Director of High School Academics

Neighborhood Charter Schools•New York, NY

5d•$155,000 - $175,000

About The Position

Neighborhood Charter Schools (NCS) is launching its first high school. The Director of High School Academics is a founding leader responsible for building the academic program for grades 9–12 in partnership with the Chief Academic and Schools Officer (CASO). The Director sets the high school’s instructional vision, defines academic expectations and deliverables, and develops curriculum, assessment, and coaching systems as the school grows one grade at a time. The role partners with the High School Principal to translate the academic vision into campus-specific execution and works with the K–8 Academic Team to ensure a coherent K–12 program. During the founding years, the Director will lead curriculum and instructional coaching directly. As the school expands to 11th grade, the Director will hire and manage Assistant Directors for STEM and Humanities and shift toward leading through them. The Director reports to the Chief Academic and Schools Officer and works closely with the High School Principal and Assistant Principals, the K–8 Academic Team, and the Managing Director of Student Support Services. The start date is January 2027. Neighborhood Charter Schools’ mission is to empower every scholar to discover their unique potential and develop the knowledge, character, and courage to shape a better future. Through rigorous and inclusive K–12 education, NCS aims to cultivate critical thinking, lifelong learning, and purposeful leadership, with a community in which every learner—including autistic scholars and scholars with IEPs—belongs and can thrive.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Experienced high school teacher with at least 5 years of teaching experience and at least 2 years of instructional coaching or leadership experience (preferred).
Working knowledge of New York State high school graduation requirements, Regents exams, Portrait of a Graduate, and credit and transcript systems.
Demonstrated effectiveness coaching and developing new and experienced teachers toward strong, data-supported results.
Experience selecting, adapting, or writing curriculum.
Strong content knowledge in at least one core high school subject.
Knowledge of autistic students and other disabilities, and inclusive instructional practice.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
Strong communication skills and ability to build trusting, cooperative relationships across teams.
Commitment to NCS’s mission and inclusive model; ability to collaborate flexibly with diverse teams and work amid the ambiguity of a school’s founding years.

Nice To Haves

New York State SBL/SDL certification.
Master’s degree.
Experience as a department chair, grade-level chair, or in a school or network leadership role.
Experience launching or scaling a new school, grade, or program.
Experience developing leaders, including managing other instructional leaders.

Responsibilities

Set the instructional vision for grades 9–12, grounded in inclusion as instructional design.
Assist in designing the high school course sequence and graduation pathway in line with New York State diploma requirements, including credit accrual, course offerings, and advanced and college-level coursework pathways.
Partner with the High School Principal on roles, campus-specific execution, and the master schedule.
Partner with the K–8 Academic Team to build vertical alignment between grades 8 and 9; support grades 5–8 teaching and learning during the 2026–27 school year.
Select, adapt, and when needed write high school curriculum and scope and sequences across core content areas.
Manage curriculum partners and writers; ensure curriculum is implemented with fidelity and teachers have needed resources.
Evaluate instructional materials with school leadership and ensure curriculum is accessible to students with disabilities, including autistic students, and multilingual learners.
Own the high school assessment strategy, including interim, in-house, and state assessments; track and adapt to changes in New York graduation and assessment requirements, including Regents exams.
Build systems to monitor student progress toward graduation, including credits, course passing, and on-track indicators.
Lead teachers and leaders in using data to make instructional decisions.
Observe classrooms and provide actionable feedback to teachers.
Lead grade-level and department meetings focused on lesson planning, intellectual preparation, and student work analysis.
Coach Assistant Principals in content- and curriculum-focused instructional leadership.
Lead the development of high school grading, credit, and transcript policies.
Build academic pathways that prepare students for college and career, including advanced coursework and dual enrollment options.
Partner with Student Support Services on transition planning for students with IEPs.
Participate in hiring founding high school teachers.
Hire, onboard, and manage STEM and Humanities Assistant Directors as the school expands to 11th grade.
Serve as a member of the network academic team and high school leadership team.
Carry out other responsibilities as determined by the CASO.