Founding High School Principal
John Rex Charter High School (Opening Fall 2027)
Reports to: Chief Academic Officer
Who We Are
John Rex Charter Schools is a dynamic, community-embedded public charter school located in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City. We leverage downtown partnerships, collaborative learning environments, and our belief in the whole child to create an innovative educational experience that elevates every learner.
Our "John Rex Way" is rooted in deeply held beliefs:
Belonging and community:
We believe learning begins with belonging; in classrooms, in community, and in relationships.
People and excellence:
We believe our people are our greatest strength and through collaboration, clarity, and growth, we elevate our collective impact.
Learning and growth:
We believe every student can achieve at high levels when learning is engaging, challenging, and student-centered.
Joy and purpose:
We believe joy is essential to learning as it fuels curiosity, connection, and pride in our work.
Our core values - Relationships, Rigor, and Relevance - guide our academic and cultural approach. They come to life through project-based and cooperative learning, joyful classrooms, strong community partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to each student’s potential.
Who You Are
You are an innovative and courageous school leader ready to build something exceptional. You believe deeply in the potential of every student and in the power of a diverse, urban community to enrich learning.
You are someone who:
Thrives in the work of founding a school, building systems from the ground up, and turning vision into reality.
Leads with a strong sense of purpose, clarity, collaboration, and humility.
Understands the complexity and nuance of running a high school - from instruction to culture, from teacher development to student support.
Believes in project-based learning, cooperative learning, and instructional models that promote deep engagement and real-world relevance.
Gets energized by innovation and sees the downtown environment as an opportunity to expand learning beyond the classroom.
Builds strong relationships with staff, families, students, and community partners.
Uses data, reflection, coaching, and feedback to grow people and improve systems.
Can manage a complex campus with confidence while staying connected to the daily work of teaching and learning.
What You’ll Do
The Founding High School Principal will spend the 2026-2027 school year preparing for the launch of John Rex Charter High School, collaborating closely with the Chief Academic Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Athletic Director, and community partners. Beginning Fall 2027, the principal will lead the successful opening and ongoing operation of the school, serving as the primary instructional, cultural, and operational leader. You will design systems, build teams, shape culture, and create the conditions for a joyful, rigorous, and relevant high school experience that leverages the downtown OKC community.
Core Responsibilities
Founding/Preparation Year Responsibilities (2026–2027)
Vision, Planning & School Design
Collaborate with the CAO to co-design the instructional model, school culture framework, student support systems, and master schedule.
Contribute to the creation of a PK-12 aligned academic pathway for the John Rex network.
Lead the development of school-wide expectations, rituals, and culture systems.
Talent Development & Hiring
Recruit, select, and hire the founding teaching and support staff.
Design and deliver staff onboarding aligned to the John Rex Way and academic vision.
Academic & Program Development
Support the creation and implementation of curriculum, assessment systems, advisory programming, and project-based learning structures.
Partner with the CAO to ensure instructional systems are aligned and ready by Year 1.
Community, Partnerships & Enrollment
Build relationships with downtown organizations to support internships, experiential learning, career pathways, and student opportunities.
Collaborate on student recruitment, family engagement, and community events.
Athletics & Student Life
Work with the Athletic Director to prepare for the launch of high school athletics and extracurricular programs.
Operations & Readiness
Collaborate with the COO on facilities, safety planning, technology, schedules, staffing, and operational systems for opening day.
School Opening Year and Beyond (Fall 2027 and Beyond)
Instructional Leadership
Observe classrooms regularly, provide coaching and feedback, and ensure high-quality instruction in every room.
Lead data-driven instruction cycles, PLCs, and professional learning.
Ensure the school implements rigorous, relevant, and student-centered learning experiences grounded in project-based and cooperative learning.
Culture & Student Experience
Build and maintain a strong, joyful, inclusive school culture.
Oversee student supports, discipline systems, intervention structures, and attendance systems.
Ensure that downtown partnerships enrich the student experience through internships, real-world learning, and community engagement.
Family & Community Engagement
Serve as the public-facing leader of the high school.
Build trust-filled relationships with families and community partners.
Represent the school within downtown OKC organizations and business partnerships.
Talent Management & Staff Leadership
Coach, evaluate, and develop teachers and staff members.
Build a collaborative leadership team that ensures distributed ownership and shared accountability.
Operations, Compliance & Safety
Ensure a safe, organized, and efficient school environment.
Maintain compliance with state, charter authorizer, and district expectations.
Oversee daily operations in collaboration with network-level teams.
Strategic Leadership
Use data to drive school improvement planning and track progress toward academic and culture goals.
Align all decisions with the network’s academic priorities and the vision set by the CAO.
Leadership Profile
The ideal Founding Principal is:
A systems-builder capable of designing and managing the full operations of a high school.
An instructional leader with expertise in high-quality teaching and learning.
An innovative thinker who embraces project-based learning and school design work.
A relationship-builder skilled at leveraging community, partnerships, and teams.
A strategic communicator who can inspire stakeholders and lead through change.
A talent developer who invests in people and builds diverse, high-performing teams.
A culturally responsive leader who champions equity, belonging, and inclusion.
Someone who sees the downtown environment as a classroom and uses it to expand opportunity.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
Demonstrated success as a principal, assistant principal, dean, or instructional leader.
Proven experience managing high school systems or secondary academic programs.
Expertise in curriculum, instructional leadership, and school culture development.
Experience with project-based or cooperative learning models preferred (commitment to learn required)
Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and team management skills.
Commitment to the mission, values, and beliefs of John Rex Charter Schools.
Contract & Work Environment
Position begins July 2026 to allow one full planning year.
Based at John Rex Charter Schools in downtown Oklahoma City.
Reports directly to the Chief Academic Officer.
Collaborates regularly with the Executive Leadership Team and Athletic Director.
Key Founding Initiatives
Lead the design and launch of John Rex Charter High School (Opening Fall 2027).
Build systems for project-based and cooperative learning.
Establish school culture, staffing, academic programming, and community partnerships.
Collaborate with the Athletic Director to launch high school athletics.
Represent the school within the downtown business, arts, civic, and nonprofit communities.