Summary
Description
Position Title: Executive Director
Reports to: Great River School Board of Directors
Supervises: Academic Program Directors, Director of Administration, Director of Student Services,
Special Education, Development Director
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Salary Range: $120,000–$150,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/greatriverleader
Organizational Overview
Great River School (GRS) is a nationally recognized, public charter Montessori and International Baccalaureate (IB) school serving grades 1-12. Our mission is to prepare students for their unique roles as responsible and engaged global citizens, guided by the vision of achieving global peace through education. Great River integrates rigorous academic and social experiences with the principles of Montessori education and the IB framework to develop independent, compassionate, and empowered students.
As the first public 1st-12th grade combined Montessori and IB program in the nation, Great River School seeks a visionary and proven leader to serve as Executive Director. In the last 8 years, we have grown from 420 to 790 students, our teachers have successfully unionized and negotiated their first contract, and we’ve transitioned to universal free school lunch through the National School Lunch Program. We are still adjusting to these changes, among others, and are looking for someone who will lead the organization into its next chapter of excellence and sustainability, ensuring that Great River remains a beacon of innovative, equity-centered education.
Position Summary & Priorities
The core responsibility of Great River School’s Executive Director is to build and manage a high performing Leadership Team and establish process, culture, and ways of working that ensure:
● A high-quality, holistic Montessori & IB education for every child that prepares each student for their unique roles as responsible and engaged citizens of the world
● Recruitment, development, and retention of diverse, high performing talent
● Near and long-term financial health, stability, transparency, and compliance
● Climate & culture that promote social, emotional, and physical health and ensures the safety, engagement, and well-being of all students and staff
Our next ED may not be a Montessori or IB expert, but they should have a deep appreciation for both pedagogies and the ability to bring out the best in Great River’s pedagogical leaders by empowering them with the systems, structure, culture, and accountability they need to thrive.
Key Competencies
● Visionary Leadership: Inspire and align teams around a shared vision for the future.
● Strategic Decision-Making: Analyze complex challenges and opportunities, making
decisions that advance the organization’s long-term goals.
● Systems Optimization: Modernize organizational systems for efficiency, sustainability, and alignment.
● Equity-Driven Leadership: Commit to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through action and accountability.
● Operational Expertise: Navigate the complexities of financial management, compliance, and resource planning in an educational setting.
● Collaborative Approach: Build strong relationships across diverse stakeholders with trust and transparency.
● Execution Focus: Translate vision into action with measurable outcomes.
Qualifications Required:
● Demonstrated executive leadership experience building, cultivating and empowering high performing teams in education or a related field.
● Proven ability to lead equity-centered organizational change and improve outcomes for all students.
● Strong financial acumen, with experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
Preferred:
● Advanced degree in education, leadership, or management.
● Minnesota administrative licensure.
● Deep familiarity with Montessori and/or IB frameworks, including experience implementing these models in a school setting.
● Experience working with charter schools and navigating compliance requirements with authorizers and state agencies.
Responsibilities
I. Strategic and Operational Leadership
● Mission Alignment:
○ Champion and embody Great River’s mission, vision, and values across all organizational activities.
○ Align operations, long-term goals, and strategic initiatives to the organization’s core purpose of preparing global citizens.
● Strategic Planning:
○ Collaborate with the Board to develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-year strategic plan.
○ Translate strategic priorities into actionable goals for school leaders, staff, and programs, ensuring accountability through measurable outcomes.
● Governance and Board Collaboration:
○ Provide comprehensive and transparent updates to the Board, offering data-driven insights to inform governance decisions.
○ Serve as a trusted partner to the Board in policy-making, compliance, and strategic oversight.
● Organizational Sustainability:
○ Oversee financial stewardship, including multi-million-dollar budget planning, fiscal audits, and revenue diversification.
○ Ensure a sustainable future by assessing organizational capacity, optimizing resource allocation, and enhancing operational efficiencies.
○ Direct fundraising initiatives, providing strategic leadership to enhance donor engagement and achieve financial sustainability.
II. Talent Management and Leadership Development
● Leadership Development:
○ Recruit, coach, and mentor school leaders, ensuring they have the capacity and skills to implement Great River’s strategic priorities effectively.
○ Clarify and maintain a distributed leadership structure and supporting processes that empower staff at all levels.
● Staff Recruitment and Retention:
○ Lead targeted initiatives to recruit, retain, and support BIPOC staff and students, including developing mentorship programs and addressing systemic barriers.
○ Design professional development pathways, including support for teacher certification, leadership advancement, Montessori and IB certification, and equity training.
○ Implement workload management systems and proactive burnout prevention strategies to support staff well-being and retention.
● Culture of Excellence:
○ Cultivate a culture that values continuous learning, collaboration, and accountability.
○ Recognize and celebrate staff contributions to Great River’s mission and student
success.
III. School Culture and Student Experience
● Inclusive Environment:
○ Support efforts to create a safe, inclusive, and joyful environment that fosters academic rigor, social-emotional well-being and restorative practices.
○ Prioritize building individual and collective capacity for effectively addressing societal influences of racism, misogyny, bias, bullying, and other inequities.
● Student-Centered Practices:
○ Champion programs that prepare all students, regardless of background, for lifelong success, including Montessori, IB pathways, post-secondary readiness, and leadership opportunities.
○ Engage consistently and directly with students so leadership and initiatives are grounded, connected, and informed.
○ Facilitate vertical alignment and program clarification to ensure a seamless, strong elementary and adolescent experience for students and families.
IV. Instructional and Program Leadership
● Academic Excellence:
○ Lead efforts to achieve high academic outcomes by integrating Montessori and IB principles into all curricular, instructional, and assessment practices.
○ Set high standards for instructional quality and support professional learning to enhance teaching practices and student engagement.
● Compliance and Accountability:
○ Ensure adherence to state, federal, and authorizer standards.
○ Drive continuous improvement through data-informed program evaluations, using metrics such as graduation rates, academic growth, and IB success rates.
V. Community and Equity Leadership
● Equity-Centered Leadership:
○ Oversee equity audits and lead efforts to implement and evaluate institutional changes to advance anti-racist practices, dismantle systemic biases, and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.
○ Develop programs and capacity to bridge lines of difference within the school community, fostering inclusivity and shared purpose.
● Partnerships & Engagement:
○ Build coalitions with families, community leaders, and external organizations to strengthen support systems and align resources to Great River’s mission.
○ Serve as the public face of Great River, representing the school’s vision in local and national forums.
Compensation and Benefits
Great River School offers a comprehensive benefits package with a minimal waiting period which includes, but is not limited to:
● Health insurance subsidized at 80% for single plan and 50% for family plan
● Dental insurance subsidized at 50%
● 403(b) with employer contributions
● Employer paid life insurance, Teladoc, Short-term and Long-term Disability
● 11 days of paid Holiday
● PTO that begins accruing immediately upon hire
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/greatriverleader
