ED Job Description
Position Title: Executive Director (ED)
Overview
Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter School is seeking an Executive Director (ED) for its faculty, administrators, and 760 preschool through eighth grade students for the 2025-2026 academic year, with a proposed start date of June 2025. The Executive Director ensures the mission and vision of the school are fulfilled through collaborative leadership and by ensuring financial, instructional, and human resources oversight. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring a positive school culture, safe environment, and exemplary learning environmentfor its students grounded in the philosophy and teaching methods of Dr. Maria Montessori.
Reporting to the LHU Foundation Board of Directors, the ED will work with and oversee the Children’s House, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Exceptional Children, and Middle School Directors to ensure instructional fidelity, establish priorities, and recommend policies. Additionally, the ED works closely with the Director of Operations who ??oversees the daily workflow of the administrative managers who manage admissions, billing, HR, data management, and facilities.
Sterling’s Montessori Academy and Charter’s Mission Statement
The mission of Sterling Montessori is to create a diverse educational community, grounded in the Montessori philosophy and teaching practices, that fosters curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in its students. We strive to empower each student to become life-long learners who
respect themselves, others, and their environment.
About Sterling
Founded in 1997, Sterling Montessori is a private preschool and public charter school serving approximately 760 students from Pre-K through 8th grade. Each section—Children’s House, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School—is led by an experienced and dedicated section director. The School follows Montessori guiding principles including mixed-age classes, use of Montessori materials, and individual lesson plans. Sterling Montessori
Academy and Charter School is governed by the Laura Holland Uzzell Foundation (LHUF), a nonprofit organization led by a board of directors comprising Sterling parents, community members, and alumni.
Sterling prides itself on having a diverse educational community. Its professional and highly-qualified faculty and administrative staff are committed to following the individual needs of its students in order to achieve personal academic excellence and to cultivate an educationalcuriosity to become life-long learners.
Executive Director Qualifications and Skills:
A qualified candidate must have a proven record of successful school leadership and a passionate commitment to all children. Candidates must have excellent verbal and written communication as well as strong organizational, operational, financial, interpersonal, and management skills. Candidates must also possess a demonstrated ability to focus on attaining rigorous academic goals, curriculum development, and a commitment to academic excellence for all levels of students. The ideal candidate will share the vision for the school outlined in the Strategic Plan, particularly our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and our journey toward accreditation from the American Montessori Society (AMS).
A Master’s degree in education, school administration, leadership, or related field is required.
Required experience:
Experience teaching and leading in public, private, and/or charter school settings
Experience in managing and evaluating personnel
Experience with and/or understanding of diverse learners and inclusion models
Experience cultivating and maintaining a positive school climate and culture
Experience developing and managing a large budget
Preferred experience:
Experience in public, charter, and/or Montessori education
Experience in managing and evaluating school leaders
Experience with Montessori philosophy and practices; AMS training preferred.
Experience working with a governing board of directors.
Development/fundraising experience
Familiarity with digital communication and organizational tools
Essential duties and responsibilities include:
Leadership
Maintain a school culture of courtesy, respect, compassion, and intellectual engagement
for both students and adults
Ensure a safe, supportive, and productive environment for students, staff, and families
Model effective adult development practices in staff meetings, professional development
sessions, and team meetings
Promote active conflict resolution by fostering open dialogue among directors to address
issues constructively, supported by training, to maintain a respectful environment.
Empower and develop leaders by delegating decision-making authority and provide
mentorship, encouraging ownership and continuous learning in leadership skills
Model clear and inclusive leadership by communicating strategic and school wide goals effectively and ensure all voices are heard in decision-making, while establishing accountability for leadership outcomes.
Instructional Planning and Management
Work with section directors to ensure that the curricula, materials, and instructional
approach used are faithful to the Montessori approach
Maintain a professional community that focuses on instruction and assessment as the primary vehicles for improving student achievement and school culture.
Maintain a consistent set of expectations to ensure continuity between school levels
Support the faculty and staff in aligning with the mission to be an authentic Montessori school with all components of peace education and being a culturally responsive school
Oversight of implementation of inclusive support for all students
Oversight of assessment practices and tools
Human Resources Planning and Management
Oversee the implementation of the human resources policies, procedures, and practices, including the development of job descriptions for all staff
Hire and support the development of all school staff
Implement effective systems for evaluating and supporting faculty performance, fostering professional growth including on-going observation, and coaching
Motivate staff to continue to develop their content knowledge and instructional repertoire, and to provide the resources needed for them to do so
Ensure that all administrative personnel are mentored and supported in personal and
professional growth
Guide, mentor, and provide effective goal setting and performance feedback to direct reports and create a leadership environment that holds directors accountable for doing the same.
Financial Planning and Management
Ensure that administrative and operational tasks are delegated appropriately to members of the Administration Team, considering individual strengths, capabilities, and areas of growth so that each person has an equitable workload and can successfully complete assigned tasks
Oversee and guide development initiatives
Board Relations
Prepare for and attend monthly Board Meetings
Collaborate with the Board of Directors in fulfilling the mission and vision of the school through implementation of the strategic plan
Collaborate with the Board of Directors to ensure the academic and fiscal success of the school
Identify, assess, and inform the Board of Directors of internal and external issues that affect the school
Provide regular reporting to the board on metrics defined and designed to ensure strong operational and fiscal responsibility.
Act as a professional advisor to the Board of Directors on all aspects of the school’s activities
Collaborate with various committees, including the Policy Committee to recommend and revise school policies
Community Relations
Implement policies and practices that actively encourage and support community and family connection to school events and operations for a culture of engagement
Provide opportunities for families to expand their knowledge of Montessori principles and how they support healthy child development
Create and sustain opportunities for home-school partnerships
Accountability
Complete annual reporting required of charter schools and oversee the submission of all accountability reports
Implement all policies required for the school to remain in good standing and in accordance with Office of Charter Schools and NC Department of Public Instruction standard operating procedures
Maintain working partnerships with relevant governing bodies including OCS and DPI
Fully participate in network-wide professional learning communities
Application
To apply, please submit a resume or CV, a letter describing your interest in the position and qualifications, and three professional references to search@lhuf.org. Please also fill out the Application Form