Immediate Opening
Academic 2015-2016
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Chief Academic Officer
Division | Department:
Position | Type:
Reports to:
Salary:
CAO- Administrative
Full Time
President|CEO
Anticipated Start Date:
No later than January 4, 2016
Commensurate with experience
State of Louisiana Retirement and Benefits Package
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) is a performing and visual arts
high school that serves as Louisiana’s Arts Conservatory. We have a dynamic team of
arts, academics, educators and administrators working together to teach and grow the
next generation of leaders in the creative and cultural economy. NOCCA faculty
provide intensive, pre-professional instruction in Dance, Classical Instrumental, Vocal
Music, Jazz Instrumental, Drama, Musical Theatre, Theatre Design, Visual Arts, Media
Arts, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts, and the Academic Studio.
97% of NOCCA graduates go on to college, conservatory and university. In 2015 the 137
seniors were offered $17 million in scholarships.
NOCCA is a public school and an agency of the State of Louisiana.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) will be the primary lead on oversight, partnership,
leadership and elevation of what happens inside of the classrooms at NOCCA.
NOCCA is one of the best schools of its kind in the country and this opportunity is a
unique and extraordinary one for the right candidate.
There are 13 different primary areas of instruction at NOCCA, 11 in the Arts and two in
the Academic Studio.
The Arts at NOCCA are taught in a professional environment at a level and standard of
the highest performing high school art programs (public or private) in the country. All
Arts Faculty Members are practicing professionals who lead students in the classroom
while also being active in their careers as artists outside of the school and the school
day. The teaching model is one of artist-apprentice where students learn by doing
directly from someone who is active and, in many cases, a leader in their field.
The Academic Studio is the full day high school diploma-granting academic program at
NOCCA. The curriculum is delivered in a team-teaching setting with an integrated
curriculum for both the Humanities (English and History) and Math and Science. The
faculty lead both in the delivery of curriculum in the classroom and on the development
and evolution of that curriculum. The Academic Studio is a new model for thinking
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Immediate Opening
Academic 2015-2016
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Chief Academic Officer
about next century skills students will need to develop and the ways to train and to
grow powerful young intellectuals, in addition to powerful pre-professional artists.
NOCCA Faculty and Administration have a 42 year track record of the highest level of
success in delivery of programs for the development of students as artists and the next
generation of leaders in the creative and cultural economy. This position will lead
through partnership with these individuals as they continue the work to elevate every
aspect of the school.
NOCCA is proud to be a public school with a diverse workforce and student body. We
believe that a key component of our strength comes from the differences that people
bring to campus. It is our experience that growth comes from the learning which is
achieved through the sharing of those differences.
NOCCA DNA
There are essential elements that NOCCA believes must be present in how we deliver
training and ultimately in each of our graduates that we refer to as the NOCCA DNA.
These eight elements are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Development of Attention and Awareness
Respect for Artists, Work, and Material
Technical Grounding
Critique
Collaboration and Ensemble
Life Skills and Development of Self
Individual Voice
Professional Attitude
Anyone who is interested in coming to NOCCA as CAO should be able to speak to the
importance of these elements in their own career path, in their work as a professional
and how they believe they could support and grow the work of the school around these
elements.
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES
Curriculum Development
Leads in partnership with Faculty on development of curriculum and internal assessments:
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Conducts curriculum review with Faculty
Visits classrooms on a regular basis to provide feedback on all aspects of areas of
work, emphasis or potential growth
Serves as an internal consultant and resource to Faculty
Instruction and Assessment
Assures high quality instruction
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Immediate Opening
Academic 2015-2016
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Chief Academic Officer
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Conducts observations of teachers in their classes
Delivers feedback for all observations and develops strategies for evolving delivery
Conducts or oversees teaching evaluations for teachers annually including pre and
post meetings
Ensures that all curricular work is linked and sequenced across the campus with
parallels between departments as it relates to dosage, assessment, and all areas of
NOCCA’s DNA.
Leads an intake assessment and planned delivery of services for students as it may
relate to IEPs, Special Education, and standardized testing preparation (specifically
ACT and SAT)
Support and strategize with faculty (special projects, new faculty,
evolution/additions/changes to curriculum, delivery, etc.)
