Chief Academic Officer (2026-2027 SY)
Description
Application Deadline: September 26, 2025 at 8:00AM CST
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Employment Type: This is a full-time, in-person, network-based leadership role for the 2026-2027 school year.
Salary: The salary range for this role is $127,400-$152,600, and placement within that range will be based on years of leadership experience in a similar role.
Reports To: This role reports to the Chief Executive Officer.
About Valor:
Valor Collegiate Academies is a network of three high performing charter schools based in Nashville, Tennessee. Our schools are consistently ranked among the top 5% of schools in Tennessee for both achievement and growth. Our students outperform statewide averages, with ACT scores in the 99th percentile for open-enrollment schools. Our three schools have received A+ ratings from the Tennessee Department of Education, excelling in academics, growth, and college readiness.
Our Compass model is central to our mission, emphasizing comprehensive human development alongside rigorous academics. This approach nurtures relationships and identity-building, preparing students for both academic success and personal growth. Valor fosters a community intentionally diverse by income and race, and this inclusive environment enriches student learning and ensures opportunities across demographics.
About the CAO Role:
Valor Collegiate Academies is seeking an exceptional leader of curriculum and instruction to serve as the organization’s next Chief Academic Officer. This individual must be prepared to uphold the school’s clear throughline of student outcomes, teacher practice, curriculum and assessment, instructional leadership and program design. They will have a deep understanding of educator professional development, will be able to manage through influence and intense collaboration with other instructional and building leaders, and will maintain the school’s strong, research-based academic vision. This is a special opportunity for an expert in instructional design and practice to be part of leading this innovative team that is implementing a unique educational experience through its mix of rigorous academics, a comprehensive human development model, and the intentionality of building a school community that is diverse by design.
Core Responsibilities of the Chief Academic Officer include:
Vision Setting & Strategy
- Establish the organization’s vision, mission, and strategic direction for academics across middle and high school;
- Manage the Network Academic Team to lead the Academic Vision across our content areas.
Academic Leadership
- Ensure Valor maintains its high level of academic achievement and growth, holding a high vision and bar for excellence;
- Connect Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction as a Cohesive System for teaching and learning;
- Drive curriculum, assessment, professional learning and the infrastructure for and development of instructional practice through collaboration with the Managing Director of Schools, Principals and leaders.
Student Supports Vision & Strategy
- Ensure our academic program meets the diverse needs of our students;
- Lead Director of EL to effectively manage the program vision, budget and staffing approach for multilingual supports.
Teacher & Leader Development
- Develop and support the Network Academic Team in developing Instructional Leadership capacity across school based leadership teams through professional development, instructional rounds, and codified coaching tools/structures;
- Lead the Network academic team to plan and execute highly effective, aligned professional development for teachers;
- Oversee the vision and execution of Department Chair PL.
Network-Based Responsibilities
- Enforce, uphold, and exhibit each school’s values, student management policies, and culture.
- Own arrival duty and/or dismissal duty to support school-based needs, in addition to any supplemental duties asked of the team throughout the year.
Experiences and Qualifications:
At Valor, we believe our diversity makes us strong and we are committed to building a team of educators with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and expertise. Candidates with the following qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply for this position:
- A track record of 5+ years of success as a school administrator and/or senior leader for a school network, including 3+ years of experience managing the development of curriculum, instructional staff and outstanding professional development.
- Demonstrated commitment to Valor’s mission, vision and school model.
- Understanding of the Common Core State Standards, ACT standards, and ideally core Advanced Placement courses for English/Language Arts and/or History.
- A sustained record of outstanding academic results in grades 5-12; experience with both middle and high school curriculum and instruction highly preferred.
- Commitment and enthusiasm for working with an ethnically and economically diverse student body.
- A history of working well as part of a team, with a strong “whatever it takes” orientation.
- The ability to model, live, and reinforce the school’s core values inside and outside the classroom with colleagues, scholars, parents, and the larger community.
- Optimism, resilience, curiosity, a sense of humor, and a burning passion for personal growth and student success.
- Bachelor's degree, with an advanced degree strongly preferred.
Interview Process:
- Resume Review
- Phone Interview
- Performance Task
- Leadership Interviews
- Reference Checks
- Offer Extension
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
Valor believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables students and staff to thrive. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We actively seek applications from people of all backgrounds to strengthen our community and the perspectives needed to thrive in a diverse world.