Partner, New and Innovative Schools
Company: The Opportunity Trust
Location: Saint Louis
Posted on: August 7, 2022
Job Description:
Job DescriptionTITLEPartner, New and Innovative SchoolsREPORTS
TOChief Executive OfficerTHE CHALLENGE It is estimated that 65% of
children entering elementary school today will work in jobs that
currently do not exist. More than 5 million jobs will disappear in
the next five years alone due to the rapid economic transformation
underway. Our schools and school systems were designed to serve a
different economy and population of children and have largely
remained unchanged in the last century. As a result, they are
failing to prepare children in our country for a life of economic
opportunity and choice, or to navigate our diverse and dynamic
global society. The St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS), serving more
than 20,000 students, recently earned its way off of the state's
probation list for improvements in attendance and fiscal
management; yet, 91% of students fail to meet basic proficiency in
mathematics by the 8th grade, nearly a third of students will not
graduate, and those that do earn an average ACT score of 17 (four
points below the already low bar for initial college or career
readiness of 21). Normandy, just outside of city borders, had a
composite ACT score of 15, ranking in the bottom quartile
nationally. Absent a coordinated and systemic approach, progress in
the aggregate remains limited while the stakes of the status quo
increasingly limit the choices of children attending our public
schools and hamper the social and economic vitality of the
region.ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TRUSTThe Opportunity Trust exists to
ensure every child born in St. Louis is prepared to lead a life of
choice and dignity as an adult. It pursues this mission by
examining barriers to economic mobility in the St. Louis region,
developing research-based theories of system-level change, and
building national and local funds dedicated to eliminating these
barriers over time. One of the most urgent barriers to opportunity
in St. Louis today is the changing nature of work and our
increasingly outdated and ineffective public education system. Our
first focus, Reimagining School, aims to catalyze a fundamental
transformation of our public education system so that it can
prepare children for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Building off
the successes and failures of the most effective transformations of
public education in our nation, this fund will invest in the
following levers that together drive systemic change:
- Building the vision and capacity of talented educators to
scale, transform and launch new and innovative schools in St.
Louis;
- Growing talent pipelines for the education sector and deploying
talent to the highest impact interventions;
- Providing tools and resources for parents to help them advocate
for higher quality school options and place their children in the
best-fit school; and,
- Building awareness among leaders in business and government
about the conditions that enable quality schools and advocating for
the institutionalization of those conditions in state and local
policy.Beyond strategically deploying financial capital, The
Opportunity Trust works to ensure the success of each fund in four
ways:
- Identifying what is working and amplifying the impact of those
organizations and leaders;
- Identifying and supporting entrepreneurs with local ties to
fulfill unmet needs;
- Connecting organizations to each other and to resources
nationally and locally; and,
- Coordinating and supporting the rigorous evaluation of current
approaches and advocating for evidence-based local and state policy
changes. ABOUT YOUR ROLEThe Partner's role is to lead investments
in new and innovative schools and to collaborate with the Partners
leading investments across the Trust's other strategic priorities
to ensure we grow the percentage of children in high quality
schools and create the conditions for continuous improvement and
innovation in the public education ecosystem in St. Louis. In
addition, the leader in this role will build partnerships with
aligned organizations and leaders locally and nationally. In
collaboration with the CEO, the Partner will develop and maintain a
market strategy focused on growing the number of children in St.
Louis who attend a high quality public school that operates with
the autonomy and governance needed to ensure sustainability over
time. The Partner is involved in the full lifecycle of the Trust's
investment work: researching and conducting due diligence on
prospects, making recommendations to the Trust's Board of
Directors, setting and monitoring progress toward investment goals,
and evaluating the impact of the fund over time. The Partner will
also provide direct management assistance to grantees, so deep
familiarity with multiple aspects of school system improvement is
necessary for this role. Lastly, the Partner will represent the
Trust at regional and national networking events and
conferences.WHAT YOU'LL DO● Lead the design and implementation of a
new school incubator, including overseeing the recruitment,
selection, and support of fellows through new school launch ●
Organize and convene learning and networking opportunities for
grantees and fellowship participants● Forge and manage national and
local partnerships to that support new school incubation fellows in
successfully navigating the design, authorization, and launch
processes● Analyze the performance of investments and provide
management assistance to ensure grantees are tracking toward
investment goals● Lead due diligence and recommend continued and
new investments aligned with your strategy to the Trust's Board of
Directors● Represent the Trust externally at events throughout the
region and in national conversations on school improvement●
Co-manage an Associate Partner and Grants and Program Manager in
support of your strategic goals● Support fundraising and grant
writing activities as neededYOUR BACKGROUNDSkills● Extensive
knowledge of current research and thinking in strategic school
design, school improvement, human capital development, family
engagement and education policy● Proven ability to lead teams of
adults to positive outcomes● Exceptional oral and written
communication skills, including the ability to build strong
relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including
school-based staff● Strong analytical skills, including a
structured approach to problem-solving● Extensive project
management skills – from discovery and problem identification
through execution and continuous improvement – honed from designing
and implementing complex initiativesPrior Experience● At least 12
years of prior experience in the education sector in a leadership
role related to the launch, redesign, or dramatic improvement of a
public school● Comfort working in a startup environment, including
experience leading effectively through ambiguity, change and
unpredictability● Prior experience in program design, management,
and implementation for adult learning and leadership with diverse
leadersEducation● Bachelor's degree and significant work experience
commensurate with graduate-level proficiency in these areasAND/OR●
Master's degree in education, quantitative social science, public
policy, public administration, business or related fields WHAT WE
OFFER● Competitive salary and benefits● Flexible work environment●
Passionate, mission-driven colleaguesPowered by
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Keywords: The Opportunity Trust, St. Louis , Partner, New and Innovative Schools, Other , Saint Louis, Missouri
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