Description

About the Commission

Charter public schools provide education choices for families seeking resources that best empower their children to learn and thrive. Like all public schools, they are open to all students, tuition-free, publicly funded, staffed by certified teachers, and held accountable to state and national standards.

The Washington State Charter School Commission (Commission) is an independent state agency. The Commission’s mission is to authorize high-quality charter public schools, especially schools designed to expand opportunities for students who have been underserved, and to ensure the highest standards of accountability and oversight for these schools. The Commission works to ensure that charter public schools respect the rights of students, staff, and families within the schools as well as the interests of the general public while meeting the legal requirements and obligations of state and federal government.

Per the Commission’s educational equity policy, the agency is committed to closing opportunity gaps between the state’s most and least privileged groups of students within the educational system. It has a moral obligation and legal obligation to cultivate charter schools where socio-economic status and protected groups status such as race, gender, language, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability cease to be a predictor of academic and life outcomes. The Commission believes that educational equity benefits all students and our entire community.

Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to visit the Commission’s website (www.charterschool.wa.gov) to gain insight into the agency’s mission, vision, strategic plan and educational equity policy.

POSITION SUMMARY

This position reports to the Executive Director. The Director of Strategic Initiative and Policy (DSIP) works with the Executive Director to lead the Commission’s strategic planning and projects, communications, and policy work. The DSIP will plan, design, and implement systems, processes, policy and rules that will propel the Commission forward as the nation’s model charter school authorizer. The DSIP is responsible for directing the agency’s strategic authorization activities, including but not limited to school renewal, expansion, and programmatic additions, and is the lead for policy development and implementation. This position serves as the agency’s lead for tracking policy matters, monitors and leads processes for changing code and law related to charter schools, and directs intervention efforts in coordination with the Oversight Team.

As DSIP, this position requires working knowledge of state and federal charter school law, rules and regulations, interagency program options and agreements, educational program development, implementation and evaluation strategies, and a commitment to equitable practices.

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  Provides strategic organizational and management supports to the Executive Director.
• Directs intervention processes for the oversight of charter schools and policy concerning oversight, corrective action, and revocation.
• Directs all public charter school authorization activities. These activities include the management and evaluation of all charter contract transfers, renewal applications, and expansion applications, program addition applications, and charter contract amendments including evaluation team orientation and oversight, if applicable.
• Acts as a liaison to constituents, stakeholders and other agencies such as Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education as well as local Educational Service Districts.
• Leads strategic communication planning and execution of tactics with external audiences.
• Provides community education and orientation with charter public schools regarding the Washington State charter school sector, high-quality authorization practices, charter school governance, and the charter contract.
• Facilitates regular conversations with key stakeholders including the Commission, Committees, staff, school boards and school leadership about policies and practices.
• Manages and grows external partnerships with state and national organizations, school community, education advocacy groups and others
• Presents at open public Commission meetings, board meetings, committee meetings and national conferences
• Develops and manages agency policy, including agency rulemaking.
• Supports the executive director with implementation of the annual legislative agenda.
• Supports all communication activities of the agency.
• When necessary, supports workstreams of the agency’s oversight activities including new school onboarding, site visits, drafting of performance reports, and board observations.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication, and organizational skills
• Proven ability to establish solid working relationships with school officials, staff and key partners
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures.
• Experience with and commitment to applying, diversity, equity and inclusion lenses in service of students who have been historically marginalized.
• Exceptionally detail-oriented and highly organized
• Collaborative problem solver with an eagerness to seek out answers to challenges Flexible, record of working effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven work environment
• Understands the role that support work contributes to the broader team’s effectiveness and the role that s/he must play across teams to be effective in the role
• Adept at policy development, report writing and public speaking

Required Education, Experience, and Competencies

• Support of the agency’s commitment to equity as outlined in its equity policy https://charterschool.wa.gov/about-us/policy/equity/ including using equity in decision-making and actively participating in professional development on cultural responsiveness and equity analysis.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Competencies

• Experience in a K-12 educational setting (teacher, paraprofessional, administrator or administrative support staff)

• Knowledge of Washington state charter school policy
• Experience working with elected or appointed officials
• Experience planning, developing, and implementing agency-wide systems and processes.
• Experience with public engagement and leading communications strategies
  

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

• Per Governor Inslee’s proclamation (Download PDF reader) all state employees must be fully vaccinated no later than October 18, 2021. Your vaccine status will be verified at New Employee Orientation. Please reach out to the HR Office at HROffice@k12.wa.us for information on medical or religious accommodations.

COMPENSATION
The annual compensation for the position is $110,000-$130,000 and depends upon experience, educational background and qualifications. Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health, dental and life insurance, retirement and an optional deferred compensation program. Please visit the Health Care Authority for information regarding health benefits and the Dept. of Retirement Systems for retirement plan information. This position is exempt and serves at the pleasure of the Executive Director. This position is not represented by a bargaining unit.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Those interested must apply through Careers . Applications must include the following documents in MS Word and PDF format only:

• A letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in this announcement
• A current resume, and
• A list of three or more professional references

Please address any questions to:
Sal Salazar, Human Resources
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
600 Washington Street Southeast
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
360-725-6278, or sal.salazar@k12.wa.us

Washington Charter School Commission provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at 360-725-6271, or email hroffice@k12.wa.us .