Overview: The Chief of Academics serves as the district's senior academic strategist and instructional leader, overseeing the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of all academic programs and services. This position ensures alignment with the District's Strategic Goals, Vision, and Promise, and exemplifies the Portrait of a Graduate by modeling the essential skills and attitudes expected of Mesa Public Schools employees. The Chief of Academics provides visionary leadership to drive academic excellence, close achievement gaps, and ensure access to high-quality instruction for every student.
Employment Type: Executive Director-Level II, Full-time
Salary Range: $158,500-$193,370
Salary Procedures: Years of administrative experience and education beyond Master's applied
Benefits: Vacation, sick leave, holidays, matched retirement through the Arizona State Retirement System, health, and life insurance
Performance Pay: Available annually
Calendar: Administrative Exempt, 12-month position
Reports To: Superintendent
Job Responsibilities:Strategic Leadership and Alignment
- Develops and implements a unified instructional vision and districtwide strategies that advances student achievement, ensures PreK-12 instructional coherence, and aligns with the district's strategic goals.
- Partners with the Chief of Schools to align instructional priorities with leadership execution at the school level, ensuring fidelity and coherence across the district.
- Oversees the academic services of Mesa Public Schools including, but not limited to curriculum and instruction, student support services, data and accountability, student affairs, communications and outreach, and college and career readiness.
- Supervises and evaluates academic executive leadership and other assigned staff.
- Leads the development, districtwide implementation, and professional learning of rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and instructional frameworks that promote school improvement, reflect evidence-based practices, and align with district priorities.
- Provides executive leadership and strategic direction to all academic departments to ensure integrated support systems to meet all student needs.
- Creates systems to monitor academic performance and leverage data analytics to identify trends, predict outcomes, and implement systemic improvements that drive continuous academic growth.
- Champions innovative instructional models and evidence-based pedagogical approaches that accelerate learning and improve student engagement.
School and Staff Support
- Strategically partners with district leadership to drive system-wide school improvement efforts, ensuring the use of data-informed decision-making and the deepening of instructional leadership across all schools.
- Designs and sustains a comprehensive professional learning strategy that enhances the instructional leadership capacity of school leaders and aligns with district wide priorities for excellence.
- Champions access to rigorous, high-quality learning experiences for all students.
- Ensures systematic alignment between district academic initiatives and strategic goals, while maintaining full compliance with all state and federal educational mandates..
Data-Driven Strategy and Continuous Improvement
- Oversees district wide academic performance analytics, using state assessments and internal benchmarks to identify key instructional trends and inform strategic academic priorities.
- Facilitates cross-functional academic data teams and leads continuous improvement cycles to optimize teaching and learning outcomes.
- Assesses the impact of instructional initiatives and academic interventions, providing high-level recommendations and recalibrating strategies to ensure measurable, sustained improvement.
Communication nd Stakeholder Engagement
- Champions transparent, proactive communication of curriculum priorities, instructional vision, and student performance outcomes to internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensures academic messaging is aligned with district goals and informs stakeholders, including school leaders, educators, families, and community partners with clarity, purpose, and direction.
Operations and Compliance
- Provides oversight of budgets related to academic departments and ensures appropriate allocation of resources.
- Leads the preparation of grants and compliance with local, state, and federal reporting requirements.
Required Qualifications: - Master's degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, administration, or a related field
- Five years experience as a building principal
- Five years of classroom teaching experience
- Principal certificate
Preferred Qualifications: - Doctorate in administration, education, or a related field
- Superintendent certification
- Principal coaching or mentorship experience
- Principal experience in multiple settings
- District leadership experience
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs): To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications for this job description represent the knowledge, skill, abilities, and other caracteristics necessary for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
KSAOs necessary for this position include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Understanding and demonstrating the essential attitudes and skills of the Mesa Public Schools' Portrait of a Graduate (e.g. Ethical, Resilient and Inclusive).
- Understanding current strategies and best practices related to the area of assignment.
- Making data-informed decisions and seeking continuous improvement.
- Cultivating a culture of high performance.
- Engaging and fostering positive and productive relationships with various stakeholders.
- Effective planning and organizational ability.
- Developing and providing professional learning to various stakeholders.
- Interpreting federal/state laws, Governing Board policies and regulations, and working condition agreements.
- Facilitating and/or participating in collaborative teams.
- Having effective skills in interpersonal relationships, communication, organization, leadership, decision making and problem solving.
- Researching, identifying, and implementing new concepts and practices.
- Forecasting trends.
- Evaluating programs and processes and seeking continuous improvement.
- Planning and implementing short- and long-range goals.
- Stringently maintains confidentiality.
- Leveraging the use of Microsoft, Google, and other programs/systems.
- Thorough understanding of curriculum and instruction.
- Comprehensive knowledge of educational administration.
- Demonstrated ability to guide strategic planning process.
- Ability to speak effectively before large groups and all levels of leadership.
- Problem-solving and consensus-building expertise.
- Leading and facilitating a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS).
- Knowing effective assessment practices to support student learning and program evaluation.
- Understanding of related services for students, including Special Education (SPED), Gifted Education, and English Language Learner (ELL) programs.
- Ensuring compliance with the development, implementation, and monitoring of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
- Having supervisory experience, including hiring, supporting, and evaluating employees.
- Managing and monitoring budgets to support district and site-based goals.
- Managing grants, including application, implementation, and reporting requirements.
- Engaging with the community to foster partnerships, build trust, and support student success.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements: - Fast-paced, high-stakes environment requiring adaptability and responsiveness.
- Office work environment with frequent travel to district site visits, external meetings, and occasional evening or weekend meetings.
- Primarily office-based with standard office equipment.
- Potential exposure to moderate noise levels typical of office environments.
- Ability to remain seated for extended periods.
- Frequent use of hands for typing and handling documents.
- Occasional standing, walking, bending, and reaching.
- Capability to lift and carry items up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 25 pounds occasionally.
- Visual acuity for reading and computer work.
