Founding High School Director

The American Dream Charter School II is launching a new dual-language high school in the Washington Heights section of New York City, serving English language learners and immigrant students. This founding role offers a rare opportunity to build a high school from the ground up - shaping its academic vision, culture, systems, and community partnerships from day one.

We are seeking a bilingual, bold, and entrepreneurial school leader who is energized by the challenge of building something new and meaningful. The Founding High School Director will serve as the instructional, cultural, and organizational architect of the school, designing rigorous bilingual programming, cultivating a strong college-going culture, and ensuring students graduate prepared to lead confidently in both Spanish and English.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to launch a new dual-language High School that continues the ADS legacy of Diversity, Respect, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Motivation, in partnership with Network Leadership and the Washington Heights community.

Who This Role Is For

This role is ideal for a leader who:

• Is excited by founding work and understands that not all systems will exist on day one
• Sees ambiguity as an opportunity and enjoys designing structures, processes, and culture intentionally
• Takes ownership and initiative, not just direction
• Balances big-picture vision with day-to-day execution
• Is deeply committed to bilingualism, equity, and serving immigrant communities

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone ready to build, lead, and grow alongside a new school community.

Key Responsibilities

The School Director will lead with purpose and collaboration to ensure academic excellence, strong school culture, and operational alignment in service of the ADS mission.

• Lead with purpose and conviction, ensuring that every student receives a high-quality bilingual-bicultural education grounded in the values of Diversity, Respect, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Motivation.
• Design, launch, and grow a new dual-language high school, building academic, cultural, and operational systems that foster excellence, inclusivity, and belonging.
• Supervise and support teachers, staff, and instructional teams to ensure alignment across academic, operational, and cultural priorities.
• Develop and oversee instructional programs that drive student success in Regents, college readiness, and bilingual proficiency.
• Cultivate strong partnerships with families, community organizations, and local leaders to strengthen engagement and support for students in Community School District 6.
• Model visionary leadership, integrity, and collaboration while building a joyful and mission-driven school culture.
• Ensure operational and regulatory excellence, maintaining compliance with state, network, and charter requirements.

Founding Leadership & Vision

The School Director will serve as a visionary founder and leader behind building the systems, culture, and community partnerships that bring The American Dream Charter School’s dual language mission to life in a new High School.

• Design and implement the school’s academic and cultural blueprint, ensuring alignment with ADS’s dual language model while adapting it for the high school context.
• Recruit, hire, and develop a team of educators and staff who are mission-aligned, culturally responsive, and committed to bilingual excellence.
• Collaborate with network leadership to build sustainable systems for growth, accountability, and long-term success as additional grades are added.
• Establish operational and instructional structures that promote consistency, transparency, and collaboration across classrooms and departments.
• Develop the school’s identity- its traditions, voice, and community partnerships—rooted in the belief that bilingualism and biculturalism are assets that empower students to lead.
• Lead strategic planning for school growth, including facilities, enrollment, and resource management, ensuring that every decision aligns with ADS’s mission and the needs of the Washington Heights community.

Academic

The School Director will ensure that all students receive a rigorous bilingual education that promotes biliteracy, critical thinking, and high achievement across all content areas.

• Lead the design and implementation of a rigorous dual language program that promotes biliteracy, critical thinking, and high achievement.
• Oversee curriculum and assessments aligned with New York State standards and the ADS dual language framework.
• Coach and support teachers through regular feedback and professional development focused on language-rich, data-driven instruction.
• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of English language learners, students with disabilities, and diverse learners through culturally responsive practices.
• Collaborate with network leaders to align best practices, evaluate progress, and strengthen family engagement in students’ bilingual learning journeys.
• Model and uphold high expectations for every student’s success in both English and Spanish.

School Culture

The School Director will cultivate a joyful, inclusive environment where bilingualism, respect, and belonging are celebrated and lived daily.

• Build a joyful and inclusive culture grounded in ADS’s core values of Diversity, Respect, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Motivation.
• Foster belonging and collaboration among students, families, and staff through strong community structures and bilingual engagement.
• Promote student leadership and advocacy, empowering students to take ownership of their learning and school environment.
• Model restorative and culturally responsive practices that support growth, accountability, and safety.
• Celebrate bilingualism and biculturalism as assets that enrich the school community and student identity.
• Partner with families and community organizations to expand opportunities for learning, wellness, and cultural connection.

Cross-Functional Leadership

The School Director will foster strong collaboration and communication across all departments, ensuring alignment between academic, operational, and cultural priorities.

• Build strong relationships with students, families, staff, and network partners grounded in clear communication and shared accountability.
• Collaborate across academic, operational, and cultural teams to ensure systems are cohesive and mission-aligned.
• Communicate with clarity and purpose, fostering open dialogue and a solutions-oriented culture.
• Facilitate effective planning and meetings, ensuring clear goals, next steps, and follow-up.
• Represent the school and ADS network with professionalism, advancing collaboration and resource-sharing to strengthen the dual language mission.

School and Program Management

The School Director will build and sustain a mission-driven team, aligning people, systems, and resources to support student success and operational excellence.

• Hire, develop, and retain mission-driven, certified staff committed to bilingual excellence and student achievement.
• Oversee curriculum implementation and instructional quality, ensuring alignment with ADS’s dual language model.
• Lead evaluation and professional development cycles that promote continuous growth and instructional excellence.
• Manage systems for data, compliance, and operations in collaboration with network teams to meet all state and charter requirements.
• Oversee budgets and resources with transparency and alignment to school priorities.
• Continuously assess and refine school systems to improve efficiency, collaboration, and outcomes.

Position and experience requirements

• Minimum of five years of school leadership experience, with a proven record of improving academic outcomes and fostering inclusive culture.
• Certified New York State School Administrator (i.e. School Building Leader)
• Able to communicate professionally in Spanish and English in writing and speech with a deep understanding of bilingual and dual language education at the high school level.
• Skilled in curriculum design, instructional leadership, and data-driven improvement that supports measurable student growth.
• Demonstrated success in recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse, mission-aligned staff.
• Strong collaboration, communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to build partnerships across students, families, and the network community.

COMPENSATION: 

Salary range - 140,000 - 180,000

Competitive package, including benefits and retirement plan.  

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested applicants should apply with a resume and a brief cover letter sharing what excites them about founding a new dual-language high school and how their leadership experience prepares them for this type of start-up role.

Cover letter required; applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed.

START DATE: April 1, 2026