VP of Student Support Services (Immediate Opening)

VP of Student Support Services

Mission:

The Vice President of Student Support Services is responsible for creating the vision and strategic plan for comprehensive support services to students across all IDEA schools of operation, including (1) Family Engagement, (2) Mental Health Support and Counseling, (3) School Culture, Behavior, and Discipline, and (4) Crisis Support. This role works in partnership with Senior Leadership to ensure connectedness between national teams, regional teams, and school-based teams, seeking advice and input from IDEA staff, students, and families.

The Vice President of Student Support Services oversees the development and implementation of district policies aligned to state and national requirements, ensuring compliance across all schools. Through data-driven decision-making and systems-level thinking, this leader ensures that every student experiences a safe, supportive, and joyful school environment where they can thrive academically and socially. The VP of Student Support Services must be adaptable, reflective, solutions-focused, and capable of building and maintaining strong business partnerships across many teams at IDEA Public Schools to ensure the organization is fulfilling its promise to students and families while achieving ambitious goals for student persistence and well-being. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly manage the following national roles: Director of Family Engagement, Director of Mental Health, Director of Crisis Support and Prevention, and Director of School Culture

Matrix management of regional student support services team members across all IDEA regions 

Location:

This is a full-time hybrid (remote/on-site) position based in Texas, with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate.

Travel Expectations:    

Up to 40% at busiest times of the year. Weekly in-region travel to school for observations; Travel across regions approximately 10 times per year for strategic collaboration, training facilitation, and/or required program observations.  Commercial air travel may be required. 

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities

Essential Duties:

• Design and Execute Comprehensive Family Engagement Vision: Design the national vision for existing and new family engagement for IDEA Public Schools that defines expectations for building relationships with all families to fulfill the promise of preparing all students for college by leading the organization-wide family engagement strategy grounded in three pillars: (1) Trust & Authentic Partnership, (2) Focus on Student Learning & Well-Being, and (3) Clear Roles & Infrastructure.
• Create and Execute Vision for Positive, Preventative, Trauma-Informed School Culture: Create and oversee the implementation of the vision of a positive, preventative, trauma-informed school culture that puts students on the path to college graduation by adopting and scaling a student-centered, trauma-informed behavioral intervention framework aligned with MTSS structures and grounded in research, and developing and implementing a comprehensive behavior approach and discipline plan that emphasizes positive reinforcement and restorative justice principles, with measurable reduction in in-school and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. 
• Lead Policy Creation and Accountability for Consistency Across All Schools: Lead the policy creation and accountability procedures for the organization to maintain consistency across all schools, regions, and states for behavior/discipline, family engagement (Title I), counseling, crisis intervention and support, and social skills development by developing standardized discipline reporting procedures with clear roles at campus, regional, and national levels, designing clear processes for discipline responses including when to activate support beyond the campus, and implementing a normed organizational approach to discipline through an updated Student Code of Conduct. 
• Ensure Access to High-Quality Mental Health Support Programs: Create and oversee implementation of the vision to achieve the goal of 100% of students having access to high-quality, comprehensive mental health support programs at IDEA Public Schools by overseeing the vision and implementation for school culture, mental health, behavior, and Social Skill development and supports across all tiers (Tier 1, 2, and 3) within the MTSS framework, and leading the national crisis response unit and protocols that safeguard students, families, and staff during mental health crises including suicidal ideation, threats, bullying, and other safety concerns. 
• Design Training Programs for All Stakeholders: Design the training program for all stakeholders in the organization—Executive Directors, VPs, Regional Coaches, Principals, Counselors, and Assistant Principals of Operations—as it relates to family engagement, behavior, social skills support, reactive discipline, and school culture by building the capacity of regional teams to coach, monitor, and manage persistence initiatives, family engagement strategies, and behavioral support systems with strong implementation fidelity. 
• Lead Data Stewardship and Evidence-Based Strategy: Lead interpretation and analysis of data to ensure accurate data reporting occurs to state, federal, internal, and external stakeholders and utilize the data for strategy reflection, assessment, and planning by partnering with software development teams to provide guidance on robust data visualization of dashboards and systems to track student persistence, family engagement, behavioral interventions, mental health supports, and safety incidents, and creating integrated data systems that provide visibility into current and historical discipline trends and analyzing data quarterly to enable early intervention. 
• Lead IDEA to Achieve Ambitious Student Persistence Goals: Lead IDEA Public Schools to meet the goal of 90% student persistence and new student persistence through comprehensive strategy implementation by designing and implementing tier 1 persistence strategies targeting transition points and new students, including ensuring every school implements PBIS and Behavior Response System with fidelity, supporting campus teams in delivering social skills lessons and mandated proactive safety programming, coaching principals to develop systems for consistent family engagement throughout the year with early identification of potential leavers, implementing differentiated strategies for K-3, 6th, 8th, and 10th grade students, and creating comprehensive onboarding experiences for new families from recruitment through their first year. 

