IDEA Public Schools Careers

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This role directly manages the following campus-based roles:

• CNP Farmer

Location:

This is a 100% on-site, campus-based role. Applicants must live in the same city as the campus to which they are applying.

Travel Expectations:

Overnight travel to outside regions is required for professional development opportunities on a semi-annual to quarterly basis.

Accountabilities:  

• Lead Farm Education & Community Engagement
  • Integrate into campus-based operating mechanisms to ensure consistent communication and alignment with Operations and Instructional teams
  • Collaborate with school administration and partnering stakeholders for the planning, coordination and facilitation of on-farm education for students on the farm that enhances their knowledge of sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardships and nutrition.
  • Increase student awareness and participation in farm educational programming to generate a lifetime of healthy eating habits & resources. 
  • Manage course planning, activity setup, and lesson facilitation in accordance with IDEA CNP Farms lesson standards and assigns student field lessons as needed to fulfill curriculum certification requirements  
  • Verify 100% of students are verified to have completed curriculum requirements prior to being awarded certification and officially certify students at campus awards ceremonies
  • Coordinate & facilitate a minimum of 3 campus engagement events per year to share Farm to School programming with parents, community stakeholders, and the broader community
• Manage Farm Production: 
  • Lead execution of all field tasks including bed preparation, landscaping, and managing pests, weeds, and wildlife presence, & effectively delegates field tasks to the Assistant Farmer
  • Develop annual production plan based on IDEA menu requirements, aligned to the IDEA academic calendar and regional production guidance from HQ Farm Manager; updates plan weekly to capture all changes
  • Develop strong relationship with campus Cafeteria Managers (CM) for distribution of produce and coordinates “excess harvest” deliveries with local IDEA campus Cafeteria Managers (CMs)  
  • Manage the purchasing and planting of seeds and transplants for multiple crops to ensure on-time planting and harvests from the first day of school to the last day of school
  • Efficiently diagnose issues related to meeting production plan goals and effectively implements solutions aligned with integrated pest management, food safety protocols, and sustainable horticultural practices
  • Conduct field walks with CNP Farm Manager, CNP Assistant and Farmer Substitutes regularly to identify corrective actions needed to meet production goal   

• Guarantee Farm Compliance 
  • Ensure Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Harmonized operational audits are passed with a 90% or higher rating to provide safe, high-quality produce and educational experiences for students. 
  • Verify 100% of all food safety, education, and harvest logs are entered into tracking system by end of week and kept for auditing purposes 
  • Facilitates farm shutdown tasks during the summer and Beginning of Year checklist completion to ensure farm is ready to serve students by the first day of school  
  • Maintain compliance with all operations audit requirements to ensure farms continue to be operationally ready in order to provide the best student experience 
  • Conduct physical inventories for all materials and equipment on a quarterly basis  
  • Confer with Assistant Principal of Operations and Facilities Managers for any facility, maintenance, and safety issues relating to the farm & uphold all Safety & Security requirements
  • Develop resources and lead training for Assistant Farmers to reinforce compliant work practices
• Manage Farm Budget and Finances 
  • Ensure budget accuracy through weekly account inquiries ensuring financial sustainability and compliance of the CNP Farm
  • Submit requisitions accurately and verify the allowability of purchases according to Texas Department of Agriculture policies
  • Generate yearly financial projections to calculate expenditures for farm projects and events  
  • Coordinate with approved vendors to ensure timely issuance of services  
  • Complete Purchase Order Receiving and add new items to inventory within 24 hours of receipt of goods & services
• Work with both HQ and campus teams to demonstrate continuous improvement in the areas of program compliance, pilots, projects, initiatives, and priorities.    
• Continuously seek feedback as an essential part of IDEA’s culture our culture, taking action to determine how it can best be used to improve our program and the CNP Campus Farm Managers

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:  

