Location: Administration or As Assigned
Reports To: Executive Director, Intervention Services
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary Band: 15
Compensation: $ 73,440. - $ 102,816.
No. of Positions: 2

INTRODUCTION: CONTEXT AND MISSION

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) serves approximately 37,000 students in 100+ schools. Over the past several years, the Greater Cleveland community has united behind the collective goal of ensuring every child in Cleveland attends a high-quality school and every neighborhood has a multitude of great schools from which families can choose. The Cleveland Plan defines CMSD’s approach to the reinvention of public education and holds our community accountable for the success of Cleveland’s schoolchildren.
The Cleveland Plan is supported by Ohio House Bill 525, which provides much-needed flexibility and autonomy for the district and its schools. Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for performance. The Principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing his or her school as a high-quality, high-expectations academic center with a focus on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has developed standards of excellence that the district applies to all parts of the organization inclusive of schools, principals, school leadership teams, networks, and central office. Alignment between Standards of Excellence (SoE) and the district’s Theory of Action helps ensure that principals are able to focus on scholar achievement and that central office supports are timely and effective.

Our Vision for Learning in a Post-Pandemic World:

In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we want each of our learners, both each of our scholars and each of their educators, to be individually and collectively presented with academically / intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their productive struggle and allow them authentic opportunities to demonstrate their work and their learning of academic content and transferable skills in a joyful and adventurous environment.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is making substantial investments in ensuring the physical, mental, and social-emotional health and wellness of Cleveland’s children, so that they can come to school happy, healthy, and ready to learn. To that end, CMSD is seeking a dedicated, responsive, and knowledgeable Director to co-lead the work of the Office of Nursing and Health Services within the Department of Integrated Health. As a team, the Directors of Nursing and Health Services will lead from the perspective of an integrated service delivery model, maximizing services and supports for schools through collaboration with Special Education and Integrated Health personnel and teams. The Director serves as an expert in the field and advocates for the important role of the Licensed School Nurse and the Licensed Practical Nurses as providers of comprehensive services in a school-based setting. The Director will serve as a coach and provider of professional development to Nurses and will also play a supervisory role. The Director also will have a voice in shaping the long-term direction of the Office of Nursing and Health Services in support of the District’s Integrated Health initiative.

• Recruit, hire, and retain highly qualified and effective school nurses and substitutes, so that there is a full-time health professional in every CMSD school every day.
• In collaboration with other Directors, and with guidance from the Executive Director, set clear goals, procedures, and expectations for the work of the Licensed Registered School Nurses (RSNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). This includes but is not limited to the following:
• Providing effective treatments based on physician/healthcare provider's orders
• Age-appropriate screening for height, weight, vision, BMI based on child's age and grade.
• Serving as a member of a multidisciplinary (SST) team for assessment of child needs and as a member of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team when appropriate
• Hold School Nurses accountable for execution of services and compliance tasks, including ETR team participation, timely evaluations, and Medicaid reporting.
• Set expectations for the use of nursing diagnosis, policies and procedures; set standards for quality of needed assessment reports.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Supervise and evaluate school-based RSNs and LPNs, using the Teacher Development and Evaluation System (TDES) specifically adapted for this discipline.
• Provide professional development and coaching to school nurses on a variety of topics related to the TDES, including integrated service delivery, changes to state and federal policies and procedures, and nursing best practices.
• Maintain regular in-person and email communication with school nurses to keep them updated on expectations and changes within the field and within the District.
• Collaborate with the Union Conference Committees of the Cleveland Teachers’ Union to advocate for RSNs and LPNs, ensure equity in assignments, and resolve issues.
• Manage support staff in the Office of Nursing and Health Services, to ensure that administrative tasks are completed smoothly and in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with other managers and directors within the Integrated Health and Special Education departments; prioritize actions that support the District’s efforts to move toward equitable and inclusive practices for all students.
• Make decisions that impact the Office of Nursing and Health Services, with support and guidance from the Executive Director and in collaboration with other Directors.
• Under the supervision of the Executive Director, and in partnership with the Integrated Health Taskforce and Say Yes Cleveland, seek out and maintain partnerships with agencies, hospitals, and services across the city of Cleveland.
• Demonstrate flexibility in adjusting practices and procedures in order to ensure equity of access to care for all students.
• Respond promptly to requests and concerns about nursing services from parents, caregivers, and schools.
• Implement and direct the implementation of District and/or Board of Education policies and procedures within the purview of Nursing and Health Services.
• Perform other related duties as required.

• Master’s degree in Nursing required
• Ohio School Nurse licensure required
• At least five years of clinical or school-based experience as a registered nurse or licensed school nurse required
• Administrative licensure from state of Ohio preferred
• At least two years of leadership and/or professional development experience preferred
• Must become a credentialed evaluator through the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) within sixty days of start date
• Preferred characteristics:
  • A strong commitment to the students in CMSD and a personal sense of accountability around the ultimate success of the CMSD transformation
  • Deep knowledge of the issues and dynamics of inequity in education and passion for CMSD’s mission
  • Proven experience working collaboratively in a team-oriented environment and a willingness to navigate the complex dynamics of distributed leadership
  • Knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, standards, and ethics of school nurses, and an understanding of the differences in responsibilities of the RSN and LPN
  • Ability to provide objective feedback and coaching on employees’ job performance with a spirit of professional development
  • Knowledge of laws relevant to special education (IDEIA, Ohio Operating Standards, FERPA/HIPAA)
  • Proficiency in the use of technology to conduct evaluations, review and respond to data, conduct meetings, and write reports
  • Results driven, with excellent planning and organizing skills
  • Exceptional communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience leveraging staff and developing talent
  • Successful with overcoming significant barriers to meet goals in a fast-paced and changeable environment
  • Able to critically assess challenges and identify flexible, effective solutions
  • Ability to perform multifaceted tasks with minimum supervision

• Expected moving, walking and standing consistent with an office environment and occasionally lifting up to 15 pounds
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk and sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms
• The employee is frequently required to talk and/or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a normal office environment
• Local travel may be required for training/meetings
• Travel to schools will be required; must have reliable transportation