Superintendent, Essex Westford School District

About Our District

Essex Westford School District (EWSD), established in 2017, serves roughly 4,500 students. The district beautifully describes itself as ‘10 schools, 3 communities, 1 school district’ unified around a common vision of “growing hearts and minds, for a better today and tomorrow: every day, every way, every one.” With this inclusive spirit at the forefront, the district continues to serve the communities of Essex Town, Essex Junction, and Westford in Vermont. 

Now in its 8th year, EWSD has established itself as a pillar of these communities with schools and programs designed to prepare students for the future. The district is working hard to meet the needs of the students it serves and has taken bold steps to define the critical skills needed for success which are articulated in the portrait of a graduate and has passed an equity policy that further cements its core beliefs about inclusion and belonging for all students served by the district. 

Founding Superintendent Beth Cobb has announced her retirement and the board, with support from Alma Advisory Group, is conducting a search for the next superintendent who will build on the strong foundation established by the prior administration and continue to strengthen EWSD by charting its path into the future. 

About the Superintendent Role

Reporting to the ten elected school board members and two student board members, the superintendent serves as the face of the district, a leader in the community, and a champion for the needs of EWSD students and families. 

The person in this position will oversee a $90 to $100MM budget, make critical decisions to advance academic achievement, improve and maximize the district's effectiveness, unify key stakeholders, and build trust throughout the community. They will bring the vision and leadership skills necessary to build on existing successes while tackling challenges and opportunities. The superintendent should possess the cultural competence to embrace and leverage the unique strengths of all schools while maintaining a keen focus on accelerating learning for all students. 

Key Responsibilities (“The What”)

Establish a clear vision and strategy that ensures students attain the skills needed to succeed

• Partner with students, staff, families and the EWSD Board to develop a vision for EWSD that will guide us into the next 5 to 10 years.
• Oversee the implementation of innovative instructional strategies aimed at improving student outcomes and academic achievement.
• Ensure that EWSD's mission, vision, and key priorities are clearly communicated, well understood and that they resonate with all stakeholders, providing a sense of purpose and direction.
• Create excitement and enthusiasm, motivating others to invest in the journey and stay focused on achieving long-term goals. 
• Lead by example in demonstrating commitment and passion for the future of the district.

Develop a human resource leadership model that prioritizes equity, efficiency and effectiveness

• Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and articulated throughout the organization. 
• Identify opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, leadership growth, and alignment of  teams to improve efficiency and support.
• Attract, recruit, retain, develop, and inspire highly qualified, effective, and diverse staff in every layer of the organization.
• Assess the leadership team’s skills, identify development needs, and provide feedback and support to improve practice, build capacity, and maximize talent.

Serve as a visible culture builder that strengthens and nurtures environments that are trustworthy, inclusive, accessible and welcoming for all members of the community

• Serve as a daily role model for districtwide values, demonstrating integrity, respect, accountability and collaboration in every interaction.
• Foster a work environment that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring every employee feels respected, seen, valued and empowered.
• Inspire and engage employees by being visible and recognizing contributions, providing regular feedback and creating opportunities for professional growth and personal development.
• Build trust through clear and open communication and ensure transparency in decision-making processes, promoting a culture of honesty and reliability.
• Hold all members of the organization to high standards of accountability, promoting shared responsibility for achieving both individual and team goals. 

Steward the success, sustainability, and equity of the district’s finances and operations

• Ensure the financial sustainability and equitable distribution of resources through the effective management of district finances.
• Work creatively to maximize resources and maintain focus on evidence-based practices that align with the strategic plan at the school and systems level.
• Direct the identification and expansion of funding opportunities through bonds, referendums, grants, and legislation.
• Prepare and submit to the Board a proposed annual budget reflecting the Board’s defined goals, policies, priorities, and the district’s strategic plan. Engage the community to help mold budget priorities.
• Manage the daily operations of the district within defined policy parameters, ensuring effective planning, supervision, execution and evaluation of the programs, services, and facilities of the district.
• Work collaboratively with the School Board, city leaders, school leaders, parents, and community to develop a long-term strategic facilities plan.
• Demonstrate transparency about budgeting priorities and expenditures.

Serve as a champion and advocate for healthy and safe environments

• Create and foster conditions for staff to collaborate, feel supported and valued, and have the mental health supports needed to do their best work on behalf of the students.
• Advocate for policies and procedures that support employees’ well being, with an emphasis on reducing burnout and turnover.
• Assess current conditions related to facility health and maintenance; respond accordingly to ensure student and staff safety and well-being.
• Promote eco-friendly initiatives that ensure a sustainable, healthy environment for both employees and the broader community.
• Ensure that health and safety practices accommodate the diverse needs of students and staff, including individuals with physical, mental, or emotional health conditions.

