Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Remote

THE ORGANIZATION

Rooted School Foundation (RSF) is a nonprofit operational foundation dedicated to testing and expanding effective strategies for improving economic mobility in the U.S. across zip codes Rooted has schools and other programs. One way it achieves this is by getting money to youth earlier in their lives. Rooted’s flagship project, Rooted School, opens charter and microschool high schools that address local talent gaps – starting within the technology sector. Schools exist and are underway in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Vancouver, Washington, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The network started with 40 students in 2017 and will serve>500 students over the 2024-2025 school year. Rooted School is considered one of the most innovative school models in the United States (Center for Reinventing  Public Education / Canopy Project, Forbes).

This is a transformative moment to join RSF. With the recent award of a $4 million Federal Charter School Program Grant, RSF is poised to expand its innovative educational model through new schools in South Carolina and Ohio. These pioneering campuses will prepare high school students for next-generation careers through a unique combination of AI-focused curriculum, industry partnerships, and credential pathways. The Senior Director of School Growth will collaborate directly with RSF’s CEO and CSP Grant Project Director to establish these groundbreaking schools while building robust professional learning communities across our growing network. In parallel, we are developing a microschool model that will allow us to serve communities with greater flexibility and rapid implementation. This role offers the opportunity to shape both individual school success and network-wide excellence as we work toward our vision of serving more than 2,000 students annually by 2029. The ideal candidate will be energized by the challenge of scaling our impact while maintaining the quality and innovation that define the Rooted School model.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a creative and entrepreneurial leader to work closely with our charter schools, microschools, and technical assistance partners to document the vision, systems and processes of what it means to be a Rooted School and how this model can expand across other communities. This leader will play a significant role with new school authorization efforts in new geographies. This leader will also work with existing Rooted School campus staff to optimize and drive alignment around vision, systems & processes, 1 rooted school foundation and evidence-based practice. Further, this leader will work with several collaborators to be able to design a coherent and cohesive student experience that differentiates this academic program from physical and digital learning experiences that exist elsewhere.

Our vision is to build a new frontier of “mobility models” that give all students the chance to earn a college acceptance in one hand and a job offer in the other upon graduation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage New School Launch and Growth Strategy
  • Oversee the charter application and authorization process for Rooted School South Carolina(RSSC) and Rooted School Ohio(RSOH)
  • Support Rooted School South Carolina and Rooted School Ohio during their planning year and start-up phase, ensuring schools plan, develop and scale in alignment with Rooted School’s mission and academic model
  • Support the launch and expansion of new RSF microschools
  • Revise and implement a mission-aligned, multi-year growth plan that includes market analysis, readiness criteria, and developing a Greenlighting Framework to support RSF in making well-informed, data-driven growth decisions.
  • Support ongoing fundraising efforts that will provide resources for RSF’s growth plan.
• Model Fidelity and Innovation
  • Revisit and codify the essential elements of what it means to be a “Rooted School” and design a toolkit for new schools to leverage to ensure fidelity to the Rooted School DNA and mission.
  • Design and refine assessment tools to ensure programmatic consistency and impact, as well as progress towards objectives and priorities outlined in the CSP for CMO Expansion grant
  • Lead change-management efforts within schools and/or alongside technical assistance partners so that all schools within the Rooted Network are aligned to the same academic model
  • Support the implementation of new Rooted programs within schools (e.g. The $50 Study)
• Foster shared learning and collaboration across the Rooted Schools Network:
  • Design and implement systems for shared learning and collaboration, in order to share best practices and build relationships with and among members of the Rooted Schools network
  • Facilitate professional learning communities and create opportunities for cross-network collaboration
  • Capture insights from new and existing schools to improve future school launches and ongoing support
• Provide differentiated model support to schools:
  • Develop and implement tailored support to schools in various phases of growth
  • Curate resources based on successful best practices across the network; design and build a toolbox/instructional resource library for Rooted Schools to access these resources

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications:

• Proved experience in instructional leadership, school leadership, or network support, preferably within a charter school or innovative school setting
• Demonstrated success in managing complex projects and driving organizational growth
• Strong understanding of school design, curriculum and instruction, and teacher coaching and development
• Experience in fostering collaboration and building professional learning communities
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a track record of advancing these principles in an educational context

