About Us:
Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools (www.freedomprep.org) is a network of PreK-12 free public charter schools serving students in Memphis, TN, and Birmingham, AL. Our mission is to prepare all students in grades PreK-12 to excel in college and in life. Since our founding in 2009, we have grown from a class of 96 sixth grade students to now serving over 1950 students across multiple campuses. In 2024, we expanded into Birmingham, AL, starting with grades K-1, with plans to grow to a K-5 campus.
At Freedom Prep, we are committed to transforming education for students across the South, ensuring they have access to high-quality educational opportunities that empower them to thrive. Over the past 15 years, our students have consistently exceeded both local and state averages in math and have surpassed local benchmarks in English Language Arts on state assessments. Our mission is guided by three core beliefs: every child deserves the right to a high-quality public education, character development is essential to student success, and exposure to diverse opportunities builds the confidence and skills needed to excel in college and in life.
At Freedom Prep, we cultivate a structured, academically rigorous environment that fosters excellence in core subjects, promotes advanced academic skills, and encourages students to embody the core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Excellence, and Community.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Head of School is the school’s instructional leader, providing leadership and management to maximize the efforts of teachers and students in an environment which is conducive to educational enhancement, growth and achievement for students.
The position is responsible for directing all daily operations of the school campus, supervising and coordinating the work of all instructional and non- instructional personnel, ensuring subordinates' adherence to local and state policies, regulations and goals, preparing required reports, and performing other professional, administrative and supervisory work as required.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
• Own results across academics, finance, and culture; set targets, monitor dashboards, and course-correct in real time.
• Set and socialize the school vision; translate it into a 1–3 year strategic plan with clear OKRs and milestones.
• Lead school-wide academic strategy; run data cycles, make mid-course adjustments, and ensure standards-aligned instruction.
• Develop and execute the School Improvement Plan (SIP); track impact and ensure compliance deliverables are met.
• Manage the full talent lifecycle for faculty/staff: hiring, onboarding, evaluation, retention, and separations.
• Design and deliver professional learning; build an annual PD calendar and measure transfer to practice via observations and student data.
• Coach school leaders (APs/Deans) through weekly 1:1s, walkthroughs, and goal-aligned feedback; build leadership bench strength.
• Cultivate stakeholder trust—families, students, staff, board, and community partners—through consistent, transparent communication.
• Steward the budget: develop annual budgets, manage monthly variance, and align resources to priorities.
• Serve as Hiring Manager; define roles, drive equitable selection processes, make final recommendations/offers, and ensure a high-bar candidate experience.
• Abide by all state and federal mandates in reporting sexual or physical abuse and neglect.
• Other duties as assigned aligned with the scope of the position according to the Hiring Manager/Supervisor
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Governed by the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Code Annotated The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
Education:
• Bachelor’s Degree required from accredited college or university.
• Master’s Degree preferred from accredited college or university.
Certification:
State certification in Administration/Supervision at the elementary and/or secondary level, Educational Leadership, or an equivalent certification as defined by the Tennessee or Alabama Department of Education Tennessee or Alabama Professional Educator License requiredConsidered highly-qualified based on NCLB guidelines
Experience:
• 4 years experience as an effective classroom teacher
• 3 years experience in leading and/or coaching teachers
• 2 years experience as an Assistant Head of School role
• 1+ years experience as a Head of School/Principal
• A capacity to motivate and lead instructional staff in order to yield the highest academic performance possible from all students.
• A team-oriented approach and the ability to effectively set and communicate goals for the team.
• Ability to give constructive feedback to facilitate student growth and academic achievement.
• Openness to receive feedback on issues that will facilitate growth and achievement of both students and faculty.
• Experience with educating/mentoring urban youth.
• Experience managing and leading adults.
• Successful manager of an urban classroom who has used structure, incentives, and high expectations to drive student success
• Experienced classroom teacher with demonstrated, quantifiable and objective student performance gains that surpass state or local averages
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Energy and entrepreneurial spirit for the charter school environment.
• Unwavering in the pursuit of excellence even in the face of difficult opposition and challenges.
• Results-driven educational leader with a commitment to standards-based curriculum and the use of data and assessments to drive instructional decisions.
• Good problem-solving ability and good judgment.
• Familiarity with cultural diversity Ability to work collaboratively with staff, families, and community members.
• Ability to be creative, resourceful, and reflective.
• Excellent communication skills with diverse constituents; clear writer, facilitator and speaker and eagerness to collaborate.
• Possess strong interpersonal skills.
• Professional demeanor, strong work ethic, detail-driven work style with excellent organizational skills