Head of Academic Upper School

Islamic League of America; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in Austin, Texas, is seeking a dynamic Head of Academic Upper School. The ideal candidate will have proven leadership experience and a strong commitment to educational excellence in a diverse environment. This role focuses on both school and instructional leadership, requiring a master's degree and administrative experience, along with a passion for developing students into effective communicators and responsible citizens.

Qualifications

• Five years or more of successful experience as a classroom teacher.
• Three years or more of prior administrative leadership experience.
• Knowledge of current educational practices, research and application.

Responsibilities

• Preserve and promote the vision, mission, and core values of the academy.
• Provide leadership and direction to staff, including mentoring and coaching.
• Regularly evaluate the performance of teachers and monitor student progress.

Skills

Successful leadership

Team collaboration

Strong communication skills

Creative problem-solving

Growth mindset

Education

Master’s Degree in Education

Texas State Administrator & Supervisor certificate or equivalent

Job description

Position Title: Head of Academic Upper School

To promote educational excellence and meaningful faith in a diverse, caring environment to students

who are secure in their identity, critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators and responsible citizens dedicated to peace.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a dynamic Head of Upper School who embodies our missions and values, has a track‑record of proven success and is ready to take on an advanced leadership role. The leader in this role will:

School Leadership (60% of time)

• Preserve and promote the vision, mission, and core values of APA Academy
• Creates and develops procedures and processes that facilitate meeting the mission and goals of the school
• Work with the Head of School to execute on the strategic vision, create an implementation plan to accomplish it, and adapt to internal and external changes as needed
• Build a network which reflects diverse perspectives, promotes a positive, safe and caring climate for learning, deals sensitively and fairly with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds and communicates effectively with students, staff and parents
• Assist Head of school with Hiring and retain high-quality team members that reflect our mission and values
• Establish a safe school environment, that is compliant with federal, state, and local requirement.
• Provide leadership and direction to staff (including mentors, administrative assistants, instructional coaches, and all teachers)
• Create a positive, achievement-oriented school culture through ceremonies, events, and award programs
• Regularly monitor school, student, and staff performance data; and make appropriate, data‑driven decisions to achieve school goals
• Ensure effective processes are executed on for maintaining and responding to student disciplinary issues and restorative practices
• Build strong relationships with the community, families, students, and staff to ensure collective investment in our social and instructional priorities, initiatives, and expectations
• Ensure the school campus is compliant with federal, state and local requirements
• Collaborate with school team to plan, coordinate, and support family communications, meetings, and special events

Instructional Leadership (40% of time)

• Regularly evaluate the performance of teachers and other school employees and coach them on their individual development
• Closely monitor student grades and progress and to report results to Head of School
• Ensure frequent analysis of the effectiveness of curriculum and resources used for instruction
• Oversee all professional development provided to staff
• Lead the college readiness process to ensure each high school student is prepared to meet the requirements for the graduation plan and college admissions
• Teaches a minimum of 1 class to a maximum of 2 classes.
• Oversee the coordination of the school’s co‑curricular and extra‑curricular activity programs

What We Look For

We want a leader who:

• Has proven a proven‑track record in successfully leading others and delivering positive results and outcomes for students and families
• Leads with high integrity and is committed to the social, emotional, and academic needs of students
• Values parents as partners in their child’s education
• Effectively communicates with all stakeholders, including parents, Head of School, and staff in a timely manner
• Values the importance of this role as an instructional leader and is able to work with staff to improve teaching and learning
• Has experience creating and implementing policies, and a demonstrated ability in creating and managing systems
• Possesses strong collaboration and teamwork skills
• Has excellent oral and written communication skills
• Thrives in a fast‑paced environment, and is responds with agility as needed
• Has a growth mindset and uses feedback to improve practice
• Builds relationships with others and has the ability to coalesce and build consensus from disparate points of view
• Uses creative and critical problem solving and decision‑making skills to create solutions
• Supports additional school affairs as determined by the Head of School

Minimum Qualifications

• Five years or more of successful experience as a classroom teacher
• Three years or more of prior administrative leadership experience
• Knowledge of current educational practices, research and application
• Master’s Degree in Education
• Prefer: Texas State Administrator & Supervisor certificate or equivalent