Key Competencies(“The How”)

Effective Collaborator, Coalition Builder and Communicator

• Builds coalitions and fosters collaborative, sustainable and impactful relationships with others.
• Views families, students, staff and partners as assets; welcomes input from others, responsive to questions and feedback.
• Builds trust among board members, district staff, teachers, leaders and core stakeholders to establish a shared vision for the district.
• Builds effective relationships with stakeholders through clear systems and structures for two-way communication.
• Navigates politically complex structures, relationships and dynamics to challenge ideas and enable thoughtful decisions and positive outcomes for students.
• Maintains visibility with purpose in our schools, community and with district partners. 
• Demonstrates cultural fluency, responsiveness and awareness while approaching the work with a strong equity lens to establish a culture of growth and a learning mindset around issues of equity and inclusion.
• Challenges assumptions and preconceived notions to avoid distraction from core priorities and goals in the interest of student success. 

Servant Leader

• Creates a work environment where all team members feel supported, valued and empowered to perform at their best.
• Invests in the growth of others through coaching, feedback and creating development opportunities that enhance their skills and career pathways.
• Cultivates a team-focused culture that values open communication, mutual respect and shared goals.
• Actively listens, welcomes feedback and continuously engages in self-reflection.
• Sets a high standard of professionalism by leading with integrity, being accountable for own actions and modeling ethical behavior.
• Places the needs of the team at the forefront, ensuring that their concerns are addressed and that they have the tools and support necessary to succeed.

Innovative and Inspirational Leader

• Builds on the organization’s past successes and commits to continuous improvement through analysis, inquiry and assessment of data and results thus aligning to district strategic priorities. 
• Leads the organization through strategic planning and mobilizes the community behind a unified vision, goals and key priorities. 
• Facilitates and secures buy-in for a clear and compelling vision of innovation and organizational excellence. 
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in managing change, using innovation as a tool to navigate challenges and achieve long-term success.
• Takes calculated risks and encourages the organization to embrace new, forward-thinking approaches, positioning the organization for future success.

Accountable, Change Manager

• Activates systems and structures that incorporate processes of continuous inquiry and improvement, communicating results transparently and honestly while establishing the appropriate path forward.
• Holds self and others accountable for high standards of performance, communication, collaboration and transparency toward the achievement of key goals and priorities. 
• Ability to manage the execution of change projects, ensuring timelines are met, resources are allocated effectively and risks are mitigated.
• Demonstrates the ability to manage and address resistance to change through targeted interventions, support and communication strategies.
• Sets priorities to maintain a high quality and equitable academic program within the district's financial means.
• Practices transparent decision-making, listens actively and with an open mind, includes others in creating the path forward and shares openly with stakeholders how their input informed key decisions. 
• Leads with accessibility, approachability, transparency, and humility to understand what makes EWSD special. 

Data Driven, Systems Thinker

• Adopts a holistic approach to understand and analyze the organization as an interconnected system, ensuring decisions align with both immediate and long-term goals.
• Focuses on identifying the underlying causes of challenges and implements sustainable solutions that improve the system’s overall functioning.
• Works collaboratively with cross-functional teams to identify system-wide challenges and opportunities, leveraging collective expertise to improve performance.
• Continuously assesses the effectiveness of systems, anticipating necessary changes and adjustments to ensure the system remains responsive and efficient.
• Demonstrated ability to use data and tools to understand complex issues, identifying patterns and guiding informed decision-making across the organization.
• Proactively identifies interdependencies and leverages improvements in one area to enhance outcomes across the entire system.
• Fosters a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging a mindset of ongoing evaluation and improvement, ensuring systems remain adaptive and resilient in a changing environment.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 6 years of senior leadership experience at progressive levels of responsibility with evidence of successful development and organizational outcomes, highly preferred. 
• Three or more years of PK-12 teaching experience as a licensed educator
• Three or more years of educational administration experience as a licensed administrator
• Successful experience working in diverse economic, multicultural, and multilingual communities and environments. Proven cultural competency with a history of inclusive and relevant equity practices.
• Track record of success with improving student and/or organizational outcomes and data-driven decision-making. 
• Understanding of the EWSD community and its history of excellence.
• Commitment to becoming an engaged and longstanding member of the community.  
• Knowledge of Vermont public school policy and law, procedures and management. 
• A deep commitment to the importance of public education and advocacy for all students. 
• Experience working in conjunction with a board to identify priorities, establish goals, monitor progress and produce outcomes in service to stakeholders.  
• Successful track record of collaboration with educators, parent and community organizations and employee associations.
• Exceptional written, oral and visual communication skills and a desire to develop and maintain respectful, supportive working relationships with a variety of diverse constituents.
• Experience managing sustainable finances for a large and complex organization.
• Ability to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity in times of change, and to prioritize work efforts to achieve overall strategy as defined in collaboration with the Board of Education.
• Eligible for a Superintendent’s license in the State of Vermont. 

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this integral leadership position is $180,00-$195,000, commensurate with prior experience and competitive in the region. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package will be included in the ultimate offer for the identified finalist. We look forward to discussing details with you as the interview process progresses.