School Leader - Indianapolis Campus

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Urban Dove Team Charter School (UD Team) is a distinctive network of sports-based high schools catering to over-aged, under-credited youth. We fuse a robust academic curriculum with sports-based youth development, ensuring our graduates receive a diploma, a stepping stone for higher education, and essential job skills.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The School Leader will lead Urban Dove Team Charter School, Indianapolis and will work closely with Urban Dove in its role as the Charter Management Organization (CMO) to help plan, apply for, and implement the school model and organizational vision. UD Team Indianapolis will be an Opportunity Charter High School serving highly at-risk and/or over-aged middle and high school students. The SL will report to, and work with, the schools Board of Directors.

The School Leader will participate in the Mind Trusts Fellowship Program and do a Residency with Urban Dove during a pre-planning year (26-27). This will include submission of the charter application. Once approved, the SL will work with Urban Dove as the CMO to lead all planning year activities in order to prepare for the school opening, in Fall 2028.

The School Leader is responsible for creating and maintaining an engaging, positive, and supportive school culture using a youth development framework. The SL will consistently ensure all staff utilize restorative and therapeutic approaches to behavior and discipline and will model this approach daily. The School Leader will use data to create accountability for all staff in evaluations and create improvement plans as needed.

The School Leader will directly supervise a Leadership Team and key staff. The Board of Directors evaluates the SL annually but empowers the CMO to supervise and support the SL on a daily basis.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Pre-Planning and Planning Years

• Participate fully in the Mind Trusts fellowship program
• Participate in Urban Doves NYC Residency Program
• Work with CMO to write and submit charter application
• Conduct community outreach
• Establish connections with potential partners
• Build leadership team and lead staff and student recruitment

School Implementation and Operation Years

Organizational Leadership

• Ensure high quality execution of the schools charter in accordance with all Indiana charter frameworks
• Ensure all staff have the skills, confidence and support they need to be successful
• Plan and facilitate school-wide PD according to school priorities and staff needs
• Give honest, clear and helpful feedback to staff
• Actively and strategically manage staff hiring, development, and retention to maintain overall staff quality and meet school needs
• Maintain clear and explicit organizational and behavioral expectations for all members of the school community
• Demonstrate ability to understand and analyze data from multiple sources
• Proactively analyze and diagnose problems and solve them thoughtfully and creatively Provide mechanisms for stakeholder voice/participation in decision-making
• Build leadership capacity for staff members
• Work closely with the Charter Management team on all high level strategic and financial decision making
• Report out monthly to the Board of Directors

School Model, Academics & Curriculum

• Ensure faithful implementation of all aspects of the UD Team model
• Ensure delivery of a high quality Sports-Based Youth Development program
• Articulate a clear vision for high student achievement that meets Urban Doves stated organizational goals
• Align youth development and support services around academic goals
• Make curricular choices that are aligned with school model and instructional vision
• Use assessments to determine student progress toward goals and to adjust classroom instruction
• Ensure that curricula, unit and lessons will lead all students to mastery of rigorous content and higher-order thinking skills
• Ensure that curricula, units and lessons are engaging and accessible to all students
• Build consistency in instruction across all learning spaces

School Culture & Community Engagement

• Create an environment that prioritizes caring, respectful relationships among teachers, students, staff, and families
• Define, guide, and embody key elements of school culture for the whole community
• Approach discipline and social-emotional support through a restorative lens such that a safe and inclusive environment results
• Work with the CMO to engage families and recruit students, including building strong relationships with District schools, CBOs and other community partners
• Maintain positive and engaging relationships with all stakeholders, including community leaders, elected officials, and families
• Articulate with expertise the school history, mission, model and outcomes
• Clearly articulate how UD is creating a new narrative around alternative schools and alternative accountability in Indianapolis and beyond

KEY SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS:

• Must believe ALL students can learn and have a passion for working with highly at-risk student populations
• Demonstrated ability to…