Chief Schools Officer

Chief Schools Officer

Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School

Brooklyn, New York

What is the Role?

Coney Island Prep’s Chief Schools Officer (CSO) serves as the primary thought partner to the CEO on all matters related to school management and performance. The CSO has a proven track record of coaching and leading adults to achieve strong outcomes, a deep commitment to building and sustaining effective systems, and a passion for using data to drive academic and cultural improvement. The CSO sets a vision for academics and culture of our campuses from arrival through to after school. This senior instructional leader is responsible for academic performance, student and adult culture of our four campuses, managing the Director of After School, and the direct performance management and leadership coaching of principals.

The CSO champions our school’s expectations and belief that all of our scholars will be prepared for success in the college and career of their choice, as a result of our rigorous academic program and support. Their vision and expectations are rooted in deeply held values of equity, especially for our predominantly low-income, first-generation college-going, student of color population. They will leverage a systems approach to achieve exceptional and sustainable outcomes for our students. 

The CSO will serve on the school’s network leadership team and the position is based in our network office in Coney Island, Brooklyn, with the flexibility to work from home two days a week after onboarding is complete. They will be hired by and report directly to the CEO.

What You’ll Be Asked To Do

Deliver exceptional academic results by setting and driving the school’s vision for school leadership that consistently and reliably delivers a rigorous, highly structured, and supportive academic environment that will lead staff and students to revolutionary outcomes.

• Employ a research-based, data-driven approach to decision-making, academic goal-setting, and leadership coaching
• Marshalls all resources, especially leaders and staff, to eliminate racial disparities and racist outcomes from school performance and academic data
• Support and coach school leaders in implementing the school’s instructional cycle (preparation and internalization; observation and feedback; data review) to drive instruction and decision making
• Develop and implement a vision for school culture that strengthens learning environments, fosters a sense of belonging, and drives improved student outcomes

Collaborate and co-lead by working in tandem with the Chief Operating Officer to collectively lead all aspects of the day-to-day management and operations of our schools, including ensuring that the operational performance of our campuses is responsive to the academic and cultural needs of the school.

• Partners in lockstep with the Chief Academic Officer to collectively lead the academic performance of our schools, and to support the fidelity and implementation of academic systems and curriculum
• Meet regularly with the Chief Talent & Equity Officer to support staff development, feedback processes, and teacher evaluation systems 
• Work closely with other members of the organization’s senior leadership team, including the Chief External Officer and Chief Financial Officer to support all compliance, financial, academic data, and teacher evaluation systems
• Build trust-based relationships and navigate across organizational layers to achieve challenging goals through the management of both school-based leaders and other network level team members

Develop talent by directly managing and coaching the director of after school, a team of four principals, and leading critical organizational talent development structures to support leadership and coaching.

• Design and deliver ongoing professional development for all school leaders, especially principals, and including vice-principals and school culture teams (Deans & Social Workers) 
• Regularly participate in academic walkthroughs, joint check-ins, and other meeting observations to develop and improve school leader performance
• Foster a collaborative approach between principals and across campuses to ensure K-12 network alignment as one school
• Lead a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team by both modeling organizational values and modeling strengths-based coaching that catalyzes leader performance
• Partner with CTEO to improve and continue to refine instructional evaluation systems
• Partner with the People Team to refine and improve People systems, and recruit and retain diverse academic staff

Operate with Effectiveness by leading with a systems orientation to drive long term sustainable results.

• Codify systems to ensure best practices are implemented across campuses, with a particular emphasis on school culture systems, restorative practices, SEL learning, and our Advisory curriculum
• Actively monitor the implementation of significant behavioral consequences by principals to ensure alignment with the School’s mission and vision, and compliance with policies and relevant laws
• Liaise with principals, families, and CEO to actively manage risk and crises related to student safety
• Ensure compliance as it relates to supporting students with special needs; adhere to city, state, and federal compliance related to Individualized Education Plans and English Language Learners
• Innovate and partner with the operations team to ensure continuous improvement around student academic data systems, the use of technology to support and facilitate instruction, and curriculum purchasing

What You’ll Need

• Passion for education and a dedication to Coney Island Prep’s mission; steadfast belief that all scholars can achieve at the highest academic levels and deserve an opportunity to succeed in the college and career of their choice 
• Set a vision and execute on that vision
• Data analysis skills 
• Problem solving orientation
• Professional demeanor and adept at organizing complex deliverables and tasks for multiple stakeholders 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Self-reflective and open to frequent feedback, with the ambition and desire to grow and develop
• Excellent calendar and time management skills; robust short and long-term project management skills and a high level of detail orientation   
• A positive, solutions-oriented attitude and drive for excellence
• Team-first collaborator and communicator
• Experience facilitating diversity, equity and inclusion discussions
• Strong change management skills, and the ability to influence and facilitate decision-making among multiple, diverse parties
• Experience coaching senior leaders and school leaders in an educational setting
• Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of professional experience with at least five years K-12 school leadership experience; Master’s degree preferred

Who are we?

Coney Island Prep is a college preparatory public charter school in Brooklyn, New York. Merging growth, performance, and commitment, the Coney Island Prep community takes its responsibility to prepare scholars for the college and career of their choice very seriously, but not ourselves. We balance our sense of ownership and responsibility with humility and levity and support each other every step of the way. Coney Island Prep currently serves over 1,300 scholars across its four schools, including:

• 312 scholars in kindergarten – second grade at the lower elementary school
• 336 scholars in third – fifth grade at the upper elementary school
• 320 scholars in sixth – eighth grades at the middle school
• 350 scholars in ninth-twelfth grade at the high school

Commitment to Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Coney Island Prep is committed to building a team that collectively reflects the various backgrounds, experiences, and identities of our scholars. We recognize and respond to different points of access, so that everyone maximizes their highest potential. We also recognize that because of institutionalized racism and systemic oppression, historically marginalized groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to most application and hiring processes. We want to ensure that all candidates, regardless of their identity, are able to demonstrate their qualifications and are not limited by a lack of opportunity or access. We are committed to creating a space where everyone’s identity is acknowledged, respected, and welcomed. We are intentional about creating an environment where people feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work by constantly examining our organization culture and challenging our traditions.

Benefits and Compensation

• Employees at Coney Island Prep are provided with salaries that are highly competitive, set through a lens of equity, and based on an individual’s skills and experiences relevant to the role. The starting salary for this role is $190,000.
• As a regular full time employee of Coney Island Prep, you will be eligible for benefits that include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance as well as a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match and Paid Family Leave.
• Staff are provided with a MacBook Air and access to all the necessary technology and resources needed to succeed in their role.

Are you “All In?” This position starts May 11, 2026. To apply, head to our Careers Page!

Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, citizenship or disability. We want Coney Island Prep to be a place where scholars and staff of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities are valued and can excel.