Head of School

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School: Sela Public Charter School – Washington, DC (PreK–5 Dual-Language Immersion)

Reports to: Board of Directors

Start Date: July 1, 2026

About The School

Founded in 2013 and located in Ward 4, Sela serves approximately 300 students of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in grades PreK-5. Sela is a small, nurturing community that empowers every child to become a compassionate global citizen through rigorous academics, joyful learning, and cultural exploration.

Our students learn in both English and Hebrew, developing the empathy, curiosity, and intercultural understanding needed to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world. Sela is proud to be a diverse and inclusive learning community that celebrates all backgrounds and fosters belonging. We are committed to ensuring that every student can succeed.

Sela’s language-based program adheres to the following philosophical principles and beliefs:

We believe that all children, regardless of background, learning abilities and physical capacities, can and should contribute to the creation of a positive, supportive learning community for all.

We believe that all children are capable of reaching high levels of academic excellence and social-emotional growth, and that one proven way of enabling their success is by purposefully providing a structure where children of varying backgrounds learn from, and with, each other.

We believe that it is crucial for all children to have the opportunity to gain fluency in more than one language and culture and that dual-language learning supports academic achievement and enhanced cognitive skills.

We believe that in the global world in which our children are growing up, it is crucial to provide them with the skills that they will need to take an active and responsible role in the world.

About The Role

Sela is seeking a Head of School beginning SY 2026-2027 who is a skilled academic leader and a transparent and effective communicator. Sela’s Head of School will serve as an enthusiastic champion of the school’s mission: to offer children of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in the District of Columbia – from Pre‑K to 5th grade – the opportunity to achieve academic excellence in a safe, nurturing environment that focuses on dual‑language instruction in English and Hebrew and promotes the value of diversity and provides skills for engaging with the world.

This school leader will be responsible for managing the school’s leadership team and for partnering with the Board of Directors and broader DC education community. The Head of School will ensure compliance and accountability to the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) and Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). The Head of School will drive high academic rigor for all students, with a simultaneous focus on both language development and cultural humility.

The ideal candidate is a culturally competent, reflective collaborator with a track record of results who inspires others, models empathy and accountability, and ensures every student and adult in the Sela community thrives in an environment of bilingual excellence, warmth, and joy. This individual will build upon Sela’s many existing strengths and the strategic priorities defined by the Board and community to lead the institution through a successful 15‑year charter renewal and thriving second chapter of its commitment to the youth of Washington, DC.

Key Responsibilities

• Inspire and unite students, staff, and families to realize Sela’s mission and vision.
• Strengthen academic performance for all students and achieve high performing status as measured by the state and charter authorizer accountability frameworks and charter goals.
• Increase student enrollment while maintaining student diversity in order to meet budget and growth targets.
• Build on the strong foundation of Sela’s strengths – including its committed and diverse faculty and family community – while continuing to evolve its model and its culture to build for the future.
• Distinguish Sela as an outstanding community asset and school of excellence.

Instructional & Academic Leadership

• Ensure academic rigor and achievement across the student population, with particular attention to student subgroup performance. Hold all team members accountable for reaching academic goals while making sure that resources are aligned towards reaching those goals. Leverage and maintain Sela’s focus on holistic student well‑being as a key element of building ongoing and increasing academic excellence.
• Lead and model continuous academic improvement. Set clear and measurable performance goals and monitor student growth and achievement through data analysis; use data to strengthen instructional practices and close opportunity gaps.
• Evaluate and hold the leadership team and staff members accountable for achieving academic goals. Monitor student performance and use data—together with other information—to develop and implement strategies for improvement in collaboration with senior leaders.
• Lead the regular evaluation of Sela’s curricular and pedagogical tools and frameworks, ensuring alignment with school priorities and student learning needs.
• Support the strength and ongoing adaptation of Sela’s English–Hebrew dual‑language model.