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the collaborative creation of the vision for the IDEA Student Experience with multiple stakeholders across IDEA Public Schools.
• Develop and maintain strong business partnerships to impact district and school-wide decision-making activities, DIP/CIP, as well as collaborating with school administrators to develop and maintain a positive and inclusive school culture that supports student success and overall well-being.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of student support services and make recommendations on budget management and resource allocation across all states (with alignment to state laws and policies).
• Manage the research and implementation of a network-wide behavior management system.
• Lead the design and implementation of student relationship and belonging initiatives, ensuring all schools have three required components: (1) student clubs, athletics, and CTSOs, (2) leadership programs, and (3) advisory periods.
• Title IX decision maker, consult for mental health support and services in response to Title IX cases involving students. Maintain business partnerships with the HR department when involved in Title IX investigations involving students. Track trends in the data to design intervention programs.

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Strategic Decisions: This team member uses data and trends to drive decisions that impact multiple teams, while anticipating risks and planning contingencies for key initiatives. They apply strategic frameworks to clarify challenges and guide coherent action, and they actively support others in strengthening their strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities.

• Manage Work and Teams: This team member leads cross-functional coordination to align efforts with strategic goals, optimizing resource use and minimizing silos. They build accountability frameworks, monitor key performance indicators to guide adjustments, and mentor emerging leaders, while implementing scalable systems that enhance efficiency and team effectiveness. 

• Grow Self and Others: This team member identifies development needs across multiple groups and integrates them into broader strategic plans. They create structures that support ongoing growth, engage in succession planning, and continuously refine development strategies based on outcomes and data. Through this work, they foster a culture where continuous learning is a core part of daily work and leadership. 

• Build a Culture of Trust:  This team member builds trust and drives positive engagement across multiple groups, as reflected in strong feedback and survey results. They proactively address concerns, model transparency and authenticity, and foster collaboration through open, honest communication and shared ownership. 

• Communicate Deliberately: This team member communicates a clear and compelling vision that aligns team efforts with organizational goals. They proactively identify and address communication gaps across workstreams, implementing solutions to enhance coordination, while anticipating and resolving stakeholder concerns before they surface. 

Additional Skills:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students, families, and staff
• Familiarity with relevant federal and state laws and regulations, including Title I and Title IX
• Strong expertise in MTSS frameworks, PBIS, trauma-informed practices, and restorative approaches
• Deep understanding of family engagement research and best practices
• Experience with mental health crisis response and safety protocols
• Strong data analysis skills with ability to create and interpret dashboards and visualization tools

Required experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience managing a team to deliver results
• Experience managing cross-functional teams to deliver results
• Experience leading across multiple school sites

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in education, Counseling, Psychology, or a related field
• Experience managing a remote team to deliver results
• Experience leading student support services across multiple school sites (mental health, counseling, behavior support, and/or crisis teams)

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to sit for extended periods during meetings and work sessions
• Must be able to work in office, campus, and remote environments
• Must be able to travel up to 40% of the time to various IDEA regions, accessing airports and hotels

What We Offer:

Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $131,000 and $158,500, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

* IDEA may offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.

Application process:

Submit your application online through Jobvite. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Learn more about IDEA 

At IDEA the Staff Experience Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.  Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values