Director, Leadership & School Design

Springpoint is a national nonprofit organization that supports the design and launch of new, innovative public high schools. Our mission is to enable all students—regardless of environment or background—to succeed in high school, college, and beyond. We believe the job of high school is to ensure a high quality education for all students. And yet many high schools have failed to provide all young people with the education they deserve, instead contributing to the systems of oppression that limit opportunities for students from historically marginalized groups. We believe we must do high school differently, and since 2013 we have partnered with school districts, school networks, and charter management organizations around the country to rethink high school and develop innovative school models tailored to the needs, assets, and aspirations of their students.

In our collaborative work with school teams, we support our partners in their school’s design and continuous improvement journey by helping them to tap into visionary leadership in their community, to champion high expectations for all, and to focus resources on creating transformative learning experiences for students. Our supports are flexible, adaptive, and responsive to each partner’s unique context. We provide support both virtually and in person, and develop learning experiences, tools, and resources that are effective across key implementation phases.

Springpoint is housed at the National Center for Civic Innovation in New York City.

Launching in July 2022, Springpoint’s Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts fellowship will provide aspiring leaders with a unique experience that builds on their expertise and develops both their leadership capacity and their appetite for school design. We hope to build a critically needed pipeline of innovative secondary school leaders, a racially diverse group of educators who seek to design, launch, and build schools that provide a high quality education for all students and prepare them for postsecondary success. 

The Director will lead the team piloting Springpoint’s fellowship in Massachusetts, and whose primary focus will be on the strategy, implementation, and continuous improvement of the fellowship. They will lead the team’s work to establish the fellowship in Massachusetts, grow partnerships, align with state, district, and school needs and initiatives, and they themselves will serve as the face of the program. To do so, the director will craft a multi-year implementation strategy, focused on continuously improving the program in close partnership with fellows and stakeholders. Additionally, the director will partner with staff to lead the design and implementation of fellowship programming aligned to school leadership competencies, including robust learning experiences, coursework, and coaching of fellows and mentors. In leading the fellowship, the director will ensure that fellows are prepared for both school leadership and school design, prioritizing a clear vision, student-centered culture, instructional leadership, and iteration as they lead for equity. In the first years of program design and implementation, the director will wear many hats; this role will evolve over time based on the needs of the program and the interests and assets of the director. 

As a small, nimble staff that values teamwork, we are seeking a collaborative self-starter who has a flexible, positive, and student-centered mindset. 

Program Design and Implementation: Lead the development and iteration of the fellowship, including:
Designing transformative learning experiences for adults including PD and instructional materials, frameworks, and protocols Leading instructional programming for the fellowship, teaching sessions, school visits, and master classes Directly coaching fellows and overseeing all coaching and mentorship of fellows to ensure a supportive, rigorous, and purposeful experience
Develop and Supervise: Engage, develop, and lead a small team and consultant base of seasoned practitioners to support the design, iteration, and implementation of the fellowship; collaborate with team members and supervise program staff Partnerships and External Relations: Serve as the face of the program, leading partnership efforts to deepen relationships and the fellowship footprint across Massachusetts Program Strategy: Develop a multi-year strategy for both the pilot cohort and subsequent cohorts by: 
Supporting aspiring leaders through the fellowship and beyond Assessing the efficacy of the program by developing metrics and benchmarks to drive continuous improvement  Using data and learnings to continuously improve programmatic experiences and outcomes
Organizational Strategy: Contribute to broader organizational strategy and growth by:
Generating ideas for and leading the development of new programmatic concepts and service offerings that both yield high-quality experiences for school and district leaders and drive organizational development  Developing tools and codifying resources to contribute to the institutional knowledge of the organization and the field more broadly Overseeing and significantly contributing to written program reports and relevant updates to partners, schools, and team Providing key leadership in issues related to secondary school pedagogy, youth development, innovative school design elements, and national educational reform initiatives generally

Developing a fellowship convening, including generating the session content, participant-facing tools and resources, learning objectives, an activity sequence, and scripted facilitation on a core topic or problem of practice Meeting with partners to discuss fellowship implementation, progress, and needs Coaching fellows at their school site or remotely on an emerging leadership practice Reviewing data or feedback from fellows to revise strategy, tool development, or implementation Meeting with the executive director to brainstorm programmatic alignment across a cohort of regional schools Facilitating an internal working group to crosswalk feedback from multiple sources to iterate a school leader rubric  Implementing a fellowship convening or school visit

Coaching and People Development: You are a skilled coach, effective at building knowledge, skills, and mindsets, in teachers, leaders, and teammates with varied assets and experiences.

Instructional Leadership: You firmly believe that building the instructional expertise of adults in schools is a key lever for school improvement. You are an expert designer and facilitator of meaningful learning experiences that are impactful and inclusive.

Strategic Ability: You combine big picture strategic thinking with the ability to implement tactically. You can ask powerful questions, break down problems, surface new opportunities, leverage stakeholders, and sequence complex problems to meet common goals, learn, and iterate. 

Entrepreneurial Spirit: You are self-driven, take initiative, and are comfortable working both independently and on a team to both create and iterate. You’re not hemmed in by the traditional ways of doing school, preferring to think creatively about how to allocate time, talent, and resources to help students thrive. 

Growth Orientation: You have high expectations for your work and your team; you actively solicit, incorporate, and share feedback from a variety of stakeholders. You are comfortable reflecting on your practice, and able to identify areas for learning and improvement. Above all, you have an unwavering belief that everyone—students and adults—can and will grow. 

Relationship and Partnership Orientation: You are a relationship builder who thrives off of meaningful human connection—and you leverage relationships and a deep curiosity around user experience/design to achieve common goals and learn together.

Racial Literacy: You have an understanding of the institutional and structural systems of racism and their impact on communities of color and you strive to employ an anti-racist lens and deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of your work. 

Mission Focus: You are energized by our mission and by the prospect of transforming high schools to better serve educators, families, and above all, students in service of equitable experiences and outcomes.

Master’s Degree in Education, Education Leadership, Public Administration or a related field Minimum of 10 years of school and/or school district leadership experience (preferably as a school principal)  developing and managing staff, new initiatives, and budgets with demonstrated responsibility for program outcomes at the secondary education level Demonstrated experience supporting or managing a professional learning program Experience managing external partnerships and relationships Deep instructional and pedagogical knowledge Track record of success working with school principals and/or teacher leaders in either a support or supervisory capacity

Preference will be given to an individual based in the Massachusetts or broader New England area but will consider other candidates; travel in the state of Massachusetts is roughly bi-monthly. 

Springpoint provides competitive compensation and a best-in-class benefits package. Read more about our generous benefits here. We are a small organization that punches above our weight and tries to offer a flexible work environment with opportunities for rest and restoration. The salary range for this role starts at $150,000 and will be determined by factors including geography, readiness for the role, and organizational equity.  

Springpoint is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who are as diverse as the students and communities our partners serve. Qualified individuals, please submit an application form here.