CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER/HEAD OF SCHOOL

VENTURE ACADEMIES

BACKGROUND

Venture Academies is a new public charter school network based in
Minneapolis with the mission of inspiring passionate, purposeful,
college- and career-ready innovators and entrepreneurial leaders who
imagine opportunities, take initiative, and create solutions.
Beginning with its first school opening in Minneapolis in August 2013,
Venture primarily will serve economically disadvantaged children and
English learners.  Venture is one of 13 winners of the national Next
Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) Wave IIIa competition funded by
the Bill and Melinda Gates and William and Flora Hewlett foundations.

Venture Academies will be the nation’s first 6-12 whole school
learning model intentionally designed to cultivate innovative,
entrepreneurial leadership using a personalized, blended digital
learning model aimed at accelerated college credit attainment for all
students.

OPPORTUNITY

The Chief Learning Officer (CLO) will be the leader of Venture’s first
school and will lead the development and implementation of the
learning program at all network schools.  The CLO is responsible for
the success of Venture’s learning program and serves as a key member
of the executive team and a leader of the organization.

The CLO role is an exciting opportunity for an innovative,
entrepreneurial and results-oriented master educator to have a
potentially national impact on student learning through the
development, implementation, improvement and growth of a
high-performance breakthrough school model that drives extraordinary
learning progress for all students.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The CLO will lead the effort to develop Venture’s pioneering learning
model.  The CLO will serve as the founding head of the first Venture
Academy school.  He/she will drive and oversee- the continuous
development of a coherent Venture learning program, culture and
related practices across all content areas and learning levels.  This
includes playing a central role in the design, implementation and
daily refinement of Venture’s learning model, and recruiting and
coaching a team of master teachers, other educators and the heads of
future Venture Academies schools.

Other areas of responsibility include:

•       Develop and assess learning performance goals and long-term planning
•       Ensure the effective and consistent delivery of the learning model
across all network schools
•       Design and implement assessment program, data analysis and related
decision-making
•       Coordinate the annual budgeting process for learning-related spending

Management and Staff Development
•       Supervise all learning-related school staff members
•       Create and implement a blended (digital/on-site) professional
development program to increase
     the knowledge, skills, and practices needed to implement a high
quality blended learning model
•       Develop and implement an effective and consistent teacher assessment
and evaluation program

QUALIFICATIONS

•       A demonstrated belief that all children can learn at high levels,
regardless of entering ability
•       A track record of providing passionate, purposeful, innovative and
entrepreneurial leadership
•       An evident commitment to continuous improvement and advancing both
teaching and learning
•       Superb communication and interpersonal skills, including writing,
speaking and listening
•       At least 5 years of secondary teaching experience with a track
record of coaching
    struggling urban students to achieve dramatic learning growth
classroom-wide.
•       At least 3 years of secondary school leadership experience with a
track record of coaching
    teachers to achieve schoolwide learning growth and leading
data-driven decision-making.
•       Strong program development and evaluation skills with the ability to
identify strengths and
     weaknesses in instructional and learning practice
•       Significant experience designing and implementing teacher
professional development programs
     and conducting classroom observations and evaluations
•       Proven experience managing and leading teams of people to outstanding results
•       Proven experience adapting pedagogy and learning programs in real-time
•       Experience managing multiple, complex projects in a fast paced,
entrepreneurial setting;
•       Deep understanding of learning, instruction, curriculum, and
formative assessment,
•       Proficiency with technology a plus
•       Spanish fluency a plus

to: jobs@ventureacademies.org.   For any questions or discussion about
this position, please do not hesitate to contact Jon Bacal at
jbacal@ventureacademies.org.