees, SEED Miami and Chief Schools Officer, SEED Foundation Overview In 1998, SEED opened the nation s first public, college-preparatory, tuition-free boarding school for underserved students in Washington, D.C. The SEED Foundation -- a catalyst for change in urban education -- is currently operating high-performing schools in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. SEED is actively developing new schools in both Ohio and Florida. The success of the SEED model has been showcased in media outlets and publications such as 60 Minutes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and in the documentary film, Waiting for Superman. The President of the United States has hailed SEED as a true success story. SEED s innovative model integrates a rigorous academic program with a boarding program that teaches life skills and provides students with a safe and secure environment. The model includes academic, residential, mental health, physical health, social, and enrichment programs, all provided on-campus. SEED emphasizes positive contact with family and community, thereby strengthening students support structures and their surrounding communities. The SEED model has proven successful: 94 percent of SEED graduates have been accepted to fouryear colleges and universities, including American University, Brown University, Howard University and Princeton University; 92 percent of SEED graduates have enrolled in college, and 64 percent remain enrolled in college or already have earned college degrees. Seed in Miami The SEED Foundation is collaborating with Florida state and local leaders to open The SEED School of Miami (SEED Miami). The SEED School of Miami will be the fourth school in the expanding network of urban, college-preparatory, public boarding schools developed by The SEED Foundation.

2 Based on the success of its first two schools, The SEED Foundation was selected by the Florida Department of Education to serve as the school operator, and in 2012 the charter application to the Miami-Dade Public School Board was approved. SEED Miami will grow to serve 400 students in grades 6-12, 100 percent of whom will come from underserved communities across South Florida. As outlined in Florida legislation, an eligible SEED Miami student will be at risk of academic failure, will come from a family whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and will meet at least one of the below four additional risk factors: The child is in foster care or has been declared an adjudicated dependent by a court. The student s head of household is not the student s custodial parent. The student resides in a household that receives a housing voucher or has been determined eligible for public housing assistance. A member of the student s immediate family has been incarcerated. SEED Miami is scheduled to open in August The core leadership team will include the President, Principal/Head of School, Managing Director, and Director of Admissions, who will be on board approximately one year in advance to prepare for school opening. The development and growth of SEED Miami has been supported by dozens of community members, civic and educational leaders and lawmakers. Private donors have committed significant capital funds to the School startup and campus construction. The Position The President of SEED Miami will be an entrepreneurial leader who will leverage the past public boarding school successes of SEED to create a new model for at risk kids that will deliver outstanding results. The person in this role will have a deep passion for children and will be able to articulate a clear and compelling vision for the road to success for this new organization. He or she will build the relationships with appropriate agencies, government officials, families and students necessary to drive exceptional outcomes for SEED Miami s students. As an advocate and face for the school, the President will develop and maintain effective relationships with a variety of constituents including students and parents, school faculty and staff, the board of trustees, the SEED Foundation, legislators and state officials, business and community members, donors and the media. The President will manage and ensure good standing with regulatory and education authorities in Miami and Tallahassee including the Department of Education, the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Juvenile Justice, local child-serving agencies, and other education organizations that support and further SEED s mission. These efforts will be supported by the SEED Foundation in the early years. Page 2

3 The President must articulate a clear organizational vision and build a strong, positive, collaborative culture. The President will lead the development and execution of the strategic plan, and will oversee admissions, development, administration, finance, facilities, operations, student life, and academic program outcomes. The President serves as the role model for the SEED Miami community by constantly and consistently demonstrating SEED s core values of responsibility, respect, self-discipline, compassion and integrity. As the leader of a start-up school, the President must be comfortable with ambiguity, constant change and a variety of intense demands from multiple stakeholders. The President needs to relentlessly focus on outcomes, using data at all levels to ensure that activity is never mistaken for progress. The President must be committed to doing whatever it takes to prepare underserved students for college, and have a deep conviction that every child can achieve if given the right supports. Every adult on the team will share this conviction. During the first year, the President will work closely with The SEED Foundation staff and the leadership at other SEED schools. There will be a dual reporting line to the Chief Schools Officer at SEED Foundation and the board of SEED Miami. Initial Priorities The President is responsible for all aspects of leading and operating The SEED School. The school is scheduled to open in late August of The search for the Principal/Head of School is already underway. During the first three months, the President will hire the rest of the core senior leadership team who will be working side-by-side to prepare for the school opening. Together, the initial team will recruit the first cohort of students, develop and adapt curricula and programs, and prepare for school operations and administration. A small team from The SEED Foundation will be working to support the Miami leaders. Spending time at the existing SEED campuses in DC and MD will be part of the training. For the school start-up and early years, the Foundation will also be leading key areas related to campus construction, capital fundraising and financing, board development, technology, and marketing and public relations. During the start-up year (pre-opening) and the early years of the school s growth, the key priorities will include: Evolving the Model: Creating and articulating a compelling vision for the organization. Adapting SEED s model to the children who will be served in South Florida. This includes further developing the admissions structures and determining additional services to meet student s needs. Page 3

