Head of School

Caprock Academy is seeking a Head of School. Caprock Academy is a public, tuition-free school chartered by the Colorado Charter School Institute and utilizes the timeless principles of classically oriented education. As a person integral to Caprock Academy’s team, the Head of School will maintain the integrity of, advocate for, and facilitate the implementation of Caprock Academy’s Vision, Mission, and Core Values of character, accountability and academics.

The Head of School is the chief executive of Caprock Academy, responsible for executing the mission and vision with integrity, academic excellence, and disciplined leadership. This role demands a dynamic, principled leader who embodies and defends the values of classical education, maintains high performance across all domains, and ensures Caprock remains a premier academic institution.

This is not an entry-level leadership role. It requires deep strategic ability, firm decision-making grounded in data and values, and a demonstrated capacity to build a mission-driven, high-performing culture. The Head of School must ensure the fidelity of our classical model while guiding thoughtful innovations aligned with student and community needs.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Full Time, Salary Exempt

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Regular, full-time

PAY RANGE: $100,000-$130,000

REPORTS TO: Caprock Academy Board of Directors

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as the driving force behind the school’s mission, vision, and classical model, ensuring all programs and policies are aligned with core values.
• Lead long-range planning and strategic execution, including regular assessment of academic, financial, and operational benchmarks.
• Represent the school with professionalism and strength to the Charter School Institute (CSI), government entities, families, and the broader community.
• Remain adaptive and decisive in addressing fluctuations in enrollment, funding shifts, or legislative changes, while keeping the school mission centered.

Instructional & Academic Excellence

• Set and uphold clear academic expectations for student performance, teacher effectiveness, and curriculum integrity.
• Supervise curriculum development to ensure alignment with Caprock’s Classical Education philosophy and charter commitments.
• Evaluate school-wide instructional practices and guide the implementation of interventions based on student data and learning outcomes.
• Ensure robust assessment systems are in place and used effectively to measure and drive student growth.
• Promote and protect a culture of learning that honors virtue, scholarship, and curiosity.

Organizational Management & Culture

• Build and retain a high-performing leadership and administrative team aligned with the mission of Caprock.
• Establish a strong organizational structure that defines clear roles, accountability systems, and decision-making protocols.
• Uphold a high-functioning, values-driven culture among students, staff, and families that promotes collaboration, trust, and commitment to excellence.
• Oversee day-to-day school operations, including enrollment targets, staffing, discipline, school safety, and facilities oversight.

Financial Stewardship

• Oversee the school’s budget development, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and fiscal responsibility.
• Present transparent monthly and annual financial reports to the Board of Directors.
• Manage risks and develop revenue-generating strategies through grants, fundraising, and community partnerships.
• Maintain compliance with local, state, and federal regulations while protecting the long-term financial stability of the school.

Governance & Board Collaboration

• Serve as the primary advisor and liaison to the Board of Directors, preparing data-driven reports, recommendations, and strategic insights.
• Support the Board’s role in governance through collaboration on policy, financial planning, charter compliance, and long-term strategy.
• Align all leadership decisions with the Board-approved strategic plan and act swiftly to implement required changes or improvements.

Qualifications

Required:

• Active Colorado Professional Principal License.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in executive school leadership (Principal, Head of School, or Executive Director).
• Familiarity with charter school governance and state-level compliance.
• Minimum 5 years of teaching experience.
• Deep understanding of classical education philosophy.
• Strong background in organizational and financial management.
• Proven experience using data to drive instruction, improvement, and decision-making.

Preferred:

• Experience with Core Knowledge Curriculum.
• Graduate degree in Educational Leadership or related field.
• Fundraising and grant-writing experience.

Leadership Traits We Expect

• Leads with integrity, clarity, and resolve.
• Makes tough decisions when needed but builds consensus and trust.
• Models empathy, discipline, and a commitment to mission over trend.
• Knows how to build and retain a team that wants to work at Caprock and grow with it.
• Aligns daily decisions with long-term vision, strategic priorities, and student outcomes.

Language Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to analyze complex information, prepare reports, and deliver persuasive presentations to diverse audiences.

Analytical and Reasoning Skills

An ability to define problems, gather data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions is important. Also important is an ability to interpret a variety of instructions in verbal, mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.  

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The duties of this position are typically performed in a school setting or office environment. The noise level in the work environment can range from moderate to loud. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job. 

Benefits:

Caprock offers a competitive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage, encompassing Medical, Dental, and Vision plans.
• Retirement benefits through the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA).
• Tailored professional development opportunities focused on charter school leadership and Classical Education. The potential for Discretionary Bonuses to reward exceptional performance.
• Support for work-life balance through flexible scheduling and wellness initiatives.

Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. Caprock Academy maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees may be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

EEO Statement

Caprock Academy is an EEO employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, or other characteristics protected by law.