Job Description

Job Title: Chief Academic Officer
Location: 910 W. Van Buren St., Chicago, IL 60607
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Salary: Starting at $190,000, commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: August 2025

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

Overview

The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) is a key member of the Chief Leadership team, responsible for leading the network’s academic vision, strategy, and outcomes. The CAO will ensure instructional excellence across all campuses by overseeing curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning, academic interventions, and continuous improvement efforts. The CAO will work closely with school leaders, instructional teams, and the President to ensure that every student thrives.

Reporting directly to the President, the CAO plays a critical role in advancing Distinctive Schools’ instructional vision and academic strategy. As the organization’s lead expert on curriculum, instruction, and pedagogy, the CAO drives the development and implementation of a cohesive academic framework aligned to the network’s goals. This role sets both the short- and long-term instructional direction, fostering a culture of high expectations, equity, and shared responsibility for delivering culturally responsive, high-quality instruction. The CAO cultivates strong, collaborative partnerships between the network and campuses, ensuring resources are aligned with school needs. Through this alignment, the CAO leads the design and execution of an instructional strategy that promotes excellence in every classroom and supports ongoing, systemwide improvement of teaching and learning.

This position provides an unparalleled opportunity for an individual with superior instructional experience, critical thinking, organization, and communication to maximize Distinctive Schools’ impact and future growth while gaining an in-depth understanding of the organization’s academic and operational goals. The ideal candidate for this position has a proven ability to manage the following:

(1) strategic academic leadership

(2) school support & oversight

(3) effective change management

(4) talent development and professional learning

Responsibilities

Strategic Academic Leadership

• Champion a deep belief in the potential of all students and ensures accountability for achieving rigorous academic outcomes across the organization.

• Shape and drive the academic vision and priorities of the network, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals.

• Lead and support the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of curriculum, instructional models, and assessment systems across schools.

• Use academic data strategically to uncover trends, inform planning, and drive evidence-based decision-making.

• Maintain a strong focus on outcomes by setting clear goals, defining success metrics, and consistently measuring progress.

• Demonstrate strong emotional intelligence by actively listening, interpreting diverse perspectives, and integrating feedback to strengthen team and organizational results.

School Support & Oversight

• Collaborate closely with principals and instructional leaders to ensure strong and consistent implementation of instructional programs at the school level.

• Conduct regular school walkthroughs and provide targeted coaching to campus leaders to drive instructional excellence.

• Monitor academic performance across the network, ensuring accountability for high standards, continuous improvement, and equitable student outcomes.

• Identify, adapt, and scale innovative and research-based instructional practices and models to enhance teaching and learning.

• Track progress toward goals with discipline and urgency, demonstrating persistence in overcoming challenges to ensure success.

• Work in partnership with principals, school-based teams, and network departments to build effective support systems and ensure schools have the resources needed to thrive.

Effective Change Management

• Design and lead strategies to equip individuals and teams in driving meaningful, systemwide improvements across the network.

• Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by fostering environments where reflection, innovation, and growth are embedded in practice.

• Apply a structured, strategic approach to implementing change, ensuring successful execution and long-term sustainability at scale.

Talent Development & Professional Learning

• Design and implement comprehensive professional learning systems that enhance instructional leadership, elevate teaching practice, and build staff capacity across the network.

• Develop and lead high-performing teams to achieve bold academic and organizational goals.

• Coach and support the growth of instructional leaders, including principal supervisors and school-based academic teams, through targeted development and feedback.

• Align leadership development initiatives with academic priorities, ensuring coherence between content knowledge and effective instructional strategies.

• Foster a culture of continuous professional learning by leveraging research-based adult learning practices and high-impact development strategies.

• Evaluate team and individual performance, identify areas for growth, and deliver actionable feedback and support to strengthen effectiveness and leadership capacity.

• Advance inclusive practices by building the skills of teachers and leaders to meet the needs of students with disabilities and ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction.

Requirements (minimum)

Education

• Master's Degree

Qualifications

• Valid Professional Educator License or equivalent

• Valid Principal/Administration license or equivalent

• Prior experience as Principal, Executive Director-level, COO or CAO in a related educational nonprofit organization

• Technology demands:

  • Proficient in cloud based solutions - GoogleSuite

  • Demonstrated understanding of AI principles and potential in education

• Travel to campuses as well as to network events and trainings on at least a monthly basis

• Ability to flex work hours to accommodate leadership schedules and nontraditional work hours/needs, especially with regard to regional support across different time zones

Physical demands

Work is typically performed in an office setting with occasional extended periods of time at computer terminals. Occasional visits to off-site or campus locations is required. Generally, the job requires 60% sitting, 20% walking, and 20% standing.

Benefits

• 25+ Paid holidays & reasonable (no limit) PTO
• 12 weeks family paid leave
• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• 403b match
  • Fully match up to 3%
  • 50% match up to 5%
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement
• Gym and wellness discounts
• And more

Job Description Disclaimer: Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.

EEO: Distinctive Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

Distinctive Schools is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Distinctive Schools will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact talent@distinctiveschools.org or call 773.828.4191

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