Job Description

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

Your Impact

This is a rare, high-impact leadership opportunity to shape the future of one of the country’s leading charter school networks from the ground up. Achievement First is embarking on a historic redesign of its school model that is truly a once-in-a-generation effort to codify a unified, 12-K vision for excellence that will anchor every school across three states.

The Deputy Chief of School Design, Middle School is one of three MDs (Elementary, Middle, High School) who will work together to build a cohesive, integrated school model ready for launch in SY 27-28. After school design is complete, the Deputy Chief of School Design will transition into a standing Deputy Chief role, leading implementation across the network with a dedicated team of direct reports.

Core Charge & Year 1 Deliverables

The Deputy Chief of School Design, MS will design and codify the foundational components of the AF middle school model, collaborating cross-functionally to account for every regional and academy-level nuance. Key design deliverables include:

• Graduate Profile: Define the core competencies, experiences, and mindsets students should carry out of the middle school academy
• Core Academic & Enrichment Program: Outline program components aligned to the graduate profile; select curriculum and enrichment offerings; codify scheduling guidelines and define the purpose of each component
• Assessment Strategy & Calendar: Design a 12-K assessment strategy and multi-year calendar; develop data reporting protocols for consistent use across all schools
• Student Work Expectations & Instructional Vision: Set 12-K Student Work Expectations; build an exemplar library of instructional videos and student work samples to anchor the shared vision
• Staffing Model: Codify staffing models by academy level; define roles, responsibilities, and organizational structures by position
• KPIs & Evaluation: Set school-level KPIs; design aligned leader and teacher evaluation processes
• People Management Standards: Define and codify a network-wide standard for people management practices
• Training Plan & Launch: Design and lead the 12-K School Model launch for Summer 2027; design the SY 27-28 yearlong training program including leader training, teacher training, summer training, and network convenings across three states

By the end of Year 1, the Deputy Chief will deliver:

• Middle School Profile of a Graduate
• School KPIs and a Leader/Teacher Evaluation Process
• School and Network org charts aligned to the school model
• Vision for student work and instruction
• 12-K Curriculum and implementation guidelines
• Scheduling guidelines, component definitions, and vision for excellence
• Theory of Action for PD and a full SY 27-28 PD calendar, including summer training

Reporting Directly to the Chief of Academic Programs, your responsibility will be to:

Design & Codify the Middle School School Model

• Lead the design of the graduate profile, academic program, enrichment, scheduling guidelines, and staffing model for the middle school academy
• Collaborate cross-functionally with the ES and HS MDs to ensure vertical coherence and a unified 12-K vision
• Build and manage the project plan and stakeholder engagement process across all design phases

Design Assessment Strategy & Instructional Vision

• Develop a 12-K assessment strategy and multi-year calendar in partnership with assessment and curriculum leads
• Set Student Work Expectations and codify the instructional vision with supporting exemplars (instructional videos and student work samples)
• Establish data reporting protocols for consistent use across all schools

Design & Lead Training Plan for Launch

• Design the Summer 2027 School Model launch and SY 27-28 yearlong training program, including all-leader training, direct-to-teacher training, summer training, and network convenings
• Establish clear owners, materials, staffing, and follow-ups aligned to instructional intent across three states
• Build seasonal and annual training calendars tied to academic priorities

Cross-Functional Alignment & Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate input processes with senior leaders, school leaders, teachers, and regional stakeholders to build alignment on design decisions
• Develop and present strategy documentation, progress updates, and design rationale to executive leadership

Transition to Implementation Leadership (Year 2+)

• After design completion, transition into the standing Deputy Chief of Middle School role
• Assume a team of direct reports accountable for the rollout and implementation of the new school model across the MS network

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced leader who is passionate about student success and committed to Achievement First’s mission. The ideal candidate will have:

• A bachelor’s degree (an advanced degree is a plus).
• At least 10 years of formal school leadership experience as a principal in a predominantly underserved community, with a proven multi-year track record of driving exceptional student outcomes.

To thrive in this role, candidates must demonstrate:

• Deep expertise in K–12 instruction, curriculum, and school design, ideally across multiple grade bands
• A track record of designing and launching large-scale academic programs or school models
• Exceptional project management and systems-building skills, with the ability to drive complex cross-functional work to completion
• Experience working across diverse stakeholder groups including senior leaders, school leaders, teachers, and community members to build alignment and drive outcomes
• Strong written and verbal communication, including the ability to translate instructional vision into clear, actionable guidance
• A commitment to equity and to creating schools where every student — regardless of race, income, or zip code — can thrive

Travel Expectations

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in the role would be able to come into the Network Support office and/or Schools (NYC, CT, or RI) at least 3 days a week. There may be additional travel to regions outside of your own on a monthly basis.

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role. The salary range for this position is 200-240K. In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay. Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.