Director of Student Recruitment and Retention

About Schools of Perea: Schools of Perea (SoP) is dedicated to the preparation of all students academically, socially, and emotionally for success by creating and maintaining a classroom and school environment that is student-centered, has high academic expectations, and makes all students feel welcomed, appreciated, and valued. SoP – Perea Elementary and Perea Preschool – are fully committed to educating the whole child, providing a culturally responsive learning environment that is grounded in foundational literacy.

Position Description: The Director of Student Recruitment and Retention is a member of the SoP Student Support Team, owning the recruitment, enrollment and retention of students for both the Elementary School and Preschool. The Director of Student Recruitment and Retention will report to and be directed by the School Leader. The Director of Student Recruitment and Retention will often serve as the face of SoP with families and the community and must ensure that a high level of service is provided. A servant leader, the Director of Student Recruitment and Retention will lead the way in critical student enrollment and retention strategies, while also doing whatever is needed on the ground to ensure SoP’s success. The Director of Student Recruitment and Retention’s successful partnering with stakeholders will be essential for Schools of Perea to achieve its mission of helping transform education in the North Memphis community by establishing and maintaining maximum enrollment. Through relationship building, collaboration, and coordination, the Director of Student Recruitment and Retention will ensure that Schools of Perea has the community representation, support, and engagement necessary to achieve impact and growth within our community. The Director of Student Recruitment and Retention will be tasked with achieving ambitious enrollment goals while simultaneously building capacity and sustainability within the Schools of Perea recruitment pipeline.

Student Recruitment, Enrollment, and Retention

• Recruitment
  • Develop and execute a student recruiting strategy customized for Perea Elementary and Perea Preschool and the surrounding community, which may include but is not limited to: community asset mapping, external communications strategy, and building relationships with key community leaders and family leaders, so that Schools of Perea schools are fully enrolled with waitlists at the start of school year
  • Lead SoP’s on-the-ground student recruitment efforts, including researching community recruitment events, registering for recruitment events, involving current families / parents at recruitment events, and attending and/or coordinating SoP presence at recruitment events
  • Consult and work with the School Leader and Leadership Team to ensure that messaging around recruitment events, student registration, and other related topics are reflective of both SoP’s mission and established marketing and appear on the SoP website, social media, and print media
• Enrollment
  • Develop and maintain trackers of student / family leads obtained through recruiting and share with the Leadership Team
  • Conduct regular follow up with student / family leads through enrollment, ensuring that each receives multiple contacts and is connected to appropriate resources until they are fully enrolled at the school and in attendance
  • Through prospective family communications, identify any barriers that prevent any student / family leads from enrolling, and work with the Leadership Team, Family Engagement Team, and community partners to address those issues, both on an individual family and wholistic basis.
• Retention
  • Create and execute an exit survey for families who leave Schools of Perea then analyze the data to identify any key themes or insights
  • Use survey results to develop and execute a plan to proactively address student / family retention barriers
  • Work with the Family Engagement team to build and foster positive relationships with Schools of Perea families to facilitate a 90% retention rate for SoP students from year to year
• Sustainability and Capacity
  • Work with the School Leader and Leadership Team to identify organizational gaps and strategies in fostering recruitment, retention, and external stakeholder relationships
  • Facilitate and support SoP personnel, as needed, with direct coaching, tools, and Strategies for successful student recruitment, enrollment, and retention
  • Facilitate both recruitment and retention, develop strategic, strong relationships with community leaders and organizations in the SoP community in alignment with the Schools of Perea mission
  • Build communities of support for Schools of Perea, which include, but are not limited to: parents and families of SoP students, community based organizations, youth support organizations, local city councils, community coalitions, religious and nonprofit organizations, civic and corporate leaders in Memphis, school choice advocates, supporters and donors of SoP
  • Own relationships with community leaders and influencers, partnering with them to build favorable representative learning environments and conditions for Schools of Perea’s further growth

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (required)
• 3-5 years of project and/or management experience (strongly preferred)
• Experience working in an urban school or educational setting (preferred)
• Community engagement experience and networks in North Memphis
• Experience leading community organizing efforts and/or working with diverse, low-income
  communities (highly desirable)
• General knowledge of education reform in Memphis, and detailed understanding of the North Memphis community landscape
• Existing, positive relationships with district officials, community and education reform leaders in
  (highly desirable)
• Ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with various types of people, including senior leaders inside and outside the organization
• Ability to think, plan, and act strategically regarding complex stakeholder groups
• Strong negotiating and persuasion skills
• Strong writing, communication, and storytelling skills
• High level of personal responsibility and drive towards ambitious goals
• Humility, sense of humor, and rock-solid commitment to Schools of Perea’s mission and the communities we serve

Compensation:
● Schools of Perea offer competitive salaries and a full suite of benefits.
● Year-round position

Schools of Perea is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives for a balanced, productive workforce, which is diverse in terms of age, gender, and cultural identity. We do not base hiring or promotional decisions on factors other than performance and professional growth potential. Please note that we are unable to sponsor H-1B Visa applicants.