Chief of Learning

Organization Name City Garden Montessori School

City St. Louis, MO

Chief of Learning

We’re seeking an exceptional instructional leader to ensure every City Garden student experiences the promise of public, equity-centered Montessori education. As Chief of Learning (COL), you will lead through others—guiding our two principals, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, and Director of Special Services—to deliver excellent academic and whole-child outcomes for all 620 of our students.

Who You Are

You are an experienced, equity-driven instructional leader who believes deeply in the potential of every child and every adult. You bring both heart and rigor to your leadership, inspiring trust while holding high expectations.

You are likely described as:

• A builder of leaders — You coach, empower, and hold others accountable with clarity and care.
• A systems thinker — You translate ambitious vision into sustainable structures that help people do their best work.
• An equity champion — You lead with an anti-bias, anti-racism lens and make data-informed decisions to close gaps and expand opportunity.
• A whole-child educator — You understand the power of whole-child, constructivist learning and can help others bring it to life in public education.
• A reflective learner — You seek feedback, respect the limits of your experience and knowledge, and model growth for your team.
• A cultural steward — You have a natural ability to influence peers to uphold a positive culture.

The Work

The COL will serve as a strategic, thoughtful leader across the following efforts:

• Develop and Empower Instructional Leaders
• Coach and manage the Principals, Director of Special Services, and Director of Curriculum & Instruction to grow as effective, equity-focused instructional leaders who drive to achieve trajectory-changing outcomes each year.
• Build a strong leadership pipeline by identifying and developing emerging leaders across the organization.
• Cultivate data fluency and support leaders in using academic, social-emotional, culture and climate data to drive improvement.
• Strengthen leadership team culture by combining strong support and clear accountability.
• Ensure Excellent Teaching and Learning Systems
• Oversee implementation of City Garden’s anti-biased, anti-racist Montessori model with consistency and fidelity, with a focus on yielding student outcomes that are among the best in the country.
• Partner with instructional leaders to design, implement, and continuously improve curricular, assessment, and intervention systems.
• Ensure that student data systems, instructional practices, and support services are aligned to produce equitable outcomes.
• Support compliance with all city, state, and federal academic and special education requirements.
• Foster a Thriving and Inclusive Organizational Culture
• Nurture an affirming and connected environment for students, families, and staff across both campuses.
• Partner with school leaders to ensure effective student support and behavior systems are in place and staff are equipped to meet students’ learning and behavioral needs with consistency, care, and high expectations.
• Build meaningful family partnerships that strengthen belonging, re-enrollment, and student success.
• Model transparent, compassionate leadership in moments of change or challenge.
• Contribute as a Strategic Executive Leader
• Serve as a key member of the Executive Team, helping shape City Garden’s strategic direction, priorities, and resource allocation.
• Set clear goals for academic, social-emotional, and operational excellence, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission and strategic plan.
• Provide updates to the Board of Directors and partner closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Advancement Officer on school operations and cross-functional initiatives.
• Manage the instructional budget and ensure resources are directed toward the greatest student and staff impact.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required;
  Master’s degree or higher preferred
• Highly relational people leader with extensive experience managing school teams to achieve strong academic and social-emotional outcomes, particularly with…