Chief Academic Officer - (25-26 SY)

About Us:

Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools (www.freedomprep.org) is a network of Prek-12 free public charter schools serving students in Memphis, TN, and Birmingham, AL. Our mission is to prepare all students in grades Prek-12 to excel in college and in life. Since our founding in 2009, we have grown from a class of 96 sixth grade students to now serving over 1950 students across multiple campuses. In 2024, we expanded into Birmingham, AL, starting with grades K-1, with plans to grow to a K-5 campus. 

At Freedom Prep, we are committed to transforming education for students of color across the South, ensuring they have access to high-quality educational opportunities that empower them to thrive. Over the past 15 years, our students have consistently exceeded both local and state averages in math and have surpassed local benchmarks in English language arts on state assessments. Our mission is guided by three core beliefs: every child deserves the right to a high-quality public education, character development is essential to student success, and exposure to diverse opportunities builds the confidence and skills needed to excel in college and in life.

At Freedom Prep, we cultivate a structured, academically rigorous environment that fosters excellence in core subjects, promotes advanced academic skills, and encourages students to embody the core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Excellence, and Community.

Job Description:

The Chief Academic Officer will serve as a key member of our organization's leadership team and will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. In this role, you will be responsible for the academic vision of the organization while overseeing the academic performance, instructional leadership, and school culture of our educational network. You will work in close collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff,, and Chief People Officer to ensure that our schools meet the highest standards of excellence and equity. Your primary focus will be on delivering exceptional academic results, eliminating disparities, and fostering a culture of success for all our students.

Key Responsibilities:

Academic Leadership and Supervision:

• Provide visionary academic leadership, ensure vision and mission alignment to our school leaders and network academic team.

• Collaborate with the CEO to set and drive the academic vision for our schools.Implement research-proven, standards-based instructional practices and curriculum.

• Support school leaders in implementing effective instructional cycles and data-driven decision-making.

• Collaborate with the CEO on region-wide and individual professional development for Heads of Schools and direct reports.

Network Leadership and Supervision:

• Lead the development and selection of high-quality curricular materials and aligned assessments across academic disciplines and grade levels that are designed to serve students at all levels and abilities in partnership with the Academic team, Regional teams, and schools

• Oversees program design, implementation, and achievement of all specialized learning groups, including students with IEPs, emergent bilingual and multilingual students

• In partnership with the Head of Schools, oversee the support and development of teachers and school academic leaders to implement curriculum in a highly effective way, including professional development for teachers in pedagogy and their specific content areasUse data effectively to drive instructional practice and, in collaboration with the Chiefs, improve and adjust academic strategy and program

• Lead the Academic team: Regional Director of Schools, Managing Director of Academics, Managing Director of Student Services and collaborates closely with each Head of School

School Management and Performance:

• Oversee the academic and cultural performance of our schools.

• Build trust-based relationships across organizational layers to achieve goals and navigate challenges.

• Foster collaboration among school leaders to ensure network-wide alignment.

• Work with incoming school leaders on school design, planning, and implementation.

School Culture and Equity:

• Ensure that each school maintains a positive, engaging culture of excellence and college-focus.

• Champion equity and work to eliminate racial disparities in school performance.

• Monitor the implementation of behavioral consequences to align with the network's mission and vision.

Compliance and Special Needs Support:

• Ensure compliance with city, state, and federal regulations related to Individualized Education Plans and English Language Learners.

• Work with Heads of Schools, families, and the CEO to manage risks and crises related to student safety.

• Innovate and partner with the operations team to improve academic data systems and curriculum.

Talent Development and Professional Development:

• Coach and develop school leaders and network academic teams.

• Design and deliver ongoing professional development for school leaders and school culture teams.

• Lead talent development structures to support leadership and coaching.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution required; Master’s degree strongly preferred.

• Significant K-12 urban teaching experience and prior success in a school leadership position.

• A minimum of ten years of professional experience with at least five years in K-12 school leadership.

• Minimum of 2-year of Chief level experience preferred.

• Outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail.

• Strong written and oral communication skills.

• Proactive problem solver.

• Proven experience in coaching senior leaders and school leaders in an educational setting.

• Ability to manage ambiguity and prioritize effectively in an entrepreneurial environment.

• Strong work ethic and proactive problem-solving abilities.

• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to our educational mission, vision, and goals.

We are excited that you are inspired or called to learn more about our mission, values, and potential opportunities. We’d encourage you to explore a few additional resources about us, the recent investment for what’s possible, and why you should consider our community as a place for you to become a part of. We are one of the few networks that centers the whole person and their needs to thrive and support themselves and their families in the South.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION: At Freedom Prep, we prioritize transparency in everything we do. We believe that open communication fosters trust and collaboration. As part of this commitment, we make our salary scales available online for you to view, ensuring clarity and fairness in our compensation practices. You can view our compensation scales on our website. Please click HERE to be redirected.

Check out some of the unique and rare benefits here, including but not limited to: 

-Paying higher, scaffolded teacher salaries from Year 1 to retirement stage

-Zero dollar monthly premium options, including holistic options such as chiropractic or acupuncture care (TN ONLY)

-Focus on staff well-being and collective care through our Adult Social-Emotional Learning

-Support in obtaining licensure

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: Freedom Preparatory Academy is actively seeking to build a diverse and experienced team of educators. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. We are an equal opportunity employer.