Chief Executive Officer

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools’ vision is that all Partnership students will thrive in schools that cultivate joy and build their confidence, knowledge, and skills that open pathways to sustained personal and professional success. Launched in 2007, the Partnership is an independent nonprofit that co-manages 20 LA Unified schools serving 11,600 students in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, and Watts. Since then, graduation rates at Partnership high schools have climbed from 36% to 89%, and Partnership advocacy helped win a revised Student Equity Need Index that has directed more than $700 million to LA Unified’s highest-need schools. We are an in-district partner, not a charter network, and we honor all collective bargaining agreements for teachers and school staff.

Our mission is to transform schools to revolutionize school systems, empowering all students with a high-quality education. Our 2030 strategic plan focuses on three priorities: developing school leaders who build thriving teams, inclusive cultures, and high-quality instruction; hiring, developing, and retaining an exceptional teaching force, with an emphasis on math and English language arts; and advocating for policies and practices that accelerate transformation across LA Unified.

By 2030, we aim for every Partnership school to meet or exceed the growth of its LA Unified peers, with accelerated growth for Black students and emergent bilingual learners. To learn more about the Partnership, our mission, and how we approach our goals, please visit our website.

ABOUT THE POSITION

For nearly two decades, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools has worked within and alongside LA Unified to transform schools and improve outcomes for students. Across its network of 20 schools, the Partnership has demonstrated what is possible through sustained investment in school transformation. As one of the few nonprofits in the country that co-manages schools with a public education system, the Partnership draws on what it learns alongside school communities to influence change across LA Unified and beyond.

The Partnership’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will build on this progress, setting the vision for the organization’s next chapter, and boldly leading a dynamic team toward its vision of every student thriving in school and in life. Using the Partnership’s five-year strategic plan as a roadmap, the CEO will strengthen organizational systems and team capacity, foster collaboration, and cultivate the relationships and resources needed to achieve strong academic outcomes and sustain progress for students. As the Partnership continues to demonstrate what is possible in its schools, the CEO will elevate those lessons and results to build belief, inspire action, and galvanize leaders within and beyond our community around a shared commitment to providing every student with a high-quality education.

The CEO will be equally comfortable in a classroom, with a major donor, and at the table with district and civic leaders. They will be a leader who understands what it takes to transform schools and who can raise the resources and rally the partners to make that transformation last. The CEO will also shape the future of the Partnership’s impact beyond its 20 schools, building on nearly two decades of lessons from school transformation to determine which ideas, practices, and solutions have the greatest potential to remove systemic barriers for students, especially Black and emergent bilingual learners, and pursue creative ways to extend them to more students. As the Partnership’s chief storyteller, they will bring conviction to the mission and make the case for its work in ways that strengthen its influence, deepen critical relationships, and inspire continued investment in its future. In doing so, the CEO will position the Partnership to turn what works in schools into broader change across Los Angeles and advance educational equity for more students.

CEO RESPONSIBILITIES

Position responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational Leadership & Effectiveness

• Set and communicate a clear, compelling vision for the Partnership, leading the organization to deliver on its five-year strategic plan by translating its priorities into clear organizational goals and aligning people, resources, and cross-functional work to drive educational and organizational outcomes.
• Lead a cohesive and high-performing Executive team, including the Executive Associate and Executive Team members: the Chief of Staff, Chief Schools Officer, Chief Academic Officer, and Chief People and Operations Officer, providing strategic leadership, coaching, accountability, and support for their growth and the development of their respective teams.
• Make clear, courageous decisions about where to focus organizational attention and resources, balancing near-term results with long-term strategy, and rally staff, the Board, and partners behind those choices.
• Strengthen organizational capacity, systems, structures, and ways of working to enable teams to collaborate effectively, execute with consistency, and sustain progress over time.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to advance strong governance, keeping the Board informed and engaged in strategic decisions, supporting its committees and recruitment, and leveraging Board members as ambassadors and fundraising partners.

School Transformation & Student Success

• Drive strong academic outcomes across Partnership schools, holding the organization accountable for ambitious goals, including 50% grade-level proficiency in literacy and math by 2030 and accelerated growth for Black students and emergent bilingual learners, while investing in the transformative principals, teachers, and instructional systems that drive school improvement.
• Champion collective commitment to the Partnership’s mission and shape a data-driven, student- and community-centered culture grounded in high expectations, accountability, collaboration, inclusion, empathy, and belonging, while building organizational systems that advance equitable practices and actively disrupt systemic racism.
• Build strong relationships and maintain a visible presence across Partnership schools, listening to and elevating the perspectives of students, staff, and families to inform organizational priorities, decision-making, and the continued evolution of the Partnership’s work.
• Promote the disciplined use of data, research, and lessons from Partnership schools to evaluate what is working, strengthen the organization’s approach to school transformation, and identify promising practices and solutions that can inform broader systems change.

