Headmaster

Northwest Ohio Classical Academy (NOCA) is looking for a Headmaster to lead a thriving school.  NOCA’s mission is to train the minds and improve the hearts of young people through a rigorous, content-rich classical curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences, one that produces thoughtful leaders and virtuous citizens. NOCA is Ohio’s first state-chartered, publicly-funded, independently-governed, tuition-free, classical school.  It is part of the Barney Charter School Initiative of Hillsdale College, a network of classical charter schools united by curriculum and purpose.  NOCA opened its doors in 2019, with 210 students in grades K-8, and has seen strong and steady growth.  It now offers grades K-10, will add additional grades each year through 12, and currently has 420 students along with a waitlist.  The school is acquiring financing for a multi-million-dollar capital improvement and expansion project to break ground in Spring, 2022.  It is a flourishing school with a passionate, dedicated teaching staff and families who value and enthusiastically support NOCA’s mission.

The headmaster is the chief leadership position in the NOCA community.  The headmaster is entrusted with many important concerns of the community:  the school-children’s wellbeing, the reputation of the school community, the financial trust of public monies, and the future viability of the community and, ultimately, the nation through passing on Western civilization to posterity. The NOCA Board is looking for a like-minded leader who will inspire teachers, students, and parents with a classical vision of education that promotes human flourishing by uplifting all students through academic excellence and a robust classical culture.

Qualities and Characteristics

• A headmaster should have the ability to discern the ends that fulfill the nature and purpose of the organization and to chart a course to reach those ends; the ability to inform and inspire people to follow, to commit, to take responsibility, to perform, and to cooperate in an effective manner that will mobilize the resources of the organization so that it can follow the course laid out before it by its leader; and the ability to raise up leaders in an organization.
• Intellectual depth and seriousness. A headmaster should have an inclination toward a life of the mind, befitting the leader of an academic institution; a love of learning demonstrated by on-going personal pursuit of knowledge and the passion to share knowledge with others.
• A commitment to school reform. A headmaster should recognize the unique substance and form of classical education and be able to articulate what it is and why it is a needed in the modern world.
• Aspiring to excellence. A headmaster should pursue and expect excellence through all facets a school and most especially in the school’s academics and classical culture.
• High moral character. A headmaster should generate trust and confidence in others by exhibiting prudence, integrity, fair treatment, transparency, clear communication, truthfulness, decisiveness, courage, equanimity, collaboration, approachableness, kindness, and humility.

Knowledge and Skills

• A broad understanding of the classical liberal arts, its roots in the Western tradition, and its historical presence in American education.
• Knowledge of the craft of teaching, and the ability to teach well.
• The ability to coach teachers to greater effectiveness in the classroom.
• A gifted rhetorician with the ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms.
• The ability to maintain a high degree of energy and personal productivity and to manage the productivity of others. The ability to prioritize and accomplish necessary tasks.
• Knowledge of personnel management principles, including recruiting and hiring, supervising and evaluating, and individual and organizational development.
• The ability to navigate difficult conversations and make difficult decisions.
• Knowledge of financial management principles, including school budgeting, auditing, and controls.
• Knowledge of the state accountability system for K-12 public schools and laws relevant to charter schools.
• Master’s degree or higher in an academic subject or in education administration preferred.
• Possession of (or work toward possessing) an Ohio principal license or alternative principal license preferred.
• Minimum of three years teaching experience at K-12 or college level.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Hire faculty, in consultation with NOCA Board.
• Provide general management of all school operations, including academic, financial, personnel, regulatory, and facility areas. Enforce all school policies.
• Observe teachers at defined intervals, document results, and provide feedback as coach and supervisor.
• Report to and at regular Board meetings on the status of operations and plans for upcoming activities.
• Represent the school as the senior executive leader in interactions with the public, school constituencies, the authorizer, and other government agencies.
• Begin full-time by mid-Summer, 2022.

Salary and Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience and expertise.
• Full benefits including robust health, dental, and vision insurance, and state retirement program.

If interested, send a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and list of references to the chair of the hiring committee: Mrs. Eleanor Kemp, at nocaheadmastersearch@gmail.com.