Executive Director of Schools

Pawtucket School Department - Pawtucket, Rhode Island Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in Rhode Island State DOE Consortium Job Board

• Job : 5843204
• Final date to receive applications: Aug 06, 2026 11:59 PM (UTC)
• Posted: Jul 23, 2026 12:00 AM (UTC)
• Starting Date: Immediately

Executive Director of Schools

Reports To:

Assistant Superintendent

SUMMARY

DESCRIPTION:

The Executive Director of Schools serves as the district's school performance leader for an assigned network of schools and is responsible for supervising, coaching, developing, and evaluating principals while ensuring consistent implementation of the district's instructional priorities, operational expectations, and school improvement strategies.

Reporting directly to the Assistant Superintendent, the Executive Director of Schools owns the performance of an assigned portfolio of schools by supporting principals, monitoring implementation, removing barriers to success, and ensuring alignment between school-based practices and district priorities.

The Executive Director of Schools serves as the primary liaison between schools and central office, translating district priorities into action through principal supervision, leadership development, instructional monitoring, performance management, and continuous improvement.

This position works collaboratively with Curriculum and Instruction, Student Services, Human Resources, Operations, Technology, and external instructional partners to ensure schools receive coordinated support while maintaining clear accountability for results.

QUALIFICATIONS / LICENSURE:

• Valid Rhode Island Building Level Administrator Certification required.
• Rhode Island Superintendent Certification preferred.
• Master's Degree required;
  Doctorate preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of successful administrative experience as a principal or district-level administrator.
• Demonstrated success improving student achievement and school performance.
• Experience leading school improvement, redesign, or turnaround initiatives preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in instructional leadership, organizational leadership, principal development, and data-informed decision making.

EXEMPLARY

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Principal Leadership, Supervision, and Evaluation

• Directly supervise, coach, mentor, and formally evaluate principals assigned within the portfolio of schools.
• Conduct regular school visits, leadership coaching sessions, instructional walkthroughs, and performance conferences.
• Develop principal leadership capacity through individualized coaching, feedback, and professional growth planning.
• Establish principal performance goals aligned to district priorities and school improvement objectives.
• Complete all required components of the district's administrator evaluation process.
• Participate in district wide calibration of principal evaluations to ensure consistency and fairness.
• Support the recruitment, selection, onboarding, development, and retention of school leaders.
• Design, facilitate, and deliver professional learning for principals aligned with district priorities, identified leadership needs, school improvement goals, and patterns observed through school visits, walkthroughs, and performance reviews.

School Performance and Accountability

• Own the academic, attendance, school climate, operational, and organizational performance of assigned schools.
• Monitor school progress toward district strategic priorities and accountability goals.
• Hold principals accountable for implementing district expectations with fidelity.
• Identify performance gaps and develop action plans in collaboration with principals and district leadership.
• Ensure consistent implementation of district initiatives across all assigned schools.
• Oversee, support, and monitor the development and implementation of each school's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan, ensuring alignment with district priorities, measurable benchmarks, and required progress-monitoring cycles.

School Improvement Leadership

• Oversee the development, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of each school's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).
• Support CSI, ATSI, redesign, and other priority schools through strategic coaching and progress monitoring.
• Conduct regular school performance reviews using measurable implementation benchmarks.
• Ensure school improvement efforts are aligned to district priorities and state accountability expectations.

Instructional Leadership

• Monitor implementation of district instructional expectations, including:
  • High-quality instructional materials
  • Tier I instruction
  • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
  • Instructional walkthrough expectations
  • MTSS implementation
  • Attendance improvement systems
  • Data-driven instructional decision making
• Partner with the Directors of Curriculum and Instruction to ensure district instructional initiatives are implemented consistently across assigned schools.
• Support principals in strengthening instructional…