Vice President of Academics
3 days ago
Phoenix
POSITION: Vice President of Academics DEPARTMENT: Academics LOCATION: Any region in which Great Hearts operates schools (preference for Phoenix, AZ) REPORTS TO: Chief of Schools EEO Classification: Professional FLSA STATUS: Exempt, Full-time Position Summary The Vice President of Academics serves as the senior academic program leader for Great Hearts, stewarding the integrity, excellence, and continued development of the Great Hearts classical model across all schools and service lines. Reporting to the Chief of Schools, this role is functionally equivalent to a Chief Academic Officer and provides vision, leadership, and oversight for curriculum, instruction, student achievement, and academic support systems across the network. The Vice President of Academics leads the Academics team and works in close partnership with regional and school leaders to define and uphold standards of excellence, ensure faithful implementation of the classical model, and guide thoughtful deployment of the core model to serve in many contexts. This role requires deep knowledge of and commitment to classical education, strong systems leadership, and the ability to lead in a shared environment of ownership where stewardship, collaboration, and subsidiarity are essential. Duties & Responsibilities Academic Vision and Model Stewardship • Serve as the primary steward of the Great Hearts academic model, ensuring clarity, coherence, and fidelity across regions, schools, and instructional settings., • Articulate and uphold a clear definition of academic excellence rooted in classical education, including curriculum, pedagogy, intellectual formation, and student outcomes., • Balance model stability with openness to thoughtful revision, innovation, and adaptation in response to growth, new contexts, and insights from the classroom. Curriculum and Academic Program Leadership • Provide executive oversight for the development, revision, and implementation of Great Hearts curriculum across all grade levels and disciplines., • Oversee the adaption of the Great Hearts curriculum to new delivery contexts such as new states with required standards, online, and private Christian academies., • Ensure the curriculum remains best-in-class, coherent, and well-supported through high-quality resources, including the Teacher Resource Portal., • Oversee academic setup and support for new schools, grade levels, regions, and programmatic expansions. Student Achievement, Assessment, and Accountability • Oversee academic achievement across the network, including state testing, internal assessments, college readiness indicators, and other measures of student success., • Guide the development and use of academic data systems, dashboards, and evaluation frameworks to inform continuous improvement., • Lead academic evaluation and school improvement processes focused on instructional quality, outcomes, and long-term growth. Student Support, Accessibility, and Behavior Systems • Provide executive oversight for student support and accessibility functions, including special education, MTSS, intervention, English Language, and academic accommodations., • Ensure that all students have access to the full richness of a Great Hearts education while maintaining high expectations and fidelity to the academic model., • Oversee student behavior support systems in alignment with Great Hearts’ philosophy of moral and intellectual formation. Team Leadership and Organizational Collaboration • Lead, manage, and develop the Academics team, ensuring clarity of roles, alignment to strategic goals, and a culture of trust, professionalism, and shared ownership., • Establish clear standing goals, annual priorities, and performance expectations aligned to the Academics Team strategic plan., • Report directly to the Chief of Schools, serving as an essential member of and contributor to the success of the Schools team., • Collaborate closely with regional leadership, and other executive leaders to ensure strong integration between academics, operations, talent, and growth initiatives. Network, Partner, and Client Engagement • Work with all Great Hearts schools and programs, including charter schools, private schools, online programs, preschools, and Great Hearts Services clients and partner schools., • Represent Great Hearts academically with external partners, authorizers, and peer organizations as appropriate., • Contribute to and lead the Academics Team in ongoing collaboration with the Great Hearts Institute to support the growth and influence of Great Hearts and Classical Education throughout the country. Qualifications, Competencies & Strengths Education and Experience • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a liberal arts subject area strongly preferred., • Significant experience in K–12 schools, including school-level and/or network leadership and a track record of leading successful academic improvement initiatives at scale. Core Competencies and Strengths • Classical Model Vision: Deep understanding of and commitment to classical education, including curriculum, pedagogy, and intellectual formation., • Stewardship and Shared Ownership: Ability to lead as a steward of a shared academic model while working collaboratively in a distributed leadership environment., • Strategic and Systems Leadership: Capacity to design, implement, and refine academic systems that are coherent, scalable, and sustainable., • Adaptability with Fidelity: Skill in holding firmly to core academic principles while adapting implementation to various regions, school models, and student populations., • Leadership and Team Development: Proven ability to lead, develop, and align high-performing teams toward ambitious academic goals., • Communication and Influence: Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to engage and align diverse stakeholders. Additional Requirements • Must possess or obtain valid Arizona Department of Public Safety IVP fingerprint clearance card. Position may be required to pass additional fingerprint background clearance as required by states where Great Hearts operates., • Physical functions: Requires but is not limited to standing, sitting, repetitious hand and body movements, bending, squatting, and reaching. May be required to move or position equipment up to 15 pounds approximately., • Travel required: Will be required to travel to Great Hearts regions and schools nationally. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions, it does not exclude or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Great Hearts Academies is an Equal Opportunity Employer.