Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Director of School Quality

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Position Overview

The Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction is a senior instructional leader responsible for ensuring exceptional outcomes across all grade levels. This role provides strategic vision and operational leadership for curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning, and academic accountability, ensuring alignment with state standards, charter performance framework, and the organization’s mission. 

This role requires a proven leader with experience in high-performing charter school environments, the ability to scale instructional excellence, and a strong command of data-driven decision making. 

Core Responsibilities

Academic Vision & Strategy

• Develop and lead a cohesive academic vision aligned to the organization’s mission and charter requirements

• Set clear academic priorities, goals, and success metrics across schools

• Ensure academic strategy supports accelerated learning and closes achievement gaps

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment 

• Oversee the design, selection, and implementation of rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum

• Ensure vertical and horizontal alignment of curriculum and instructional practices

• Lead the development and implementation of assessments

• Monitor instructional quality and fidelity through classroom observations, data analysis, and instructional audits

Academic Review & Data Accountability

• Lead quarterly academic review meetings with instructional leaders to evaluate instructional quality, student performance, and progress towards academic goals

• Design and facilitate structured data cycles that analyze assessment results, instructional trends, and subgroup performance

• Develop and monitor school-level action plans in response to academic review findings

• Hold instructional facilitators accountable for implementation and results

Retention, Promotion & Student Persistence

• Lead Retention Study Meetings to review student progress in relation to academic requirements with families 

• Partner with school leaders to identify academic, instructional, and operational drivers impacting student retention 

• Develop and oversee academic strategies to support student success, reduce attrition, and improve long-term outcomes 

• Ensure alignment between academic expectations, instructional supports, and retention goals

Leadership Development & Professional Learning

• Manage a high-performing academic leadership team

• Coach and develop instructional facilitators, and other academic leaders

• Design and oversee professional development aligned to instructional priorities and performance data

• Support recruitment, development, and retention of high-quality instructional talent

Teacher & Leader Evaluation (Louisiana LEADS)

• Serve as the executive lead for the Louisiana LEADS evaluation process across the organization 

• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant implementation of LEADS for teachers and school leaders

• Train and support evaluators to ensure calibration, consistency, and instructional integrity

• Monitor evaluation data to inform coaching, professional development, and personnel decisions

Charter & State Accountability

• Ensure compliance with LDOE academic standards, assessments, and reporting requirements

• Attend all LDOE sponsored meetings 

• Lead academic preparation for charter evaluations, renewals, and audits

• Serve as the primary academic liaison with authorizer, LDOE, and external partners

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree+30 required or Doctoral Degree (Education, Curriculum & Instruction Educational Leadership, or related field)

• Louisiana Educational Leader Certification

• 7+ years of school experience, including senior academic or instructional leadership

• Demonstrated success in high-performing, accelerated environments 

• Deep knowledge of Louisiana academic standards, assessments, accountability systems, and LEADS

• Proven ability to lead data driven academic reviews and instructional improvement efforts 

Core Competencies

• Visionary academic leadership

• Instructional excellence and systems thinking

• Data analysis and performance management

• Adult learning and coaching

• Accountability, execution, and follow-through

• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement

• Sense of urgency - ability to identify academic risks quickly, make timely decisions, and mobilize resources to address student needs without delay. 

• Ability to Pivot