Chief Academic Offiicer, Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Alma Advisory Group•Cleveland, OH

2d•$175,000 - $210,000

About The Position

Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is seeking a Chief Academic Officer (CAO) to champion the district’s instructional vision and enable academic excellence for every scholar in every school. The CAO joins CEO Warren Morgan’s cabinet and leads efforts to support, empower, and create exceptional schools through sound leadership and instructional practices. The role provides leadership across the Office of Teaching & Learning, the Office of Student Services, and the Office of Schools, aligning these functions to support high-quality instruction and effective school operations throughout the district. The CAO will build on the district’s centralized academic strategy, including high-quality core curricula and a unified assessment system, and lead the academic aspects of the Building Brighter Futures plan. The position focuses on improving proficiency, graduation, and college and career readiness; expanding access to advanced coursework; and ensuring continuity of high-quality instruction and support across schools. The CAO serves as the primary academic advisor to the CEO and Cabinet and helps align academic work with school systems and organizational priorities. This executive leadership role requires strong instructional and operational leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to manage complex systems in a large, unionized public-sector environment. It also requires working knowledge of Cleveland’s schools, people, relationships, and community and labor dynamics. The Academics Division is committed to student-focused, intellectually rich experiences that prepare students for college, career, and life, and is grounded in the district’s values of Equity & Inclusion, Student & Community Focused, Growth & Learning, Care & Well-Being, and Excellence & Achievement. The CAO leads, manages, and develops a team of more than 80 professionals across three departments, including four direct reports and an Academic Strategist. The position oversees academic programming, school support, professional development, budgets, stakeholder engagement, and reporting on the Board’s goals and guardrails. The salary range is $175,000–$210,000, commensurate with experience, and the role includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

Demonstrated track record of improving student outcomes through data-driven decision-making, ideally in an urban, unionized, K–12 public school district.
At least 10 years of senior leadership experience with progressively increasing responsibility in K–12 education in a public school district with demographics similar to CMSD.
Master’s degree in education or a related field from an accredited college or university.
Experience managing large teams and holding leaders accountable for results.
Demonstrated commitment to public education and advocacy for all scholars, especially scholars of color living in highly impacted environments.
Deep knowledge of evidence-based instructional practices, culturally responsive pedagogy, and interventions, with demonstrated impact on student achievement and growth.
Ability to plan and administer academic and instructional programming involving coordination across schools and departments.
Strong communication, influence, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Critical thinking, systems-level operations, management, organizational design, planning, project management, accountability, and results orientation.
Ability to analyze data and make decisions that prioritize student needs and produce measurable student achievement gains.
Ability to balance school-based decision-making and school leaders’ autonomy with coherence and equity across schools.
Ability to build, manage, coach, and hold a senior team accountable for ambitious goals and high standards of performance, communication, collaboration, and transparency.
Working knowledge of Cleveland’s schools, community, relationships, and labor dynamics.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree.
Hold or be eligible for an Administrator License in the State of Ohio.

Responsibilities

Lead the academic aspects of Building Brighter Futures implementation, including increasing student enrollment and scheduling in advanced coursework across schools.
Ensure coherence across academic programming, including curriculum and instruction, career and college success, early childhood, and fine arts.
Strengthen academic structures and drive continuous improvement to advance proficiency in alignment with district goals and guardrails.
Increase student enrollment and participation in district college and career pathways and programs.
Ensure core curriculum instruction addresses diverse learners’ needs and is supplemented by enrichment and interventions as needed.
Serve as the primary academic advisor to the CEO and Cabinet and align academics with school systems and organizational priorities.
Ensure program areas comply with governing federal, state, and local regulations.
Build on academic systems, program design, and organizational structure to achieve student achievement priorities.
Use data-driven structures to develop and refine strategies that advance student achievement and districtwide improvement.
Evaluate academic processes and track progress toward team goals supporting student learning.
Ensure high-quality professional development for schools, principals, and staff aligned with district priorities and academic vision.
Oversee schools through the Area Superintendent, supporting the management, coaching, and mentoring of school leaders to drive student achievement gains.
Lead, manage, and develop a team of more than 80 professionals across Teaching & Learning, Student Services, Schools, and the CAO’s Academic Strategist function.
Partner with the Office of Schools to maintain a regular, visible presence in schools and observe and evaluate instructional alignment, school climate, student behavior, and school leadership.
Foster a culture of high expectations, shared strategic goals, measurable outcomes, and continuous improvement.
Oversee and coordinate Academics Division budgets, including staffing, instructional materials and resources, and district activities.
Promote collaboration across functional areas and with internal and external partners.
Represent the CEO on academic and instructional matters as needed.
Ensure systems and processes support high-quality family and community engagement across the district.
Present information clearly and effectively to the Board of Education, Mayor, Chief of Education for the City of Cleveland, legislators, government officials, philanthropic partners, and other stakeholders.
Oversee updates on Board goals and guardrails presentations and related data reporting, and support the CEO on major decisions.
Manage key partnerships and community relationships, anticipating reactions to difficult, high-visibility decisions such as school consolidation.