Website Spero Academy
About Spero Academy
Spero Academy is a public K-6 elementary charter school with locations in Northeast Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. We are in session 4 days/week, 11 months out of the year and a high educator to student ratio. We provide individualized educational programs designed to meet the unique needs of our students through continuous progress and a responsive environment. About 90% of our student population have Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and we employ a variety of staff to support students in whatever way they need to grow and thrive: social workers, speech language pathologists, school psychologists, occupational therapists, music therapists, art teachers, physical education teachers, developmental adapted physical education teachers, a multilingual learner teacher, in addition to classroom teachers and paraprofessionals.
Spero Academy seeks a strategic, innovative, and curious leader who embodies its mission: to empower academic, social, and emotional growth for all in a culturally inclusive and collaborative environment. We prioritize adaptive education and a supportive community to ensure every student feels valued and prepared to reach their full potential.
Position Summary
The Executive Director (ED) oversees all strategic, academic, financial, and operational functions of Spero Academy. They function as the superintendent of the schools, report directly to the school board, and are accountable to the University of St. Thomas and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).
The ED role is both strategic and operational and is cumulatively responsible for all aspects of organizational health, including but not limited to:
- Enacting the school’s vision/mission;
- Overseeing the realization of the school’s strategic goals and outcomes;
- Managing finances and meeting the school’s financial goals;
- Maintaining MDE accreditation and being accountable to the school’s authorizer;
- Guiding the school’s professional culture and overseeing human resources;
- The ED is ultimately responsible for the execution of all programs and procedures in alignment with the school’s mission and vision, with input from a broad range of constituents.
Requirements
Qualifications:
Our next Executive Director may not be a Charter School or Special Education expert, but they should have a deep commitment to both and have the ability to align mission and action and bring out the best in Spero Academy’s leaders by empowering them with the systems, structure, culture, and accountability they need to meet all student’s needs.
Required
- Mission-driven and business-focused
- Commitment to and experience working with students from diverse backgrounds with unique academic and personal needs.
- Effective and detailed written and verbal communicator
- Innovative, strategic, and inclusive systems thinker
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing complex multi-million dollar budgets, working with restricted revenue streams, and ensuring long-term financial stability.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in education, non-profits, or related fields.
- Have at least 5 years of leadership experience.
- Bachelor’s degree
- Expertise with the following computer applications: Mac equipment, classroom applications and software, Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook)
- Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods of time.
- Ability to maintain status of “not disqualified” upon completion of criminal background.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds on occasion.
Preferred
- Experience working with charter schools.
- Advanced degree in education, leadership, management, or finance
- Administrative License
- Special Education teaching license or experience.
- Thorough understanding of charter school operations.
- Understand charter schools and Minnesota Charter school law and are literate in finance, HR, and Special Education.
District Application Guidelines
Application Process:
Submit resume and written answers to the following questions to [email protected]:
(please limit answers to 200 or fewer words for each question)
- Tell us about a situation where you navigated competing priorities from key stakeholders or direct reports.
- Describe your leadership philosophy and give an example of it in action.
- Describe how you have used data to inform academic, organizational, or programmatic innovation and improvement.
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Be sure to review the district’s requirements for the application process and provide all required documents.
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