ABOUT US

Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools (www.freedomprep.org) comprise a high-performing PreK-12 charter school network in Memphis, TN. Our mission is to prepare all students in grades PK-12 to excel in college and in life. We accomplish our mission by providing a highly structured, academically rigorous environment where students master core subjects, develop advanced academic skills, and demonstrate the school’s core values of: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Excellence, and Community.

Freedom Preparatory Academy was established in August of 2009 with a class of nearly 100 6th graders. We now serve nearly 2,500 students in grades PreK-12. In 2019, as we celebrate our 10th year of providing a quality education for students in low-income/underserved communities, we are proud to see our students exceed local and state averages in Math and local averages in English language arts. We have received numerous awards year after year for being one of the top schools for growth in the city and state of TN. As of 2021, 100% of all of our graduating classes were accepted to four-year colleges and universities!

We have three core beliefs that drive our mission: Every child deserves the right to a high-quality public education, a foundation in character development is essential, and direct exposure to an array of opportunities and experiences provides each child with the self-confidence and social knowledge to compete globally.

JOB TITLE: Dean of Academics

ACCOUNTABILITY: Head of School

POSITION SUMMARY

The primary role of Dean of Academics is to support the High School in overseeing various facets of the school’s operation that directly impacts learning for all students. This will include the monitoring of classroom instruction, management of all internal and external assessment data, and curriculum development. The Dean of Academics will be responsible for direct oversight of all instructional staff in all grades.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Freedom Preparatory Academy welcomes instructional leaders who are relentless in their aim to see student growth and who want to hone their skills as effective education leaders in the classroom. Below are some of the tasks required of the Dean of Academics:

• 
  Serve as instructional leader with oversight of curriculum development and student assessment (internal and external).
• Oversee professional development of all education staff.
• Supervise the daily instructional work of all teachers.
• Conduct weekly teacher observations and provide feedback on performance.
• Communicate regularly with the Head of School concerning student achievement, curriculum development, professional development, staff evaluations, and the budgetary needs for each.
• Designs vertically-aligned scope and sequence for all grades with clear, scaffolded outcomes aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
• Ensures appropriate rigor on internal assessments by building assessments prior to the school year for content areas taught by direct reports, including benchmark scores to indicate an appropriate level of mastery.
• Builds and/or vets a yearlong sequence of objectives for each course taught by a direct report prior to teacher orientation.
• Implement effective internal assessment systems to monitor academic progress of students throughout the year.
• Implement and oversee systems for data analysis of all internal and external assessments.
• Ensure curriculum alignment with standards for the State of Tennessee.
• Seek and share curriculum best practices from other schools and professional journals.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Master’s Degree preferred.

Certification:

• Tennessee Professional Educator License preferred.
• Eligibility for Tennessee Professional Educator License required.
• Considered highly-qualified based on NCLB guidelines

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of teaching experience is required
• Three to five years of urban teaching and educational leadership experience is preferred
• A capacity to motivate and lead instructional staff in order to yield the highest academic performance possible from all students.
• A team-oriented approach and the ability to effectively set and communicate goals for the team.
• Ability to give constructive feedback to facilitate student growth and academic achievement.
• Openness to receive feedback on issues that will facilitate growth and achievement of both students and faculty.
• Experience with educating/mentoring urban youth.
• Experience managing and leading adults.
• Successful manager of an urban classroom who has used structure, incentives, and high expectations to drive student success
• Experienced classroom teacher with demonstrated, quantifiable and objective student performance gains that surpass state or local averages

Skills:

• Energy and entrepreneurial spirit for the charter school environment
• Unwavering in the pursuit of excellence even in the face of difficult opposition and challenges
• Results-driven educational leader with a commitment to standards-based curriculum and the use of data and assessments to drive instructional decisions
• Good problem-solving ability and good judgment
• Familiarity with cultural diversity
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff, families, and community members
• Ability to be creative, resourceful, and reflective
• Possess strong interpersonal skills
• Professional demeanor, strong work ethic, detail-driven work style with excellent organizational skills