Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is seeking a Director of Culture & Student Experience to join our team for the 2026–27 school year.

ABOUT GREAT OAKS LEGACY CHARTER SCHOOL

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School (GOLCS) is a free, open-enrollment public charter school system in Newark, New Jersey, educating students from Pre-K to 12th grade. Our mission is to prepare every student for college success. GOLCS currently educates more than 2,100 students across seven campuses in the greater Newark area.

We provide all children with the support they need - inclusive of resources that acknowledge and address systemic inequities - to be empowered to thrive. We bridge the educational opportunity gap by supporting rigorous academics with daily individualized tutoring within a community committed to supporting equity and diversity.

These three principles guide our work, every day, in support of our students and mission:

1. Creating a community that is built upon genuine and meaningful relationships;
2. Being surgical in our approach to differentiation of instruction and support of all students and team members;

Setting and exceeding high expectations for academic growth and character development for all students, in preparation for success in college and beyond.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Director of Culture & Student Experience is a network-level leader responsible for designing, codifying, and scaling a coherent vision for high-quality learning environments and student experience across all GOLCS schools.This role ensures that all schools have clear, aligned, and effective culture systems, and builds the capacity of School Directors, Assistant School Directors, and Deans of Culture to implement these systems with fidelity. This leader is responsible for reducing variability across schools and ensuring that every scholar experiences a consistent, and high-quality learning environment. Every Scholar. Every School. Every Day.

Core Responsibilities

Learning Environment & Culture Systems

• Design and codify network-wide frameworks for: Learning environment expectations, Incentives and recognition systems and Discipline systems
• Define non-negotiables and look-fors aligned to TNTP Insight. Ensure schools have: Clear systems, Strong implementation plans and Monitoring structures
• Monitor implementation across schools and intervene when inconsistencies arise
• Ensure alignment between: Expectations → Adult actions → Student experience

Discipline & Incident Systems

• Design and implement a network-wide discipline framework, including: Clear response systems, Before-suspension interventions and Consistent consequence structures
• Build and codify systems for: Incident collection, tracking, and reporting, HIB compliance and documentation
• Ensure all schools have 1)clear processes, 2) Implement with fidelity and 3) Maintain compliance

Student Experience & Engagement

• Ensure scholars are: Engaged, on-task, and meeting expectations, Participating actively in instruction
• Lead systems that promote:
• Joy and belonging
• Student ownership and accountability
• Oversee and strengthen:
• Community Circles / Family Meetings
• School-wide rituals and traditions

Attendance & Truancy

• Design and oversee a network-wide attendance and truancy framework, including: Early identification systems, Intervention protocols and Reporting structures
• Establish clear expectations aligned to Attendance Protocols
• Ensure schools monitor students on track for truancy and Implement proactive interventions

Talent Management

• Train and coach teachers and leaders to:
• Implement consistent behavior systems
• Use positive narration (academic + behavioral)
• Address misbehavior immediately and effectively
• Ensure all staff uphold expectations across all settings (hallways, lunchroom, transitions)
• Partner with School Directors and Deans of Culture to Identify gaps in implementation and provide targeted coaching and support
• Develop the Dean of Culture to strengthen systems, increase student responsiveness, and improve teacher implementation.

Professional Development

• Design a network-wide PD arc teachers, leaders and Deans of Culture:
• Teachers: Learning environment, Classroom & Whole School Culture systems and Engagement + behavior
• Leaders: Coaching teachers, Leading culture systems, and Using data
• Deans of Culture: Full scope & sequence for 1) Systems, 2) Coaching and 3) Data
• Ensure transfer to practice through modeling, coaching, walkthroughs, and PLCs.
• Build the capacity of Deans of Culture to lead high-impact PD and coaching cycles.

Data & Progress Monitoring

• Own design and implementation of 1) Panorama Survey (network-wide ownership), 2) Family Survey (creation + rollout) and 3) Culture data systems
• Define what data is collected, how it is analyzed and how it is used
• Hold schools accountable for data analysis and action plans based on data, and Progress monitoring
• Monitor and analyze:
• TNTP Insight (Learning Environment domain)
• Behavior data (referrals, ISS/OSS)
• Attendance and chronic absenteeism
• Incentive participation

Family & Community Engagement

• Design and codify family engagement expectations and communication frameworks
• Lead the creation of Student and Family Handbooks
• Every school will have a fully established PAC by September, with families actively engaged through monthly meetings and leading at least two school-based events annually.

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred
• 3–5+ years of teaching experience (required)
• 2–4+ years of leadership and/or coaching experience (Dean, AP, Instructional Coach, etc.)
• Proven track record of improving:
• School culture
• Student outcomes
• Experience designing or implementing:
• Behavior systems
• School-wide culture systems

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School offers a competitive and equitable compensation package aligned to years of relevant experience. The minimum base salary for this role is $105,000, along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans w/ comprehensive network coverage.
• Tax exempt student loan and tuition reimbursement per year.*
• Reimbursement for external professional development aligned to your role.
• Wellness reimbursement benefits including gym memberships, spa services, and more.*
• Online counseling services - for staff and their dependents - via top-rated therapy app.*
• Pre-tax state pension plan benefit with additional options available via voluntary retirement plans.
• Pre-tax dependent care, health, and transit flexible spending plans available.
• Convenient health screening and telemedicine support via VitalCheck Wellness platform.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, & ACCESSIBILITY

GOLCS is committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. Furthermore, we believe that racial justice and equity is critical to our mission of preparing students for success in college and beyond. We strive to be an organization that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and elevates our student voices in preparing them for life and college.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Great Oaks Legacy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.