Assistant Superintendent, Student Life

Title: Assistant Superintendent (Student Life) 

Department: Office of School Performance, Secondary  

Reports To: Associate Superintendent, Secondary

The School District of Philadelphia is committed to becoming the fastest improving  District in the country and transforming the educational opportunities it offers to our city’s  more than 200,000 students. The District seeks leaders who have a passion for working  with schools and communities who are committed to ensuring all students achieve.  Serving a population as diverse as ours requires creativity, commitment and vision. Will  you join us?

Job Summary 

Quality school leadership contributes significantly to student achievement. Assistant  Superintendents for the School District of Philadelphia supervise and support a network  of 20-30 school principals. Assistant Superintendents are expected to promote high  quality instructional practices; provide instructional leadership direction; and coach,  mentor and support principals as they grow their leadership skills. The work of Assistant  Superintendents is an integral part of the classroom-by-classroom, school-by-school  effort to ensure that all students are given and education that allows them to thrive,  succeed and lead in a global society. Assistant Superintendents are responsible for  helping to select and assign principals, supporting differentiated professional growth and  building the leadership capacity of the District. Collecting, analyzing and using multiple  sources of data to guide continuous improvement of schools within their purview is an  important function of this job. Assistant Superintendents are also expected to help  assess school climate and to assist principals with the development of plans to achieve  the Goals and Guardrails of the School District over the next five years.

Essential Functions

• Guides principals to provide learning environments to achieve the Goals of the District which enable every student to achieve and read on or above grade level, perform on or  above grade level in math and that every student graduates ready for college and  career. 
• Ensures the consistent implementation of the practices across all schools which  support the Guardrails of the District for Guardrail 1: Welcoming and Supportive  Schools; Guardrail 2: Enriching and Well-Rounded School Experiences; Guardrail 3:  Partnering with Parents/Family Members; Guardrail 4: Addressing Racist Practices.
• Coordinates and ensures the successful integration of evidence-based strategies to  ensure the growth and success of all District schools.
• Formulates, plans and implements mentoring and professional growth and  development to assigned principals; develops and implements differentiated  professional growth plans that include current, evidence-based practices; reviews and  assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of professional development plans.
• Helps to select, develop and evaluate principals.
• Provides leadership as a member of a collaborative team to ensure that curriculum and  instruction initiatives are student focused and aligned with the Core Curriculum.
• Functions as a qualified observer of teachers and principals.
• Supports principals to assess the core competencies that teachers need to implement  curriculum and deliver instruction.
• Ensures coordinated, excellent services are delivered to schools.
• Ensures the deployment of resources and intervention approaches to appropriately and  effectively address challenges.
• Ensures the implementation of strategies to meet the District’s Goals and Guardrails.
• Communicates clearly with principals, parents and the community about the District’s mission and the Goals and Guardrails.
• Actively engages with students, parents and families to learn from them and support  their needs.
• Responds to constituents’ concerns and serves as the liaison to schools, central offices  and community groups on matters related to instruction and school leadership.
• Advocates on behalf of school communities within the School District central  administration.
• Works with principals on the development of strategies that support the Goals and  Guardrails and enhance the learning environment and support administrative  efficiency.
• Ensures that all functions and activities are executed in compliance with District  policies and professional standards and local, state and federal laws.
• Develops effective working relationships with principals and school stakeholders.
• Uses executive judgment to solve problems and manage crises.

Student Life Specialty 

• Lead the vision and promote a District-wide culture focused on enrichment, opportunity, and whole-child development in collaboration with internal offices and  external partnerships.
• Serve as a key district liaison to external partners, city agencies, and internal  departments to ensure alignment between student life programs and district-wide  strategic priorities, including Accelerate Philly. 
• Monitor and evaluate program outcomes using qualitative and quantitative data to  ensure continuous improvement and equitable access across all student  demographics.
• Oversee the strategic execution of new and existing student programs by managing  the funding, implementation timeline, ensuring sustainability, and directing supporting  staff.
• Supervise and support staff responsible for advancing departmental and District goals, providing coaching and performance feedback grounded in best practices.
• Assess and implement innovative models to enhance student experiences both in and  out of school, using research and national best practices as benchmarks.
• Design and implement a strategic monitoring framework to assess the effectiveness of  programs and initiatives, including data-informed action planning and reporting cycles.
• Collaborate across departments to coordinate service delivery for student programs, ensuring streamlined and student-centered operations.
• Engage stakeholders consistently and transparently to build awareness, trust, and  shared ownership of strategic priorities.
• Manage budget development and oversight for programs across multiple funding  streams, ensuring proper use and alignment to program design.
• Track and monitor expenditures, ensuring accuracy, fiscal responsibility, and compliance.
• Lead the development of grant proposals and strategic plans, including measurable  goals, budgets, and performance indicators to guide implementation and  accountability.