A Successful Senior Director of School Growth will bring:

• Exceptional alignment to Rooted School Foundation’s mission and vision and active demonstration of our values: Growth – we push ourselves to grow at all times. Excellence – we push the limits of what’s possible, Preparation – we are prepared, Hospitality – we put people first, Community – we never forget where we come from.
• A track record of success running either educational programs, including physical schools, online schools, after school programs or summer programs.
• A track record of success managing innovative projects that drive progress within an organization.
• A passion for designing and implementing new learner-centered education models.
• A strong background in designing systems for operational and financial efficiency.
• Experience hiring senior educational leaders and teachers/guides and a willingness to develop non-standard school staffing models.
• Exceptional relationship management:
  • You’re excited to build relationships with very busy Executive Directors and school teams and build investment in RSF’s principle of “Perpetual Beta” when it comes to model design and implementation.
  • Experience working and forming partnerships with funders, universities, ed-tech providers and designers, and technical assistance partners.
• Ability to build and envision an efficient centralized system of operational tools (e.g., for student acquisition, Rooted School DNA, assessment, curriculum development, etc.).
• BONUS: A track record of innovation and first-principles design thinking

WORKING AT RSF

We are focused on hiring and developing great people, giving them autonomy and maintaining high expectations to help team members grow. We believe that building diverse perspectives across our team makes us more effective in expanding our impact. Our core values are:

• Growth. We push ourselves to grow at all times. We work relentlessly to create efficient, measurable, and sustainable results. We embrace difficult feedback and strive for constant improvement as we pursue our mission tenaciously. Ideally, you thrive working in a self-directed manner in a fluid environment where flexibility and tenacity are required.
• Excellence. We push the limits of what’s possible. We appreciate calculated risks and new approaches. We have an entrepreneurial spirit that welcomes innovation, diversity of ideas, and risk. We rely on you to question conventional wisdom and think independently.
• Preparation. We are prepared. We are truthful, fair, and trustworthy in all aspects of our work. We hold ourselves and our partners to the highest ethical standards. We trust you will too.
• Hospitality. We put people first. We appreciate the challenges faced by Rooted Executive Directors, school staff, and students and recognize the limits of our own knowledge. We understand that our ultimate success depends on that of our network. Your humility will be key to building trusted and authentic relationships.
• Community. We never forget where we come from. We value each of our team members as individuals but believe that we achieve the greatest results by working together. We willingly sacrifice individual interests and recognition for greater collective impact. We hope having fun at work is important and you are a team player.

COMPENSATION

Compensation is commensurate with experience and education. The target salary range for this role is $140,000 to $160,000 annually. RSF offers a very competitive package of benefits, including: health, life, disability and dental insurance coverage; unlimited PTO and parental leave; and participation in RSF’s 401(k) plan. Candidates must have permanent authorization to work in the US.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

RSF will close the application window for this role on March 31, 2025

START DATE

RSF seeks candidates who can start Summer 2025.

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Unless prohibited by state or local law, RSF requires that all staff be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief). RSF abides by each state’s requirements and acknowledges those may change over time. If moved forward to the phone screen stage, you have the chance to ask the RSF team any questions you may have about this requirement.

Rooted School Foundation provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees.

TO APPLY

If you’re as excited about this role as we are, please email the following to our Application Review Committee at opportunities.rsf@rootedschool.org:

• Cover letter that includes answers to the prompts below:
  • Explain what prompted you to apply for this role at Rooted School Foundation and what interests you most about the opportunity to join our team.
  • Tell us about a time you had a measurable (e.g. quantitative) impact on a job or an organization.
  • Share your biggest area for growth to execute this role successfully (e.g. if you improved in this area, it would have a significant impact on your next professional chapter).
• Resume that tells the story of your impact (e.g. the more specific you are using numbers the better).
• At least three references who fit the profile below:
  • Someone who’s coached/managed you for at least one year.
  • Someone who you’ve coached/managed for at least one year.
  • Someone who you consider a peer, or lateral to you on a team you’ve been on for at least one year.