4 Community Relations: Building a strong relationship with the local community, state government and funding agencies. Ensure that the funding mechanisms are solid, that the needs of all constituencies are understood, and that everyone is working together to achieve positive outcomes for the children being served. Support the Foundation s fundraising efforts. Hiring Staff: Progressively hiring staff as the student population of the school grows. As is the case with any start-up operation, staff in the early years may wear multiple hats and their jobs may change as the organization grows. Recruiting Students: Identifying and recruiting students is critical to the school, especially so in the first year as a model for recruitment needs to be developed for the local market. The school will start with 60 students in the 6 th grade, and will add one grade each year to reach a total of 400 students in grades Explaining the concept and marketing an entirely unique educational opportunity to underserved families across South Florida will require a robust communications strategy and a clear structure. Establishing Operations: Support the Managing Director s primary responsibility of establishing all operations for the school. This includes finance and budget, facilities, human resources, administrative policy and procedures, IT, procurement of contracted services, and compliance. The Managing Director will coordinate with SEED Foundation staff related to campus construction, financing and technology, during the early years. Driving Positive Outcomes: The President will work with his/her team to ensure that the right metrics are in place to measure outcomes and drive high performance across the organization. The Candidate We are seeking candidates who share and act upon SEED s belief that with the right resources, any child can complete college and achieve his or her dreams. Candidates must genuinely value cultural, racial and economic diversity. To be considered for the role candidates must have: Experience leading a high performing organization Proven experience managing a P&L of an organization of $3M or more Start-up experience as leader or part of leadership team Experience building effective relationships with the community. Existing relationships in South Florida and/or Tallahassee with relevant agencies and/or government organization is highly desirable. Bachelor s degree required Ability to be comfortable in an environment where Spanish is spoken. Fluency in Spanish is ideal. Page 4

5 The following competencies are also required for the role. Passionately committed to children and to their education at every level. Have a love for children and confidence in their ability to learn. Have empathy for and commitment to programs and services for urban children, and a solid understanding of child development. Inspiring and optimistic communicator who confidently articulates high expectations for achievement by every student. Inspires community, staff, parents and children to embrace the vision. Relentlessly positive, projecting energy and enthusiasm. Poised, self-assured and effective both informally and in public presentations. Equally effective writer. Relationship Builder. Enthusiastic consensus builder through relationships of trust with the staff, parents, teachers, community and state leaders and board members. Respects and values the input of others and is comfortable utilizing the talents and energies of others as resources. Thinks strategically about how to negotiate with outside parties to structure win/win solutions. Approachable and accessible - openly seeks input and is a reflective, active listener. Entrepreneurial/start-up leadership with demonstrated experience building something significant from scratch, or transforming an organization into a place of excellence. Strong, organized and independent manager. Able to work in a modest environment with limits on resources. Independent-minded self-starter. Comfortable with ambiguity. Flexible problem solver. Operational & business savvy. Understands the management of revenue sources and control of expenses. Can piece together funding structures and identify new sources of revenue. Sets the right priorities for the organization. Proven team builder. Instrumental in the recruitment and selection of a superior and diverse faculty and staff. Manages their performance and growth by assessing, coaching and developing their potential. Works collaboratively with all staff to resolve issues that affect them while maintaining a clear-eyed focus on meeting the needs of children. Strong leadership skills. Delegates appropriate responsibilities and authority; involves people in decisions that affect them and addresses performance issues promptly with fairness, firmness and consistency. Leads by example, with a hands-on approach. Rewards autonomy and accountability. Role model and inspiring leader for staff, students and parents. Results oriented. Excellent at follow-through. Establishes high performance standards; holds people accountable and keeps them focused on goals and priorities; identifies and removes barriers to objectives; shows a willingness to strategically take tough, principled stands even when unpopular; and ensures that adequate resources are available to achieve objectives. Critical thinker and relentless achiever. Page 5

6 Personally effective. An extraordinary work ethic. Demonstrates grit, tenacity and an unrelenting focus on the goals of the organization. Inspires others to follow. Equally effective when things are not going well. Thinks clearly and exhibits grace under pressure. Confident but humble. Self-assured but not brittle or egocentric. Willingly takes responsibility for mistakes and works with determination not to repeat them. Constant learner, and eagerly learns from people at every level of the organization. The right candidate for this role will be described by others as having personal integrity and strong moral and ethical character. He or she will demonstrate stability, security and confidence in every aspect of his/her life. He or she has an accurate sense of self. He or she will have personal experience thriving in a highly competitive environment. And through the ups and the downs, he or she will maintain a sense of humor and be a person whom others want to be around. Compensation A competitive compensation package commensurate with qualifications and experience is available. A relocation package is available. Contact Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter that explains how they fit the search criteria. Resumes and cover letters should be submitted to: SEEDMiamiPresident@divsearch.com The search is being conducted by the following team. Sandra Goldman Sandra.Goldman@DivSearch.com Lauren E. Smith Lauren.Smith@DivSearch.com Search #11605_ Page 6