Director, Charter Schools

Job Summary

The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) serves some of Orange County's most vulnerable student populations and provides support and mandated fiscal oversight to 28 school districts serving more than 600 schools and approximately 475,000 students. In addition to providing direct instruction to students through its own alternative and special education programs, OCDE administers an array of programs and services that are critical to the operations of local school districts and community colleges, facilitating professional development, legal guidance, payroll, career and technical education support, high-speed internet access, Local Control and Accountability Plan assistance and approval, resources for families, and student enrichment.

OCDE's vision is that "Orange County students will lead the nation in college and career readiness and success." Department staff are working to achieve this goal in collaboration with educators at all levels of student development, from early childhood through higher education, and in partnership with families, businesses and community organizations.

The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) is seeking an experienced, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as our next Director, Charter Schools within the Governance, Leadership, and Community Partnership Division. The Director provides strategic leadership for OCDE's charter school authorization and oversight responsibilities. This position leads personnel, resources, operations, charter petition reviews, compliance activities, and internal systems while ensuring services remain responsive to evolving legal, policy, and organizational needs.

Serving as a key resource on charter school matters, the Director works closely with charter school leaders and petitioners, school districts, community partners, legal counsel, OCDE leadership, and the Orange County Board of Education. The ideal candidate will be a thoughtful, strategic, and collaborative leader with strong knowledge of charter school authorization, oversight, legislation, and compliance. They will bring sound judgment to complex and sensitive matters, communicate complicated legal, fiscal, academic, and operational information clearly, and develop well-supported recommendations.

This individual will build trusting relationships with people and organizations representing diverse perspectives while balancing responsive service and collaboration with OCDE's responsibility for objective and effective oversight. Above all, the successful candidate will lead with integrity, discretion, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This is an exciting opportunity to provide countywide leadership, strengthen educational partnerships, and help shape the future of charter school oversight and support throughout Orange County.

Education, Training and

Experience:

A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined above is:

Education:

Master's degree in Education, Public Administration, or related field from an accredited institution.

Experience:

Six Years Experience increasingly responsible experience in the areas of school budgets and curriculum and program development and implementation in public or government entities.