Chief Schools Officer

KIPP Capital Region Public Schools•Albany, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

KIPP Capital Region is seeking a Chief Schools Officer (CSO) to lead school-level results across the region. This senior leadership role reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and is a key member of the Executive Team. The CSO is responsible for ensuring alignment of systems, expectations, and accountability across all KIPP Capital schools, and for leading the execution of regional initiatives that drive student achievement. The CSO will manage the Schools Team, including Principal Managers and Principals, focusing on implementing existing systems rather than designing them (which is the responsibility of the Chief Academic Officer). In partnership with the CAO, the CSO will work to eliminate fragmentation, ensure consistency and accountability, and achieve measurable results through disciplined execution, data-informed decision-making, and rigorous evaluation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution.
Minimum of 10 years of professional K–12 experience.
At least five years as a successful K–12 principal with demonstrated student achievement results.
At least two years of network, district, senior, or chief-level leadership experience with demonstrated student achievement results.
Experience teaching and leading in a high-performing charter or district school serving a student population similar to KIPP Capital Region.
Strong instructional leadership, people management, coaching, and systems leadership skills.
Ability to work outside of business hours when needed to achieve goals.
Aptitude to create and work within an inclusive environment that honors and supports a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.
Demonstrated track record of giving principals direct, evidence-based feedback in real time — including the timely removal or transition of principals who do not meet the Bar of Excellence.
The CSO does not let underperformance pattern across years.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in education or a related field.
Experience scaling leadership systems across multiple schools or campuses.
Experience managing differentiated principal autonomy and accountability systems.
Experience supporting high school leadership teams and graduation-cohort outcomes.
Deep familiarity with data-driven school improvement systems and instructional leadership practices.

Responsibilities

Achieve ambitious regional outcomes, including academic outcomes (NYS assessment goals, DIBELS benchmarks, high school academic outcomes), principal leadership (development, retention, Bar of Excellence tier distribution, underperformance interventions), and organizational coherence and execution (alignment across school-facing systems, effective implementation of operating cadence and accountability systems).
Directly supervise and coach Managing Directors of Schools, who in turn coach and manage Principals.
Lead the region's monitoring, diagnosis, and intervention processes for school performance.
Conduct rigorous evaluations, implement improvement plans, and make high-stakes leadership decisions to improve student outcomes.
Provide principals with direct, evidence-based feedback in real time and ensure timely removal or transition of principals not meeting the Bar of Excellence.
Steward the regional principal Bar of Excellence system, including accountability structures, autonomy levels, and leadership expectations.
Oversee successful school launches and monitor key performance metrics to determine support tiers.
Be responsible for the academic performance of KIPP CAP’s seven schools.
Partner with the Chief Academic Officer to ensure alignment between academic vision and execution.
Lead the execution of instructional systems, including academic progress monitoring and coaching cycles.
Conduct classroom and system-level observations to identify gaps and implement data-driven solutions.
Cultivate and sustain learning environments where students feel supported, engaged, challenged, and valued.
Architect and steward a clear regional vision for school instructional culture and student experience.
Develop and equip Principals and Principal Managers to lead culture effectively.
Develop and retain high-performing school principals.
Develop and oversee network-wide professional learning initiatives to strengthen leader and teacher effectiveness.
Partner with the Director of Leader Development to implement and execute Principal-in-Residence and secondary leader development programs.
Serve on the Executive Team, contributing to overall organizational strategy and decision-making.
Partner closely with the KIPP Foundation on academic priorities.
Co-lead the Board Academic Committee with the Chief Academic Officer.
Present academic progress and school performance updates to the Board and external stakeholders.
Commit to furthering anti-racism, equity, and racial justice in all efforts.
Comply with all charter, federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Adhere to organizational policies and procedures and support mission, vision, and values.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer.