President

President

The Core Knowledge Foundation seeks a strategic and visionary leader with a deep commitment to educational excellence and equity and a strong belief that knowledge-based literacy and curriculum are fundamental to a thriving democracy, to serve as its next President. This individual will build on the Core Knowledge Foundation's strong momentum and guide the organization in its next phase of engagement. With a range of content development and distribution partnerships, a network of over 2,000 Core Knowledge Schools, and a growing portfolio of coherent curricula across subjects and grade levels, in SY 2024 the Foundation is poised to engage an additional 1.75 million new students enrolled in schools adopting the Foundation’s printed curriculum while remaining the most frequented site for free downloadable curriculum. Building on this foundation, including extensive intellectual property and a robust financial model, the next President will work with the Core Knowledge Foundation board and team to develop and execute a vision, strategy, and plan to accelerate the Foundation’s engagement and reach and put knowledge at the heart of schooling in more classrooms, schools, and states nationwide.

Dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in education for all students, the Core Knowledge Foundation (Core Knowledge) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Founded in 1986 by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., an acclaimed author of many books on education who pioneered much of what is now called the “science of reading” while at the University of Virginia, the Core Knowledge Foundation offers detailed curricular guidance and materials to schools, teachers, parents, and policymakers—to anyone who believes, as we do, that every child in a diverse democracy deserves access to enabling knowledge. Core Knowledge curriculum has been the subject of many research studies spurring curriculum change and influencing how reading is now taught across the country. With evidence that the Core Knowledge approach elevates reading scores, growing interest from state departments of education, and a partnership with K-12 curriculum and assessment company Amplify, adoptions across subject areas, especially ELA and Social Studies, have been increasing dramatically. The Foundation publishes a wide variety of educational books and materials, from curricular guidelines to comprehensive instructional programs. Many of these materials are offered as open educational resources (OER), available at no cost for non-commercial use. While annual royalties and low-cost print sales in excess of $15M fund the organization’s work and underpin a substantial endowment likely reaching $50M next year, our motivation is to share the knowledge and promote the adoption of a coherent, comprehensive, knowledge-rich curriculum supported by robust professional development far and wide.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the President will lead Core Knowledge in executing current and future initiatives to increase its engagement. The core strategy of the Foundation is to identify unmet needs and develop unique programs focused on that change, and not to develop “me too” products. The President will have strong mission alignment and commitment to the science and practices of knowledge-based learning, bring a proven track record in executive management and business development, be able to translate research implications into practice, and communicate fluidly and effectively across diverse audiences.

The ideal candidate will possess significant years of experience and a record of progressive leadership appropriate to this role, preferably with experience in district- or state-education-agency executive leadership, and a working knowledge of education publishing.

While it is understood that no candidate will offer every desired skill, quality, and characteristic, the following offers a detailed, aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile:

• Mission alignment and commitment to knowledge-based learning;
• Translator of research to practice;
• Familiarity with translating state standards into instructional materials;
• Savvy communicator who can inspire and share complex ideas across multiple audiences;
• Deep knowledge and understanding of the education sector, including the federal, state, and local policy ecosystem, publishing, and education-sector support organizations;
• Proven track record of translating a vision into actionable strategies and initiatives that were implemented to desired outcomes;
• Demonstrated track record of media and communications savvy, reaching policy audiences and education system leadership;
• Ability to foster a thriving and collaborative organizational culture; an active listener who seeks input from others and makes clear and transparent decisions;
• Excellent management skills, including proficiency reading financial statements, preparing, and managing to a budget, managing a P&L, and maintaining a healthy balance sheet;
• Demonstrated track record of effective team leadership, management, and support, with experience building, refining, and implementing systems and structures for team thriving;
• The ability to lead a team of both in-person and remote employees with a commitment to a culture of care, inclusion, and kindness;
• Bachelor's degree required and advanced degree in a relevant field preferred.

The range of salary for this role is $250,000-$350,000. The Core Knowledge Foundation offers a wide range of benefits, including health insurance, paid time off, and more. Relocation to Charlottesville is not a requirement as only a handful of staff live in the area.

For a full position description, please click here.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Evaluation of candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until a new President is named. Interested candidates can apply using the following Talent Profile link: https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/21273

Inquiries and nominations may be sent in confidence to: e.meissner@storbecksearch.com

Katie Vivalo Rouse, Managing Director

Molly Brennan, Managing Director

Erin Meissner, Senior Search Associate

For more information about Core Knowledge Foundation, please visit https://www.coreknowledge.org/

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Foundation is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform service member status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.