External Relationships & Sustainability

• Oversee the Partnership’s budget, cash flows, and overall sustainability; maintain sound financial practices and controls, including stewarding the organization’s annual $20M-$25M budget, meeting year-over-year fundraising priorities, and maintaining a positive financial position.
• Lead the organization’s fundraising efforts to sustain its annual budget of $20M-$25M, and support an ambitious multi-year $120M campaign.
• Drive the renewal and maintenance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with LAUSD, securing the conditions the Partnership needs to accelerate results in its schools and positioning it as the District’s essential partner in school transformation.
• Cultivate a deep, strategic presence across district, government, and community affairs and strengthen relationships with School Board members, district leaders, elected officials, community organizations, and other key partners to advance shared goals, mobilize collective action, and further the Partnership’s mission.

Revolutionize School Systems

• Advance the Partnership’s systems change work, drawing on research, data, and lessons from its schools to identify opportunities, inform policy and practice, and develop solutions that advance educational equity and improve outcomes for more students.
• Advocate for the Partnership schools, students, and communities, navigating a complex and dynamic political landscape and building coalitions and relationships that strengthen the Partnership’s ability to influence systems change.
• Elevate the Partnership’s brand and influence as its primary spokesperson, sharing its school transformation work, results, and learning through compelling storytelling and thought leadership that builds trust, inspires investment, and mobilizes broader action among staff, Board, partners, funders, and the community.
• Shape the continued evolution of the Partnership model as a proof point for school improvement, identifying successful practices and solutions that can be replicated or scaled, and creating opportunities to innovate, pilot, and incubate approaches that extend the Partnership’s impact to more students.

CEO FIRST-YEAR PRIORITIES

A successful first year in this role will look like:

• Establish strong relationships with a range of stakeholders, including staff, board members, funders, district leaders, and community partners, with a focus on building a healthy, aligned, and high-performing Executive team to implement the strategic plan with quality and fidelity.
• Personally manage a portfolio of priority funders and donors to support the Partnership’s FY2026-27 fundraising goal of $9.3M.
• Lay the groundwork for renewal of the Partnership’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with LAUSD.
• Develop a strategy for expanding the Partnership’s impact and influence beyond its 20 schools.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years of executive leadership experience in a K-12 or nonprofit environment, including 10+ years of senior management experience, with demonstrated experience managing and leading multi-level teams, complex projects, and cross-functional work.
• A track record of leading school improvement at scale and delivering measurable gains in academic and student outcomes, with a deep understanding of what it takes to transform teaching and learning in high-need schools.
• Demonstrated success setting a bold, compelling vision and strategy, making difficult trade-offs, listening deeply, and building trust to rally staff, the Board, and partners around its execution.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, build organizational capacity, foster trust and collaboration, and mobilize leaders around shared goals to execute strategy and achieve results.
• A strong track record of cultivating influential relationships across education, philanthropic, civic, and political sectors and personally securing major gifts at the six- and seven-figure level and multi-year institutional funding.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills with the ability to elevate an organization’s impact and visibility, build belief in its mission, and inspire investment in its work.
• Experience navigating complex political environments, partnering effectively with a Board of Directors to support strategic decision-making, and influencing systems and policy change within public education.
• An advanced degree in education, organizational leadership, or a related field, preferred.
• The ability to travel between school sites and the Partnership home office.
• Spanish language fluency (spoken and written), preferred.
• Knowledge of the Los Angeles civic, philanthropic, and political landscape, including LA Unified, preferred.
• A deep belief in the power of our communities, as well as the Partnership’s mission, approach, and core values.
• A commitment to educational equity, actively disrupting systemic racism, and fostering an equitable and inclusive work environment for all team members.
• A willingness to learn, grow, and model the Partnership competencies: anti-racism, root cause analysis, long-term thinking, teaming and collaboration, psychological safety, and learning and growth.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $280,000 – $340,000. The exact salary for this position is set through the Partnership’s compensation policy and is dependent on the candidate’s relevant skills, experiences, and organizational tenure. The Partnership’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends to our compensation practices. Our goal is to ensure that salaries are fair for all staff members who hold many intersectional identities, and we set salaries based on a robust compensation model grounded in consistency and transparency. In support of our vision for pay equity, candidate salaries are determined by a formula, and we do not negotiate.

The Partnership also offers a robust benefits package, including employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents; a 403(b) retirement program with employee match and vesting; parental and sabbatical leaves; a professional development allowance; and generous paid time off.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

We are excited to review your resume! To apply, please submit a resume and detailed cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position to resumes@leveledtalent.com. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so it is in the candidate’s best interest to apply as soon as possible.

Please note: Only applicants who submit their resumes through our search partner Leveled Talent will be considered.

Research shows that women and individuals from systemically marginalized communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the qualifications. While this job description outlines the major responsibilities and requirements to be successful in this role, the Partnership is committed to considering all applicants who are passionate about our mission and can see themselves excelling in this role – including those with diverse and non-traditional work experience.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to – and actively pursues – diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The Partnership prohibits discrimination based on race (including traits historically associated with race such as hairstyle), creed, color, religion, registered domestic partner status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship status, age, military and veteran status, medical condition, genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy or childbirth, physical disability or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. The Partnership also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of these characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, training, transfer, wages, benefits, termination, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.