Twin Cities German Immersion School
St. Paul, MN
Position Available:
Interim Executive Director
Consultant Assisting the Board:
Dr. Kevin J. O’Mara [email protected] 708-516-0793
Qualifications:
Summary:
Twin Cities German Immersion School (TCGIS) is an innovative, tuition-free K-8 charter school in St. Paul, MN. Its signature strengths are an excellent teaching and continuous learning environment, highly engaged students, international staff, strong community engagement, and small class sizes. Our mission: Innovative education of the whole child through German immersion. Our vision: Andere hören, andere sehen, weltoffen denken und handeln (Hear others, see others, think and act openly).
The school remains the largest German language school in North America and has consistently been among Minnesota’s most academically successful schools.
TCGIS is looking for an experienced professional to lead a transitional and organizational development process.
The executive director will lead the administrative transition to a model with an operationally-focused executive director and academically-focused principal. The selected candidate will provide mentorship to the principal by clarifying, mentoring and by formalizing specific job duties such that they serve to build a unified culture between the elementary school and middle school. The selected candidate will manage continuing operational and educational improvement, maintain financial and legal soundness, and recommend improvements to operational systems, processes, and policies in support of the organization’s mission. As part of this process, the director shall distribute office and administrative duties among existing staff while accounting for workload and labor costs.
School Leadership
- Effectively lead the organization, with a focus on operational and fiscal development and provide mentorship to the principal in leading the educational staff.
- Develop and maintain a healthy and cohesive school culture that honors the unique combination of international and domestic staff.
- Meet the needs of both early and mid/later career staff in professional development by ensuring constructive, actionable, and timely feedback and guidance.
- Maintain a structured, positive, and inspiring school culture.
- Maintain a culture of equity that fosters diversity and inclusion.
- Work collaboratively, build strong professional relationships, listen to multiple views and support solution-oriented practices
- Implement strategic plan and school board policies and provide clear direction for staff on policy questions or concerns.
- Lead administrative staff in implementing school initiatives on the following:
- Community engagement
- Before and after-school programming
- Communications and marketing
- Intern programming
- Transportation programming
- Volunteer engagement
- Diversity & Belonging
- Facilities management and long-term campus planning
- Provide mentorship as the Principal implements school initiatives on the following:
- Student achievement, instructional leadership, curriculum, and assessment
- Social-emotional learning, student life, and discipline
- Special education
- Athletics programming
- Recommendations to the board for policy changes or new policies.
School Operations
- Manage continuing operational and educational improvement, maintain financial and legal soundness.
- Recommend improvements to operational systems, processes, and policies in support of the organization’s mission.
- Facilitate communication and collaboration between organizational departments to ensure alignment between separate functions.
- Regularly meets with operational team to track implementation of processes, operational systems, and provide support
Financial Management
- Work with the Board to manage the fiscal budget, with support from contracted accountants.
- In collaboration with the Board Treasurer and finance committee, make budgetary decisions on an annual, quarterly, and monthly basis.
- Contribute to long-term budget development with a focus on strategic goals for financial sustainability
- Identify additional revenue streams (i.e. grants, fundraising, school programs) and plan implementation
- Monitor student enrollment and record-keeping
- Maintaining school’s compliance under Minnesota Department of Education.
- Maintain school’s compliance with authorizer contract.
- Manage contracts and renewals for third-party services.
- Complete and file financial and authorization reports on a timely basis.
- Comply with all federal, state, and city laws and regulations.
Board Relationships
- Work collaboratively with the Board on budget development, strategy implementation, marketing and fundraising, and communications and outreach.
- Develop and generate information and reports for use by the Board of Directors to oversee the financial conditions, operations, and other key performance indicators defined in the authorizer contract.
- Partner with the Principal to provide data to the Board of Directors regarding student achievement, instructional leadership, curriculum, and assessment.
- Serve on the Board of Directors in an ex officio capacity and maintain open communication and transparency.
- Parent and Community Relationships
- Continuously cultivate positive community relationships.
- Provide proactive communication with the school community to build trust through transparency and information sharing.
- Collaborate with parent council and maintain open communication.
Supervise
- Non-Instructional employees
- International Programs
- Directly supervise Director of International Programs
- Provide operational guidance for the intern program and capstone exchange
Front Office
- Directly supervise Front Office Manager
- Regularly meet with Front Office manager to track budget and performance
Kinderclub
- Directly supervise Kinderclub Director
- Regularly meet with the Kinderclub Director to track budget, staffing, and program performance.
Information Technology
- Directly supervise IT Director
- Regularly meet with IT Director to track budget and performance
- Provide direction regarding the busing program
Facility (Building & Grounds)
- Directly supervise Facilities Director
- Regularly meets with Facilities Director to track budget and performance
- Guide development of long-term campus improvement plan Human Resources
Directly supervises Human Resources Manager
- Regularly meet with HR Manager to provide support and monitor organizational health
- Provide guidance to support attracting and retaining exceptional talent
- Ensure the evaluation of candidates considers demonstrated commitment to diversity and belonging in schools
- Support staff training at the start of the school year and on an as needed basis.
- Contribute to the management of Staff Council
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- A minimum of a Master’s degree in education or administration or related field.
- Current Minnesota State K-12 administrative license
- A minimum of 5 years leadership experience as an elementary or K-8 school director or principal
- Demonstrated success managing multi-million dollar budgets
- Ability to read and interpret fiscal reports
- Demonstrated success managing personnel and providing mentorship
- Successful experience managing complex projects within budget and timeline
- Demonstrated experience in racial equity, gender equity, economic equity, building a culture of belonging and respect for all
- Creative problem-solver with ability to develop processes and procedures
- Demonstrated skills at collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders
- Ability to read, write and interpret documents such as curriculum guides, budgets, test results, contracts, grant applications, statutes, and policies. Ability to understand and generate written memorandums, employee evaluations, and correspondence with business and public contacts. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively to individuals and groups. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from parents, staff, students, and the general public.
- Knowledge of School Board policies, Minnesota State Statutes, policies and procedures of the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), and regulations of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- MBA
- A minimum of 10 years leadership experience as an elementary or K-8 school director or principal
- Experience living and working in other countries
- Experience leading a school in Minnesota
- MN charter school experience
- Fluency in the German language
- Fluency in any language in addition to English
Working Conditions:
- Physical Ability: Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation.
- Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require visual perception and discrimination.
- Occasionally may be required to lift and carry up to 40 lbs.
- Occasionally may be required to team lift up to 100 lbs.
- Must be willing and able to work in the following environments: indoor, outdoor (all seasons) loud, hectic
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including work as directed outside of the school calendar.