Scranton School District -- approx. 9,000 students. The district, known for its rich history, serves the students and families of the city of Scranton, and is seeking a student-centered, innovative leader driven toward developing conscientious, well-educated citizens. Scranton has a population of over 75,000, is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and ranks as the seventh largest in the state. The next leader should have:
Effective policy implementation strategies as the district's chief executive officer, along with the skills and desire to faithfully execute the board's directives;
The experience to drive student growth and achievement, with an understanding of best practices in curriculum, instruction, and utilizing performance data to guide decisions and accountability measures;
Strong visionary leadership skills to facilitate a strategic approach to educating, inspiring, and empowering staff and students over the next several years through a 'theory of action' that translates strategies into plans, goals, and actions;
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder engagement abilities to influence the effectiveness of strategy implementation, and to manage the diverse opinions of our constituencies, including the employee unions, parents, community, advocacy groups, local politicians, and policy makers;
Well-developed budgeting oversight capabilities to continue to shepherd the district beyond its exit from school recovery, and link budgets to major academic, strategic, and operational initiatives;
Effective asset management acumen to oversee the procurement and utilization of school funding, technology, curricular materials, and operational/instructional technology;
A deep background and experience managing an administrative team;
Experience with, or understanding of, a diverse urban district like Scranton;
The courage of one's convictions, with the ability to stand behind well-reasoned, fact-based, research/data driven decisions;
The skills and passion to develop a compelling sense of purpose around the profession of teaching, and the impact of great instruction;
The insight and strategies to build a culture of ownership, accountability, and teamwork, and who can align talent with key district positions, and;
The ability to continuously supervise and develop building principals around effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment strategies, focused on driving student success and closing achievement gaps.
Central office experience required. Candidates must have, or be eligible for, a letter of eligibility to serve as superintendent in Pennsylvania.
TEMPLETON Advantage, LLC assists school districts throughout Pennsylvania in searching for school administrators. TEMPLETON Advantage, LLC also provides a portfolio of leadership and governance services to school boards.