Chief Academic Officer

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY – CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER—HUMANITIES

About New Beginnings Family Academy

Opened in September 2002 offering grades K-3, New Beginnings Family Academy ("NBFA") offers active and engaging learning experiences from Pre-K through 6th grade. NBFA is a tuition-free, public charter school proudly distinguished by:

• Social, emotional and academic learning steeped in child development best practices
• An emotionally responsive model that weaves trauma-informed practice into every classroom
• Parental involvement, in and outside of the classroom

NBFA is located at 184 Garden Street, Bridgeport, CT. NBFA is an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workplace. NBFA respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes of all stakeholders: employees, students, families, and members of its' Board of Directors.

Mission-Driven Culture:

NBFA employees thrive in a collaborative environment of thoughtful self-reflective professionals on a mission to change the life outcomes of Bridgeport youth by narrowing the nefarious achievement gap. Our mission is to provide students a meaningful, high-quality education through experience-based learning to develop essential social, emotional, and critical-thinking skills to give all children the foundation to achieve their potential.

Reports to: Director

Direct reports: Literacy Coach/Reading interventionists.

Summary:

The Chief Academic Officer [CAO] — Humanities, as the instructional leader responsible for driving academic excellence [Literacy and Social Studies] and continuous improvement across the district, must be committed to and advocate for NBFA's mission to provide students a meaningful, high-quality education through experience-based learning that helps develop essential social, emotional, and critical-thinking skills. This gives all children a foundation to achieve their full potential at every stage of life.  The CAO works in close collaboration with the Director as a thought partner to shape the academic vision of NBFA and leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of instructional programs, curriculum, assessments, and professional development to drive high student achievement. The efficacy of academic programming will be measured and adjusted using reliable data and their assessment.  Assessment data, in addition to measuring student progress, will be relied upon for evaluating the performance of teachers and administrators.

The Chief Academic Officer—Humanities is the instructional leader responsible for driving academic excellence and continuous improvement in Literacy and Social Studies. This leader ensures that NBFA's academic programming promotes curiosity, innovation, and data-driven inquiry aligned with our mission to provide students with a meaningful, high-quality education. The Chief Academic Officer collaborates closely with the Director to design and implement curriculum, assessments, and professional development that build strong literacy and 21st-century problem-solving skills across all grade levels.

Principal Accountabilities:

1. Curriculum and Assessment

• Lead the development, selection, implementation, and evaluation of PreK–6 reading, writing and social studies curricula that reflect hands-on learning and culturally responsive teaching.
• Monitor curriculum effectiveness through classroom observations, assessments, and data analysis, recommending adjustments as needed.
• Provide oversight of multilingual learners (ML) to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Establish and manage assessment systems that use various types of assessment data to guide literacy and social studies instruction.
• Prepare narrative and statistical reports on student achievement in reading.
• Analyze multiple data sources to support the Director in aligning academic priorities with school-wide goals and in developing comprehensive District/School Improvement Plans.

2. Staff Development and Supervision

• Design and implement a high-impact literacy professional development plan grounded in the Science of Reading for Pre-K through Grade 6 to support literacy instructional priorities and foster teacher growth.
• Provide embedded literacy coaching and feedback to classroom teachers to promote high student achievement.
• Along with the principal, monitor and support effective literacy instruction through regular classroom observations, walkthroughs, and feedback cycles to ensure instructional consistency and rigor.
• Supervise, develop, and evaluate literacy coaches/reading interventionists, and other direct reports in conformity with CT laws and Board approved procedures.
• Oversee the PDEC committee and/or TEAM induction program to ensure alignment with state guidelines and support educator growth and effectiveness.

3. Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead NBFA's innovation initiatives, including partnerships with local universities, nonprofits, and enrichment providers.
• Support administrators and teachers in using data to guide instruction, ensuring data-driven decision-making is being used to drive lesson planning and continuous improvement.
• In collaboration with the principal, prepare and present academic performance data, reflect current results and their relationship to literacy improvement goals to stakeholders as requested by the Director.
• Collaborate with other leaders to identify solutions to instructional and programmatic challenges.
• Participate in the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of instructional staff and make recommendations to the Director regarding hires, professional development, reassignment, separation, non-renewal and termination.
• Assist the Director with respect to projects intended to advance NBFA's overall mission and vision.

4. Resource and Program Management

• Lead the evaluation, selection, and acquisition of literacy and social studies instructional materials, supplies, equipment, and textbooks for literacy and social studies programs.
• Assist in developing and managing budgets for curriculum and instructional materials.
• Seek and manage grant funding related to literacy and social studies.
• Prepare necessary orders, inventories, and budget documentation.

Certification, Knowledge and Skills:

• Maintain an O92 or 102 certification from the state of Connecticut
• 5+ years of successful teaching
• Deep knowledge of the Science of Reading
• Model and require a high standard of performance and collegiality for all instructional personnel
• Possess a firm but fair management style for all reports
• Be at ease with oral and written communications and presentations.
• Strong analytical, technological, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to inspire and lead educators toward innovative, student-centered instruction
• Candidates fluent in oral and written Spanish, French Creole or Portuguese are encouraged to apply

Benefits:

• Friendly work environment
• Health coverage includes medical and dental benefits (generous portion of premium paid by NBFA)
• Life, AD & D, Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Insurance
• All certified personnel participate in the Connecticut Teachers Retirement Board ("CTRB").
• NBFA offers a 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Ten (10)+ paid holidays plus school closes year-end, for Spring Break and Summer Vacation
• Vacation / Personal Time per Collective Bargaining Agreement

Classification:

Staff/Full-time/Exempt/12-month

Compensation:

Commensurate with experience and comparable positions in Bridgeport.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

License/Certification:

• CT Teaching Certification 092 or 102 (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Bridgeport, CT Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Bridgeport, CT 06605: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person