Conservatory Director (2024- 2025)

About Academy of Visual and Performing Arts

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) is a 6-12th grade, tuition-free public charter school for students in Fort Worth, Texas, and surrounding communities. Our mission is to provide a safe, challenging learning environment that cultivates our students’ academic and artistic excellence. We exist to ensure that all students are provided with equitable opportunities to Learn In the Arts and Learn through the Arts.

Start Date: October 23, 2023

Type: Full-time position. Work hours are generally 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Flexibility in the work schedule is expected due to the nature of working in a start-up environment. Please note that this position requires occasional Saturdays and evenings as required for concerts, performances, events, etc. Candidates should have the flexibility to travel and work remotely, as needed. The schedule will be adjusted to accommodate after-hours assignments.

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

SUMMARY

The Conservatory Director is an eminent creative, possessing a wealth of knowledge, experience, and professional connections to draw upon in leading, organizing, managing, and evaluating the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts Conservatory Programs. Reporting to the Superintendent, the Conservatory Director is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring that AVPA meets high standards of organizational, instructional, operational, and customer service excellence, enabling the school-based instructional leaders and staff to focus on driving strong student achievement outcomes. As an AVPA Conservatory Director, core responsibilities, at a minimum, include:

Teaching and Learning Leadership

● Lead the development, evaluation, revision, and alignment of 6-12 fine arts curricula in dance, digital media arts, literary arts, music (vocal and instrumental), theatre arts, visual arts, and nonathletic extracurricular activities.
● Collaborate with the instructional leadership team on the development of the arts-integrated, project-based curriculum and work with the appropriate staff to systematically review, calibrate, revise, and the curriculum to ensure that it is aligned with grade-level and content standards and student learning.
● Develop and advance conservatory programming and initiatives, understanding and responding to the interests, needs, and priorities of the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts and the community.
● Manage day-to-day conservatory programs: initiatives, curriculum and assessment implementation, course scheduling, Wednesday Conservatory (learning experiences, classes, intensives, activities, and private lessons), and student performances, exhibitions, and ensembles in accordance with policies and best practices.
● Provide leadership and administrative support for cross-departmental projects, events, meetings, and initiatives, such as workshops, competitions, master classes, and recitals.
● Track and evaluate both quantitative and qualitative program and student performance outcomes to inform future goals and opportunities.
● Capture feedback and input on a regular basis, in order to enhance offerings and respond to the needs of staff, students, families, and community partners.

Professional Development

● Coordinate a high-quality professional development framework (workshops, clinics, and staff meetings) to support educators and staff in the fulfillment of the mission, vision, and goals of the program.

● Track and monitor the skillful implementation of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in order to arrange and conduct real-time, job-embedded professional learning.

Strategic Community Partnerships

● Work with the Senior Leadership Team to develop a strategic plan that will certify partnering organizations; define programs and resources and how they are made available to students within the school day; articulate measurable, shared goals and definitions of success, communication strategies, methods for data collection and evaluation, and plans for long-term sustainability, including funding considerations.

● Leverage school and community partnerships to provide meaningful and thoughtful expanded learning opportunities for students.
● Establish and maintain effective working relationships with creative arts businesses, organizations, professional and teaching artists, city personnel, creative arts venues, media, vendors, and the public in alignment with program expectations and goals.
● Plan and manage conservatory extracurricular activities, student-centered educational and cultural experiences, academic enrichment, and cultural activities.
● Assist in making travel arrangements for all fine arts and non-athletic student groups.

Family and Community Engagement

● Research and develop the organizational infrastructure for all family and community engagement activities and events.

● Demonstrate the use of appropriate and effective techniques to encourage community and parent involvement.
● Develop and host formal, public events for self-reflection and celebration of learning, such as the Presentations of Learning at the end of each 9 weeks.
● Ensure that all families and community stakeholders are provided with clear and transparent communication, and can make sense of data.
● Develop and coordinate the Community Arts Advisory Team (CAT) and coordinate monthly meetings to engage in the strategic planning process that includes creating a vision for strategic community partnerships in the service of visual and performing arts.

Marketing and Communications

● Maintain continuous lines of communication, keeping the Superintendent informed of all critical issues.
● Articulate and monitor measurable, shared goals and definitions of success, communication strategies, methods for data collection and evaluation, and plans for long-term sustainability, including funding considerations.
● Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to research and develop targeted strategies that maximize opportunities to promote conservatory staff, students, and programs.

Human Resource Administration, Compliance, and Risk Management

● Assist with recruitment, selection, and training of conservatory personnel and staff and make sound recommendations relative to personnel placement, assignment, retention, discipline, and dismissal.
● Directly manage and evaluate all conservatory teachers and staff to ensure the instructional, operational, and administrative needs of the program are provided.
● Utilize informal and formal observations and feedback practices to improve upon teaching and organizational practices.
● Onboard and supervise all teaching and professional artists to AVPA’s school culture and climate, schedules and logistics, collaboration and professional development, pedagogical practices, ongoing assessments of student learning, and how we will evaluate student engagement, participation, and positive impact.

Finance

● Collaborate with the Director of Operations to oversee and administer conservatory program budgets, purchasing, scheduling, and relevant contractor, client, and vendor relationships.

● Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to maximize contributed revenue opportunities through organizational relations, grants, fundraising, and individual donor engagement.
● Oversee program budgets, approving and monitoring expenditures as necessary.
● Prepare specifications for fine arts bids and supervise the purchase of fine arts materials and equipment.

Performs Other Duties as Assigned.

Requirements

First and foremost, the Conservatory Director must have an unwavering commitment to the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts’ mission and a willingness to go above and beyond to meet the needs of AVPA students, families, and sta. Additionally, for this position, we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

● Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred.
● Texas teaching certification, preferably in a fine arts discipline
● Three (3) yrs. teaching experience in at least one area of fine arts;
● Results-proven track record of exceeding goals; evidence of the ability to consistently make good decisions through a combination of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; high level of business acumen and problem-solving skills
● Strong project and time management skills; ability to effectively backward plan, juggle multiple priorities with great attention to, detail, and deliver consistent and timely results
● Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and enthusiastic communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
● Ability to lead, influence, and hold others accountable to high standards of organizational excellence
● Strong learning orientation and desire to work in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment
● Successful criminal background check results required

Benefits

What We Offer

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts’ compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for the PK-12 charter market to ensure equity across our institution. The salary for this role is $72,500-$75,000 annually. AVPA is committed to internal pay equity throughout our organization. Because of this, we do not negotiate salary offers outside our salary bands. We offer a competitive benefits package with comprehensive health benefits. All staff members are equipped with the tools needed to succeed, including relevant and quality professional development, laptop computer, email, and all necessary supplies.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts 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. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.