Superintendent

About

Aristoi Classical Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in the Greater Houston metropolitan area offering classical education from grades Kindergarten through 12th. Its mission is to provide students with an academically challenging Classical Liberal Arts education that encourages them to develop a passion for learning and that gives them the means to become responsible citizens of virtuous character. Since transitioning to the classical model in 2006, Aristoi has grown exponentially, now serving over 1,500 students across multiple campuses. Aristoi has consistently outperformed state and national benchmarks, preparing students to become thoughtful, responsible citizens who embrace goodness, truth, and beauty.

Position Overview
Aristoi Classical Academy seeks an exceptional and visionary leader to serve as Superintendent. This role provides strategic and operational leadership to unify Aristoi as a leading institution in classical education. The Superintendent will focus on stabilizing operations through robust systems and processes, spearheading fundraising initiatives to support the school's growth and network expansion, and managing district-level employees with excellence, while safeguarding Aristoi's commitment to classical education.

Key Responsibilities

• Organizational Leadership: Provide visionary leadership to align Aristoi's mission with strategic goals, fostering a culture of excellence and virtue across all campuses.
• Operational Management: Oversee and optimize operational systems, ensuring efficient and effective resource allocation.
• Educational Leadership: Uphold and advance Aristoi's classical education model through curricular fidelity, teacher development, and a robust student culture.
• Community Engagement: Serve as the face of Aristoi, cultivating relationships with families, donors, and community stakeholders to enhance support and engagement.
• Team Development: Mentor and grow campus leaders and staff, building their capacity for effective leadership and operational management.
• Board Relations: Collaborate closely with the board of directors, providing clear communication and strategic guidance to enable sound governance.
• Regional Growth: Lead the expansion of Aristoi's network of schools, evaluating new campus opportunities and ensuring sustainable growth.

Outcomes within the First Two Years:

1) District Leadership and Organizational Development:

• Fully staff the district office within 6-12 months, recruiting mission-driven, highly skilled talent.
• Ensure alignment between supporting functions and educational staff by establishing robust inter-departmental processes.

2) Teacher Development and Evaluation

• Design and implement a calendar-based teacher evaluation process using measurable performance metrics.

• Foster and reinforce a culture of classical education by addressing alignment issues and making necessary staffing adjustments.

3) Enhanced Operational Systems:

• Develop and disseminate an operational handbook to provide clear and actionable guidelines in areas such as strategic planning and accountability, school and district performance, financial management, human resources, facilities management, fundraising and development initiatives, communication protocols, technology and data management, charter compliance and legal considerations.

4) Facilities Management

• Drive the establishment of clear processes for maintaining facilities, ensuring they meet safety standards and are conducive to learning.

• Ensure custodial staff are well-equipped, effectively directed, and consistently supported to restore facilities to and maintain them in optimal operational order and to address special remediation projects as needed.

• Take responsibility for developing a preventative maintenance calendar and emergency response plans for facilities-related issues.

5) Strategic Facility Planning and Expansion

• Develop and recommend strategies for effective allocation of facilities investment funds.

• Assess opportunities for new campus development to meet enrollment growth and community needs.

• Oversee bond acquisition and management to secure financial resources for infrastructure projects.

6) Community Engagement and Development:

• Build trust and strong relationships with parents, students, and local communities to foster a vibrant and supportive school culture.

• Expand donor engagement and philanthropic support, addressing funding gaps and supporting strategic initiatives.

• Build a comprehensive fundraising apparatus to support capital projects and network expansion.

• Create a detailed fundraising calendar of activities, campaigns, and events.

Competencies and Character Qualities

• Expertise in Classical Education: Deep knowledge of classical education principles, pedagogy, and curriculum, with prior experience in school leadership within a classical or classical-adjacent educational context.
• Operational and Strategic Leadership: Proven ability to run school operations with a business-minded approach, ensuring sustainable success; strong skills in strategic planning and operational oversight.
• Entrepreneurial Vision: Forward-thinking and capable of identifying and seizing growth opportunities.
• Community Building and Emotional Intelligence: Skilled in fostering a positive, mission-aligned school culture; demonstrates emotional intelligence and self-awareness, with a strategic approach to team-building.
• Collaborative Communication: Exceptional communicator with the ability to align leadership, faculty, and board stakeholders effectively.
• Decisive and Prudent Leadership: Confident decision-maker who analyzes complex situations and provides timely, informed resolutions.

Qualifications

• At least five years of leadership experience (including headmaster, principal, or comparable roles) and a minimum of five years of teaching experience in a K-12 setting.
• Proven experience coaching and managing teachers, school leaders, and administrative staff.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans that drive both academic excellence and operational sustainability.
• Thorough understanding of both the business and academic ecosystems within an educational organization, including governance, facilities management, and curriculum development.
• Experience in leading school startups and managing the complexities of regional growth.
• Working knowledge and understanding of school finance, including the development and management of operational budgets.