Professional Development for Teaching and Learning
Facilitates members of the campus community with resources to read, interpret, and
act upon towards enhancing student achievement:
 Partners with faculty on demonstration lessons and arranges cross-curricular
classroom opportunities and observations
 Strategizes with NOCCA Administrative and Faculty Leadership to ensure that
teachers' professional performance is augmented with appropriate professional
development
 Lead campus wide initiatives, that gain full buy-in, to help build and evolve thinking
and practices
Program Evolution
Recommends changes and partners with faculty in the adaption of curriculum to meet
evolving needs in arts and academic studio:
 Leads strategy on the intake and assessment of all new full day students
 Investigates and recommends innovations to current systems
 Oversees and guides faculty in meeting needs of differently-abled learners to find
their greatest potential
 Assesses teacher instructional work and supports their continued growth both inside
and out of the classroom
 Revisit campus programs for continued exceptional performance overall with the
ultimate goal being students realizing and achieving a comprehensive and innovative
education that produces a love for life-long learning
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
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Collaborates with students, parents, faculty, administration, and staff to facilitate
students’ engagement and success
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Immediate Opening
Academic 2015-2016
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Chief Academic Officer
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Engages in on and off-site student events, some outside of the traditional working
day
Engages in outreach and community events that support and enhance the mission of
NOCCA
Participates in professional growth opportunities and incorporate that learning into
NOCCA
Complies with NOCCA policies and procedures, meeting required deadlines and
participating in required meetings
Attends and participates in additional NOCCA campus events as requested and
required
Demonstrates excitement for non-traditional methods of teaching and assessment
TRAITS & QUALIFICATIONS | Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Leading candidates for the CAO will have imagination, vision, leadership, and a deeprooted passion for spanning traditional boundaries between arts and academic
disciplines. Candidates will move work forward by embracing what NOCCA is and
helping the school become the best possible version of itself through helping students
become the best possible version of themselves. The CAO will have a desire to make a
long term commitment to the NOCCA vision, work, arts, and will understand how to
support the needs of our unique faculty, both Arts and Academic, as they mentor and
initiate students. S/he will bring an appreciation for, and curiosity about, the ways in
which NOCCA’s programs can inform and connect with one another and make the whole
stronger.
The successful candidate will bring experience in multiple education environments and
will see NOCCA’s extraordinary role to play in the reinvention of how young people are
educated.
The successful candidate will be a convener of people around the core values and the
mission of NOCCA. The successful candidate should be able to distill ideas, clarify
issues, and have the intellectual depth and skills to build consensus among a variety of
constituencies. The successful candidate will be an open and effective communicator
and a confident professional who brings creativity, vision, and charisma to the position.
S/he will accomplish goals through motivation and delegation, establishing and utilizing
systems designed for effective planning, evaluation, and accountability.
The CAO should have exceptional organizational and administrative skills, with an indepth understanding of educational institutions. This position requires the ability to
determine, build, and develop administrative and faculty structures that enhance the
student experience. The CAO should be a model of integrity and fairness and have
high ethical standards. Ingenuity, flexibility, compassion, dedication, enthusiasm,
humor, and energy are also key attributes in describing the ideal candidate.
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Immediate Opening
Academic 2015-2016
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Chief Academic Officer
REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION:
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An advanced degree in Education or a related field is required
Critical understanding of the school development process
A demonstrated interest in the arts
Experience with self-directed curriculum development and evolution
WORK EXPERIENCE:
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Candidates will have at least seven years experience leading initiatives in education
organizations, with personal experience in a mentor-initiate environment (an arts
conservatory, design school, polytechnic institution, progressive/non-traditional
high school or similar environment)
Success in a leadership role as strategic decision-maker with program
implementation, strategic planning, personnel management, and administrative
oversight within an organization
Preferred:
 Ability to gain educational licensure in Louisiana
 Experience overseeing IEPs, Special Education, and/or Gifted and Talented;
 Demonstrated leadership in diverse workplaces with a diverse student body
NOW ACCEPTING LETTERS OF INTEREST with RESUME and REFERENCES TO:
NOCCA - CAO Inquiry
ATTN: H|R Department
2800 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
 Please note in SUBJECT Line of email: CAO Inquiry –
or via EMAIL at:
jobs@nocca.com
Candidate Full Name
Accepting letters of interest with resume and references:
thru: September 14th, 2015 or until filled
The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Louisiana’s Arts Conservatory founded in 1973, offers high
school students training in Classical Music, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts, Dance, Drama, Jazz, Media
Arts, Musical Theatre, Theatre Design, Vocal Music, and Visual Arts and Academic Studio. Admission is
by Arts audition and tuition is free. NOCCA is central to Louisiana’s rich cultural heritage, boasting a long
list of distinguished alumni that includes jazz greats Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and
Harry Connick Jr.; actors Wendell Pierce and Anthony Mackie; and soprano Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet.
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