Working Draft

 

 

Grand Rapids Aviation Charter High School  

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Head of School

Position Profile

 

Organization:  The Grand Rapids Aviation Charter High School (GRACHS) will open its doors for the first time in August, 2009, and will serve 50 ninth grade students during its first year and adding a grade level and 50 students each year over the following three years. Working in partnership with parents and community, the school will offer a challenging and rigorous academic program with a focus on preparing young people for careers in the growing aviation industry.  The school will provide a strong curriculum and an atmosphere of high expectations.  Three areas of the curriculum will focus on flight preparation, air traffic control and flight mechanics. Its mission is to encourage high academic achievement, sound moral values and responsible citizenship to help young people reach their full potential and achieve life-long success. 

 

                   The vision of the GRACHS includes serving as the premier learning choice for students in the greater Grand Rapids area who choose to pursue their passion and interest for aviation and aerospace in a rigorous learning environment with preparedness and relevance for higher education, citizenship and employment.

 

                   Chartered by a Michigan university, the charter school will have an appointed seven-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders who have oversight responsibilities for school academic performance and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.  The Board also will set policies and goals and will engage a national charter school management company to manage the school, stressing its philosophy, mission, high standards and expectations, its challenging and effective curriculum and its core values of responsibility, respect, courage and perseverance.         

                  

    Position: The charter high school is seeking an innovative, dynamic and results-oriented leader for this position, which offers the opportunity to launch and grow this unique high school to success. The Head of School serves as the instructional leader with the authority to hire, train and evaluate staff, develop and implement the curriculum, use data-driven decision-making to recommend approaches and changes, manage the budget, set the tone for accountability for results in all areas and build the critical relationships and partnerships necessary for the success of the school and its students.  The Head of School works closely with the Board, parents, staff, parent committees, the management firm and the community as a whole.  The Board seeks candidates who can demonstrate expertise in the areas of organizational leadership, student academic performance, financial and facilities management, community relations, marketing and overall supervision of the school, staff and academic program.

Major Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Creates and leads a school culture that maintains a relentless focus on academic results and fosters collaboration.
  • Hires enthusiastic and competent teachers who possess the requisite subject-area expertise and an ability to prepare students to be highly successful.
  • Leads a system for the ongoing evaluation of staff performance that expects measurable results, supports improvement and rewards achievement.
  • Implements the school’s academic and aviation specialty offerings in coordination with the management company.
  • Ensures alignment of curricular standards with required state and school-based testing.
  • Creates ways to monitor and improve student learning; support and implement the  tracking system that allows teachers, the Head of School and parents to know what standards students have mastered and those for which further work is required.
  • Instills the school with a commitment to the practices of a learning organization and continuous improvement.
  • Develops and manages a system of a collaborative faculty analysis of student performance results that ensures a data-driven instructional strategy.
  • Works with faculty and staff to create a consistent and comprehensive focus on character, leadership, exemplary behavior and an aviation career orientation.
  • Develops, in cooperation with the Board of Directors, the annual school budget including the budget goals and requests and budget monitoring.  
  • Is the school’s ambassador to parents in conveying the importance of education and aviation career orientation, providing opportunities for parent involvement.
  • Assists in the shaping of annual goals and objectives in strategic planning and assists in developing  the strategic plan for the school, consistent with the charter application.
  • Maintains effective and strong working relationships with the authorizers, the Board of Directors and the management company, as well as with staff, students, parents, the school and broader community.
  • Ensures the development of rules and regulations for a safe and orderly school environment.
  • Oversees the monitoring process by the charter school authority and ensures school compliance with other local, state and federal requirements; takes the charter through renewal, when necessary.


Requirements and Qualifications: 

  • Has the leadership skills and experience necessary to implement the school’s mission and goals and to attract, motivate and lead a team of high performing professionals.
  • Demonstrates a track record of effective management and supervision, including successful staff hiring, staff training, performance evaluation, budget planning and monitoring and facilities maintenance.
  • Is knowledgeable about urban secondary education, school improvement strategies, increasing student academic achievement and closing gaps, data-driven decision-making and accountability systems, preferably in a diverse economic and multi-cultural setting.
  • Displays excellent interpersonal and communication skills, problem solving and relationship building.
  • Demonstrates respect and concern for children and their parents and a passion for education.
  • Possesses at least a bachelor’s degree and instructional experience.
  • A pilot’s license or experience in the aviation industry or military is preferred.
  • Must meet state requirements for secondary school principal certification or be certified.

 

Applications should include: 

  • A letter describing professional and personal qualifications, experience and reasons for interest.
  • A current resume, including three to five references.
  • Two to three page description of the applicant's major accomplishments in those areas related to the duties, responsibilities and requirements of the position.

 

Applications requested by August 29, 2008

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Dr. Nancy R. Noeske

PROACT Search, Inc.

126 North Jefferson Street – Suite 360

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Phone: 414.347.0200; Fax: 414.347.0202

E-mail: info@proactsearchinc.com

Web sites: www.proactsearchinc.com