Director, Academic Strategy

Socket.dev; Virginia (IL); Hybrid; USD 122,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Stride, Inc. in the United States seeks a Director, Academic Strategy to lead development, implementation, and improvement of portfolio-wide academic strategies that strengthen student outcomes and school performance.

You will translate data into priorities, manage the Playbook, align cross-functional teams, and guide budget, staffing, and professional learning to ensure rigorous, scalable practices across states.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of K-12 instructional practices and accountability systems.
• Ability to analyze academic and student data to set strategy and improve outcomes.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration for school improvement.

Responsibilities

• Develop, refine, and execute the K12 academic strategy aligned with priorities and state expectations.
• Own the K12 School Playbook and annual planning process and ensure quality standards.
• Manage budget and staffing for the Academic Strategy function.

Skills

K-12 instructional practices

Data-driven strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Project management

Education

Master's degree in education

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Job description

Job Description

The Director, Academic Strategy leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of portfolio-wide academic strategies designed to strengthen student outcomes and school performance. The role translates academic and accountability data into clear priorities, scalable practices, and proactive supports; serves as the strategic owner of the K12 School Playbook; and provides oversight for national academic and school counseling priorities.

The Director ensures that annual school planning is coherent, rigorous, and increasingly informed by evidence of what works across the portfolio. This role also partners across functions and with school leaders to strengthen Tier 1 academic practices, improve implementation, identify emerging needs, and scale effective approaches across schools.

Essential Functions:

• Develop, refine, and execute K12's academic strategy in alignment with organizational priorities, student outcomes, and state accountability expectations.


• Own the K12 School Playbook and annual school planning process, including reviewing and revising required plan elements, guidance, quality standards, and supporting resources.


• Own and manage the budget and staffing plan for the Academic Strategy function, including resource allocation to support Playbook execution and academic strategy priorities.


• Ensure coherence across Playbook areas, including synchronous and asynchronous instruction, assessment and MTSS, training and observation, and graduation strategy, so schools develop one integrated academic plan.


• Design and lead a rigorous Playbook review and feedback process that strengthens plan quality, increases consistency and rigor, and provides schools with actionable guidance.


• Use the Playbook process to identify strong practices, common implementation challenges, and emerging needs; codify and scale effective practices across schools and continuously improve national guidance and support.


• Use academic, engagement, graduation, and accountability data to identify portfolio-wide trends, performance gaps, risks, and opportunities and translate them into strategic priorities and scalable solutions.


• Lead proactive academic supports and implementation of K12's instructional strategy, with particular focus on strengthening Tier 1 instruction, student academic supports, and implementation fidelity.


• Establish clear expectations, frameworks, tools, resources, and professional learning that support consistent implementation of effective academic practices across schools.


• Partner with school and portfolio leaders to understand implementation challenges, strengthen execution, and ensure national strategies and Playbook expectations are rigorous, practical, and responsive to school context.


• Provide strategic oversight for national school counseling priorities, including graduation planning, on-track monitoring, course completion and credit attainment, postsecondary planning, student engagement, and accountability outcomes.


• Direct the Program Manager, Academics and School Counseling Program Manager in translating strategic priorities into implementation plans, tools, resources, professional learning, and school-facing supports.


• Use implementation and outcome data to evaluate the effectiveness of academic and counseling strategies, identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend course corrections.


• Collaborate with Accountability, Assessment, Research, Curriculum, School Services, Special Programs, Career Readiness, and other cross-functional teams to align academic strategies and organizational supports.


• Partner with Transformation leaders to ensure lessons from schools receiving intensive support inform portfolio-wide academic strategy and proactive supports, while maintaining clear ownership of intensive school improvement within the Transformation function

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position directly supervises the Program Manager, Academics and School Counseling Program Manager, with the potential for additional direct reports.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in education, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, school administration, or a related field.


• Ten (10) or more years of related experience in educational leadership, academic strategy, instructional leadership, school leadership, or program leadership; OR


• Equivalent combination of education and experience.


• Demonstrated experience using academic and student performance data to set strategy and improve outcomes across multiple schools, programs, or stakeholder groups.

Certificates and Licenses:

None required.

Other Required Qualifications:

• Deep understanding of effective K-12 instructional practices, academic performance measures, graduation outcomes, and school accountability systems.


• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, identify systemic patterns, and translate findings into actionable strategy.


• Demonstrated ability to design coherent planning processes, quality standards, and review systems that strengthen implementation.


• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to move from analysis to execution.


• Proven ability to develop scalable frameworks, tools, resources, and continuous improvement processes.


• Strong leadership, talent development, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.


• Outstanding written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills.


• Strong results orientation, organization, and ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives in a deadline-driven environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Ed.D., Ph.D., or other advanced degree in a related field.


• Experience as a school or district-level instructional leader.


• Experience in virtual education.


• Experience supporting schools across multiple locations or states.


• Experience developing organization-wide academic strategies, instructional frameworks, school planning processes, or continuous improvement systems.


• Experience leading or partnering with school counseling, graduation, or student success functions.



• This is a remote position; open to the 50 states and DC

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Compensation & Benefits

• 
  

  Stride, Inc. considers a person’s education, experience, and qualifications, as well as the position’s work location, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value when determining a new employee’s salary level. Salaries will differ based on these factors, the position’s level and expected contribution, and the employee’s benefits elections. Offers will typically be in the bottom half of the range.

  
  

  We anticipate the salary range to be $122,073.75 - $155,025.00 per year. The upper end of this range is not likely to be offered, as an individual’s compensation can vary based on several factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, geographic location, experience, training, education, and local market conditions. Eligible employees may receive a bonus. Stride offers a robust benefits package for eligible employees that can include health benefits, retirement contributions, and paid time off.

  
  

  The above job is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor. All employment is “at-will” as governed by the law of the state where the employee works. It is further understood that the “at-will” nature of employment is one aspect of employment that cannot be changed except in writing and signed by an authorized officer.

  
  

Job Type

Regular

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Stride, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants receive consideration for employment based on merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Stride, Inc. complies with all legally required affirmative action obligations. Applicants will not be discriminated against because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.