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Deputy Superintendent

New York, NY

About the Opportunity

Democracy Prep Public Schools seeks a Deputy Superintendent who will play a critical leadership role in strengthening academic and cultural outcomes across our schools. Reporting directly to the Chief Schools Officer, the Deputy Superintendent will directly manage and coach school principals, ensuring they are equipped to lead excellent schools that drive student achievement, build joyful and rigorous school cultures, and fulfill Democracy Prep’s mission of college success and authentic civic engagement.

The Deputy Superintendent will join Democracy Prep during a transformational phase of growth and renewal and will be charged with executing on strategic priorities aligned to school improvement, talent development, and operational coherence. As a senior leader in the organization, the Deputy Superintendent will serve as a culture-setter, strategic partner, and talent developer, ensuring all schools have the leadership, tools, and clarity to thrive.

Who You Are

  • A mission-driven educator and leader who believes in the potential of every scholar and the responsibility of schools to deliver academic excellence and civic empowerment.
  • A results-oriented leader with a proven track record of raising student achievement as a teacher and leader for at least ten years.
  • A thoughtful coach with demonstrated success in building leadership capacity in school principals and leadership teams.
  • An expert at translating academic standards and state assessment requirements into effective instructional design.
  • A self-aware and self-reflective professional who demonstrates integrity, humility, and a commitment to continuous learning.
  • An equity-driven leader who embraces Democracy Prep’s commitment to antiracism, belonging, and inclusivity in all decisions and practices.
  • A professional who values diverse perspectives and is committed to empowering young people and lifting up and working alongside communities.
  • A skilled communicator and relationship-builder who can connect across stakeholders and facilitate adult learning in a variety of settings.
  • A data-informed leader who uses student and school performance data to drive strategic planning and problem-solving.
  • A systems thinker who can effectively coordinate across teams to align supports, address barriers, and improve school operations.
  • A graduate of a Bachelor’s degree program (required); Master's degree in education or related field (preferred).

What You’ll Do

Support and Coach School Principals & CMO Directors

  • Manage, support, and coach a portfolio of school principals across grade bands to meet ambitious academic, culture, and operational goals.
  • Conduct regular school walkthroughs, co-observations, and instructional reviews to identify areas of strength and needed support.
  • Review student performance, attendance, and culture data with school leaders to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
  • Co-develop school-level priorities and leadership development plans aligned to network and regional goals.
  • Ensure each principal receives timely, actionable feedback and high-impact coaching to accelerate their growth and performance.

Execute on Strategic Priorities

  • Support the implementation of Democracy Prep’s strategic plan and ensure network-wide initiatives take root in schools with clarity and coherence.
  • Partner with the Chief Schools Officer to design and monitor the execution of school improvement plans.
  • Identify and share best practices across schools to improve instruction, student support, culture systems, and family engagement.
  • Support strong planning and progress monitoring of state accountability, board goals, and charter renewal benchmarks.
  • With the counsel of other CMO leaders, especially the Chief Schools Officer and the Chief Academic Officer, make key decisions around policy changes across our New York schools, including but not limited to those pertaining to academics, talent and hiring, school culture, and financial sustainability, and ensure strong communication and follow-through on these policies.

Talent Development and Adult Culture

  • Build principal leadership pipelines by identifying, coaching, and preparing rising leaders.
  • Collaborate with the Schools Team to design and facilitate high-impact professional development for school leaders and instructional leadership teams.
  • Champion strong talent practices at the school level, including teacher retention, hiring practices, and performance management.
  • Model and promote a strong, inclusive adult culture rooted in shared ownership, accountability, joy, and collaboration.

Cross-Team & Stakeholder Collaboration

  • Partner with network teams (e.g., Academics, Operations, Student Supports, Legal) to ensure schools receive coherent and high-quality support.
  • Collaborate with the Special Education and Multilingual Learners teams to ensure equitable outcomes for all students.
  • Participate in school review processes, including planning, feedback delivery, and follow-up coaching based on review findings.
  • Contribute to cross-functional leadership initiatives and serve as a thought partner on network priorities and decision-making.
  • Serve internally and externally (e.g., at Board meetings and gatherings with key community partners) as a representative of Democracy Prep's leadership team, including fully participating in all DPNY board spaces as the leader of the New York region.
  • Foster strong external partnerships in service of our mission.

Operational Leadership & Strategic Resource Allocation

  • Ensure the creation and implementation of effective school schedules and calendars that maximize instructional time and operational efficiency.
  • Support schools in building and maintaining master schedules that align with academic priorities and staff capacity.
  • Monitor budget implementation across schools and ensure alignment of financial resources to strategic goals.
  • Troubleshoot and provide guidance on operational challenges that may impact instructional time or school functioning.

Compensation

The starting salary range for this role is $175,00-$210,000. Your salary offer will be commensurate with your experience and, for internal leaders at Democracy Prep, your tenure with the organization. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, retirement, and generous paid time off.

Commitment to Diversity

Democracy Prep is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion at every level of the organization. We welcome and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Our mission is to educate responsible citizen-scholars who will change the world. We believe that by building a DREAM team that reflects diverse perspectives and lived experiences, we can achieve this mission together.

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