• Effective organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Experience with youth education and communicating with students   
• Computer literacy with understanding of Microsoft Office Suite
• Good mathematical skills and basic finance understanding  
• Ability to understand and interpret data (charts, graphs, etc.)   
• The ability to motivate, delegate, and lead a team to accomplish goals
• Can handle stress well and prioritize effectively to meet deadlines   
• Able to follow verbal and written direction and ask for clarification as needed   
• Demonstrate problem solving, adaptability and flexibility; can reprioritize workload due to inclement weather, schedule changes, and any other potential setback  
• Knowledge of methods, materials, equipment, and processes used in small-scale vegetable production
• Strong understanding of food safety and sanitation practices involved with food production   
• Operation, maintenance, and construction of drip irrigation systems
• Familiarity with Integrated Pest Management   

Required Experience and Certifications:

High School Diploma or GED 

1 year experience in a leadership role pertaining to horticulture or crop production

1 year experience teaching or working with pre-K through 12th grade students

Reliable transportation 

Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English

Preferred Experience and Certifications:

• Associate degree or higher in Horticulture, Agriculture, Ecology, or a related field 
• 1 year management or supervisory experience
• Ability to speak and understand Spanish

Physical Requirements:  

• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, bend or work on hands and knees for extended periods of time without being able to leave the work area. 
• Must be able to work in an outdoor space, walk on uneven ground, crawl, or move about on hands and knees. 
• Must be able to lift and carry or otherwise move 50 pounds regularly 
• Physical ability to work around small children including sitting, standing, running. 
• Must be able to work in indoor and outdoor environments, including in times of excessive heat or cold 

Individual Goals: 

In this role, you will be responsible for supporting the team to reach the following ambitious goals: 

• Award 50 student certifications by June 30th
• Meet an average score of 90% or higher on GAP harmonized and Quality Operations Audits each quarter
• Facilitate three farm outreach events by June 30th
• Meet annual farm production target by June 30th
• Expend 95% +/-5% of the farm operating budget by June 30th

Commitment to Diversity and Core Values:

To achieve our mission of 100% College For All, IDEA commits to being a diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist organization, where we honor and include the voices, values, and beliefs of all our students, staff, alumni, families, and community members. Click here to learn about IDEA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Anti-Racist and Anti-Bias commitment. 

Our Core Values are:

We Act with Integrity: We put the best interests of the IDEA Team & Family—and most importantly our students—at the forefront of all our decisions and actions, taking personal responsibility to model the honest and ethical behavior we want our students and each other to demonstrate every day.

We Build Team & Family: We foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity by treating every member of the IDEA Team & Family—our students, staff, families, and community—with compassion, respect, and humility. We maximize our individual best efforts through collaboration and support of each other in the focused pursuit of our collective mission.

We Achieve Academic Excellence: We believe ensuring college success for 100% of our students is the best way to help them succeed in life and in seeing obstacles they face as opportunities for learning and growth. Every member of the IDEA Team & Family works together to ensure each student on every campus and in every classroom receives a high-quality education.

We Deliver Results: We set ambitious goals, hold ourselves and each other accountable for achieving results, and believe that our students will succeed to and through college.  Our results show what’s possible when the adults in the system get it right and represent the collective effort and focus of the entire IDEA Team & Family.

We Ensure Equity: We set high expectations and share compassion and empathy for every member of the IDEA Team & Family. We differentiate our support and resources, proactively address racism and discrimination, and advocate alongside our students and staff to empower them with the opportunities to succeed and ensure the respect they deserve.

We Bring Joy: We create a positive, uplifting, and joyful environment for every member of the IDEA Team & Family, every single day. We operate with a sense of optimism, and our traditions celebrate learning, growth, and the accomplishments of our students, staff, and community.

We Sweat the Small Stuff: We embrace that achieving excellence lies in paying attention to and carrying out the details—the ‘small stuff’—that go into effective execution and positive implementation. Every step of the way, the IDEA Team & Family prioritizes actions contributing to our mission of College for All.

What We Offer:

• Compensation & Benefits: Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $21.29 and $26.62, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.
• Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

Application process:

Submit your application online through Jobvite. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Learn more about IDEA

At IDEA the Staff Culture and Belonging Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.  Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values