Superintendent

Heritage Classical Academy (HCA) will open a classical school, beginning with grades K-1, in 2025. We are pleased to announce this immediate opening for Superintendent.

The mission of HCA is to develop every child’s mind to a state of wisdom and every child’s heart to a state of virtue through a classical education in the Western Canon of liberal arts and sciences.

Summary: The Superintendent reports directly to the Board of Directors (the “Board”) and works closely with the Board, the staff, and its external partners in three ways. 1. To create and implement everything necessary in Year Zero that is required to open the school. 2. To satisfy the compliance requirements and the charter contract with TEA with fidelity. 3. Most importantly, to implement HCA’s mission, vision, core virtues, education and business plan as outlined in its founding documents and board policies.

In Year Zero, the Superintendent will work with the Board to achieve its goals, its strategic direction in all its educational, operational, financial, managerial, and programmatic aspects of the organization. After the school is opened, the Board will transition its involvement to a governance role. Year Zero will require the Superintendent to help with planning the needs of the physical building and grounds, carefully hiring an excellent staff and teachers, and leading the recruitment of students. The goal of the Superintendent in Year Zero is to open in August 2025 with a full enrollment and hire a high performing team while meeting all the TEA compliance requirements.

Once open, the Superintendent is responsible for continuing to hire as needed and manage teachers and staff. The Superintendent will eventually hire a Head of School who will assume day-to-day operations responsibility for the school. The Superintendent will have strategic and administrative responsibility for the overall organization including fidelity to the mission, vision and goals of the school, academic integrity, financial management, compliance and regulatory matters, school facilities and growth, community relations, and fundraising. The Superintendent will set a successful school culture and will be the liaison with Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI).

Salary plus benefits: This will be a salaried, exempt position with a 12- month work schedule plus benefits. Competitive salary will be set annually on a performance-based schedule. Initial salary is negotiable depending on qualifications and experience. Full-time employment will commence once hired.

Overall Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Assist the Board in opening the school with all that entails.

• Implement the school’s mission, vision, and goals. Report weekly to the Board.

• In time, identify and develop a Head of School that can execute the school’s mission, vision, and goals.

• Build a fundraising team and serve as its leader.

• Actively engage and participate with the community in ways that uphold and advance HCA’s mission, vision, and goals.

• Serve as liaison between HCA and the larger community, representing HCA to new and existing stakeholders.

• Exercise approval authority over all curricular and extra-curricular activities of the school.

• Set a proper tone for a high-performing classical school.

Facilities and Faculty Management

• Maintain clearly defined job descriptions for all personnel.

• Ensure compliance with all record retention requirements pertaining to personnel, school populations, and scholastic records.

• Oversee the maintenance of accurate records of all financial accounts, business and property records, contracts, securities, documents, title papers, books of records, and other documents issued by or belonging to the school unless otherwise prescribed by law or the corporation’s bylaws.

• Establish procedures that create and maintain high quality facilities.

• Establish and maintain effective inventory systems for all school property.

• Assist the Board with strategic expansion.

Finances

Annual Budget

• Prepare and submit an annual budget to the Board for approval.

• Administer and manage the annual budget, while providing accurate monthly reports to the Board.

• Authorize expenditures in accordance with the annual budget.

• Ensure that the administration of educational programs and the operations of the school are in accordance with the approved annual budget.

Budget – Operations

• Act as Supervisor for the business office.

• Assume a supervisory and directory role for the monetary obligations of the school.

• Review monthly the ordinary administration of the school and the implementation of the budgets.

• Negotiate and execute all contracts and agreements with prior Board approval if required by policy.

• Purchase supplies, materials, fixed assets and services for the school in accordance with Board policy and federal and state regulations.

• Oversee and approve teacher agreements.

• Consult with the Board regarding unforeseen expenditures.

• Identify, develop, and implement budget mitigation plans for over-expense items during the year.

Instructional

• Plan, implement, and assess the classical instructional program and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

• Ensure that students, staff, the Board, and parents are inspired and confident in the school curriculum and in the expertise of the school leaders to present, to train, and to answer questions when they arise.

• Ensure that all academic components of the school’s charter are achieved.

Administrative

• Recruit high performing, classically trained instructional faculty and staff for the school as needed.

• Plan, implement, supervise, and evaluate all other programs, i.e., athletics, extra- curricular, co-curricular, after school.

• Determine staffing needs and recruiting, selecting, supervising, developing and evaluating school instructional personnel, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operations Officer (COO), and other staff.

• Report employee appointments or dismissals to the Board.

• Develop and implement student handbooks containing school rules and regulations in keeping with the board policies and procedures.

• Attend and participate in meetings of the Board and its committees.

• Maintain knowledge of state charter school laws, city facility regulations, and any grant requirements from federal or philanthropic grants.

Required skills, experience, and abilities:

• Master’s degree preferred.

• Candidates must have a solid understanding of classical education and a dedication to the liberal arts.

• At least four years of progressively responsible positions in school leadership.

• Teaching experience in K-12, preferably a classical school.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to write for publication and to speak to groups.

• Strong research and judgment skills.

• Possesses the ability to attract families to enroll their students in the school.

• Possesses professional manners in both actions and dress.

• Strong financial and business background: ability to read, understand, and manage financial statements and budgets.

• Ability to build a capable, high-performing team within the school and with other partners and constituents of diverse backgrounds in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously.

• Ability to use MS Office including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Knowledge of accounting software and order processing software.

Desirable skills, experience, and abilities:

• Ph.D.

• Experience leading or being a part of a start-up school or other organization.

• Ability to develop and execute three- to five-year strategic plans.

• Successful record in raising funds from public, private, and individual constituents.

• Good relationships with Texas philanthropic organizations and the Texas Education Agency.

• Experience in engaging with underserved communities and minority populations.

Interested, qualified applicants may submit the following documents:

• Cover letter stating why you are interested in the job position and why your skills, knowledge, and experience are a good match for the job.

• Resume

For further information and to submit your application, email the Board Chairman at:

Stuart D. Saunders, Chairman

Stuart.Saunders@heritageed.org

A Board Search Committee may work with an Executive Search Firm to review applications. Selected candidates will be asked to participate in two interviews. In addition, they will be asked to make two “mock” presentations. One will be teaching a class of the candidate’s choice; the second will be a written presentation to the board on what is a classical education and why parents should choose classical education for their children.

Applicants may be asked to submit additional information such as work or educational verification, credit, and/or samples of their portfolio during this process.

The Board seeks to select a Superintendent as soon as possible.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer. The organization is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in all areas of recruitment, selection, placement, training, assignment, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, retention, and promotion. The board commits itself to the policy that there shall be no unlawful discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identification, national origin, or disability. All decisions regarding employment shall comply with applicable state and federal laws.