Executive Director, Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School

Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School Seeks Executive Director

About Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School

Born from the passion of parents, educators, and community members, the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School (MVPCS) emerged in the early 1990s as a bold response to the newly enacted Massachusetts charter school legislation. After two years of research, dialogue, and planning, the school opened its doors in 1996 and quickly became a vital public option for families seeking a thoughtful, student-centered alternative. By 2001, the school realized its founding vision of a complete K–12 experience with its first graduating class, solidifying its role as an innovative educational anchor for the island community.

On the cusp of its 30th anniversary, the school’s mission—to cultivate lifelong learners in a multi-age, project-based environment grounded in interdependence—remains the foundation of its work today. Community-developed Pillars of Trust, Respect, Freedom, Responsibility, Democracy, and Cooperation guide both learning and culture, while School Rights created by students and teachers foster a safe, inclusive, and expressive environment. This ethos is reinforced through Personal Education Plans (PEPs), a signature practice that empowers students to actively direct their learning, brings parents into meaningful partnership, and nurtures thoughtful goal-setting across academic, social, and personal domains.

Recently reauthorized for five years as an International Baccalaureate World School offering both the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme, the MVPCS embraces an “IB for All” approach, inviting every junior and senior into an inquiry-driven, globally minded curriculum. The IB’s emphasis on critical thinking, international-mindedness, and real-world relevance aligns seamlessly with the school’s long-standing commitment to student agency and community engagement. Together, these elements create a dynamic, supportive environment where young people are equipped not only to excel academically but also to contribute positively to the world beyond the island.

Operating out of its custom-designed building in West Tisbury, while also using the entire island as its classroom, MVPCS educates approximately 170 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade; has an annual operating budget of $6.5 million; and employs about sixty teachers and staff, many with long tenures and deep commitments to the school’s unique mission. The school is overseen by a volunteer, eight-member Board of Directors comprised of community and education leaders as well as parents. The current Executive Director will complete the 2025-26 school year, ultimately returning to teaching off island. MVPCS seeks an Executive Director for the 2026-27 school year.

Opportunity Going Forward

Recently rechartered for five years, the Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead well-established school with a warm, joyful, and welcoming culture where students and families feel a sense of belonging and where diversity and individuality are celebrated. In addition to ensuring student achievement and effectively and efficiently overseeing all school operations, finances, culture, governance, and resource development, high priorities for the Executive Director are:

• Navigating the leadership transition, ensuring that existing and strong relationships are maintained and grown with students, parents, faculty, staff, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), community leaders, government officials, DESE, and supporters.
• Improving the school’s behavior management system by reinforcing some standard practices while also incorporating the flexibility needed to maintain student autonomy and allow teachers and students to form and sustain strong and supportive relationships.
• Raising the school’s academic rigor to ensure MVPCS remains a school of choice for parents seeking an exceptional education for their children while also providing the services needed for students with intensive needs.
• Working collaboratively with the board and the community to secure the resources needed to fund capital projects designed to expand extracurricular activities including the arts and athletics.
• Resolving some issues that exist with the recent implementation of the IB curriculum so there is a stronger alignment between the curriculum in the upper school and that of the lower school.
• Leading the school in confronting the profound shifts in today’s learning landscape by championing practices that protect and strengthen students’ curiosity and attention in an increasingly tech-saturated world, safeguarding students' capacity for meaningful learning and ensuring MVPCS remains a place where deep thinking thrives.
• Developing and sustaining a marketing and communications strategy that highlights the school’s unique strengths, minimizes adverse perceptions, and sustains full enrollment.
• Ensuring that MVPCS has the appropriate staffing, programs, and spaces to deliver the individualized educational program each student requires regardless of ability.
• Developing and implementing strategies to recruit, onboard, develop, and retain experienced teachers in a highly competitive job market where competition from traditional public schools and housing issues on the island are barriers.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

Credentials:

• Passion for and commitment to MVPCS’s unique mission, pillars, and school rights.
• A minimum of five years of senior educational leadership or equivalent experience.
• Understanding of and experience in the charter public school sector is a plus along with exposure to K-12 educational principles and practices.

Skills and Qualities:

Visionary and Mission-Aligned Educational Leader

• Successful track record leading a school or educational organization of similar scale and size in terms of educational program, students, and staff with an understanding of teaching and learning, including special education and IB expectations.
• Holds a clear educational vision informed by personal teaching experience but can honor the school’s founding principles based on a progressive, creative, student-centered approach to education.
• Able to leverage informed educational knowledge to influence, advise, coach, and delegate effectively to the school’s academic and/or instructional leaders and teachers to effectively foster open communication with educators about academic-related issues.
• Skilled at developing, managing, and reporting financials and ensuring strong compliance with charter regulations and reporting, audits, and governance best practices.
• Proactive problem-solver who encourages innovation and balances collaboration with the ability to make final decisions.
• Able to lead confidently when “in chaos” with calmness, consistency, and integrity while also listening for input and following through on actions.

Relationship-Centered and Compassionate Culture and Team Builder

• Warm, kind, empathetic, and approachable team leader who genuinely loves children and can build trusting relationships with students, families, and staff.
• High emotional and cultural intelligence with a commitment to hearing and respecting all voices so the entire school community feels valued and heard.
• Skilled at creating a positive, non-fear-based, emotionally stable school climate.
• Committed to supporting teacher growth, career development, and professional autonomy
• Strong listening skills, openness to feedback, and ability to build relationships and collaborate with MVPCS’s diverse community.
• Clear, honest, consistent communicator who maintains an open-door policy, is accessible to the community, and regularly and broadly shares updates on decisions, initiatives, and challenges.

Visible, Engaged, and Community-Connected Leadership

• Present in the day-to-day life of the school and inspired by and energized to be in relationship will all students and staff.
• Able to build strong community partnerships and serve as MVPCS’s public face to grow awareness, challenge adverse perceptions, and to sustain full enrollment.
• Understanding of the island’s multiple identities, cultures, and history and able to embrace and represent its diversity, particularly regarding its Wampanoag, Brazilian, and Jamaican communities.
• Skilled at expanding the school’s financial resources through private philanthropy, government grants, private grants, and/or corporate partnerships.
• Inspired to be the articulate, passionate, and dogged spokesperson and representative for MVPCS.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $150,000 to $175,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. MVPCS offers a comprehensive and generous benefits package which includes health, dental, and vision care coverage (75% paid by MVPCS), life and disability insurance plans (100% paid by MVPCS), retirement plan, and participation in the MTRS pension plan as well as significant paid time off. MVPCS may entertain a relocation package and/or housing stipend for off-island candidates.

Additional Information and Application Process

MVPCS commits to equal employment opportunity and equal access to education without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran, genetic information, or marital status.

We commit to making all reasonable efforts to ensure an environment free of discrimination or harassment on account of race, color, religion, sex, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran, genetic information, or marital status. and encourage all members of our community to support and foster the acceptance and inclusion of all individuals.

Candidate must include a resume and a cover letter, both in PDF format, which describe how qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of MVPCS. A CORI check will be required for finalists. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.

This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant, John Tarvin. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to John at: jtarvin@eostransitions.com.