Equity, Culture, & Community Engagement

• Build and sustain a joyful, inclusive, and equitable school culture that honors Sela’s diverse student and staff communities and empowers and motivates teachers, staff, leaders, families, and students. Support the leadership team – currently composed of the Senior Director of Operations, Finance and Development; the Early Childhood Director, the Elementary Director, the Hebrew Director, and the Director of Special Education – and staff to embody the core pillars of innovation, diversity, excellence, global citizenship, and trustworthiness. Oversee equitable and effective student behavior policies and practices.
• Foster deep family and community partnerships rooted in transparency, empathy, and shared success. Establish a culture that values seeking and listening to diverse perspectives throughout the community, where clear and transparent communication builds trust and facilitates problem‑solving, and where the school’s mission, values, and goals provide a shared framework for naming and addressing ongoing areas for continuous improvement.
• Support ongoing development of a staff culture marked by commitment to Sela’s mission, cross‑cultural deftness and engagement, and deep partnership on behalf of Sela’s children.
• Organizational Management & Accountability
• Grow the school’s enrollment annually, increasing public demand for attendance at Sela. Oversee a targeted, effective student recruitment initiative to reach and maintain annual enrollment goals. Support the development of effective middle school pipelines in service of Sela’s current and prospective students.
• Attract, support, and retain a diverse senior leadership team and staff that reflect the rich diversity of our student body. Develop and implement a plan for coaching and empowering senior leaders, offering opportunities for training and professional development. Support a culture of continuous improvement, engagement, and partnership. Ensure that the management structure enables staff members’ success, accountability, and growth.
• Together with the Board of Directors, lead long‑term planning to ensure Sela’s sustainability and growth in alignment with charter goals and renewal requirements. Execute the school’s strategic priorities, partnering with school leaders, teachers, staff, and the Board of Directors.
• Together with the Sr. Director for Operations, Finance, and Development:
• Oversee the school’s fiscal and operational health by ensuring that financial management, fundraising goals, facilities, operations, and human capital are effectively managed.
• Maintain financial sustainability and effective resource allocation in partnership with the Board.
• Ensure that the school meets and exceeds all reporting and accountability requirements as defined by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) as well as the DC Public Charter School Board’s ASPIRE Framework. Ensure that the school is in compliance with all local, state, and federal guidelines.
• Prepare the school for a successful 15‑year Charter Renewal in SY27-28.

External Relations & Advocacy

• Serve as Sela’s ambassador and advocate in the DC education community and beyond. Build Sela’s brand by serving as the champion of the school among external stakeholders within the broader DC education community, with current and potential partners, and among our familial and cultural communities. Build responsive coalitions, relationships, and partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Oversee school communications with families and with the broader community. Ensure that strong two‑way communication with school families is a hallmark of Sela’s culture of engagement and continuous improvement and serve as the school’s spokesperson, communicating the school’s mission, achievements, and impact to stakeholders and partners.

Skills & Competencies

Successful candidates will sincerely believe in Sela’s core values: belief in the academic potential of all students, diversity as a core community strength, and global citizenship as an outcome of language immersion and cultural engagement.

Instructional Excellence: Demonstrates a deep understanding of data‑informed instruction, effective dual‑language pedagogy, and successful practices for supporting the academic success of diverse learning populations.

• Collaborative Team Builder: Excels at developing and motivating staff, fostering trust, and leading through shared decision‑making.
• Community Partnership: Builds authentic, transparent relationships with families and community stakeholders to strengthen collective impact.
• Strategic and Adaptive Thinking: Balances long‑term vision with the flexibility to respond to evolving community and organizational needs.
• Operational Acumen: Aligns systems, people, and resources to sustain high performance and organizational health.
• Emotional Intelligence: Leads with self‑awareness, empathy, and resilience, creating a supportive environment for students and adults alike.
• Equity‑Driven Leadership: Demonstrates a deep commitment to Sela’s commitment to diversity as both a stated value and also the lived experience of its community, building a culture of belonging and modeling culturally responsive practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. A graduate degree in K‑12 school administration, nonprofit leadership, education, business, or a related field is preferred.
• At least 7 years of leadership experience, including instructional and operational oversight. Leadership experience must include demonstrated success in the domains of academics, financial and organizational management, and community relations.
• Proven record of improving student achievement and building a strong, equitable school culture.
• Appreciation of and familiarity with dual‑language and/or immersion education models of instruction.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship‑building skills with diverse communities.
• Experience with long‑term planning and budgeting, staffing, and charter accountability. Demonstrated success in driving high‑impact initiatives, especially long‑term initiatives, through a full cycle (inspire, plan, develop, implement, monitor, reflect and adjust).
• Passion for Sela’s mission of multilingualism, cultural understanding, and educational equity.
• Charter school leadership experience is strongly preferred; a deep understanding of the DC Charter landscape is a plus.
• Knowledge of Hebrew language is a plus; familiarity with Amharic is also valued.

Salary & Benefits

Sela offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary range for the Head of School is $170,000 – $200,000.

How To Apply

Click on the link below to submit your resume and cover letter. Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Questions? Reach out to us at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Sela Public Charter School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The School’s EEO policy prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Sela PCS prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and will reasonably accommodate applicants with a disability, upon request, and will also ensure reasonable accommodation for employees with a disability. Under this policy, equal employment opportunity is required in recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, termination, compensation, benefits, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment as required by applicable law.