Director of Instruction

Location: Nashville, TN

School: RePublic High School

Reports To: Director of Schools

Who We Are

Serving more than 3,300 scholars in seven schools across two cities; Jackson, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee, RePublic Schools is the only school network solely dedicated to reimagining public education in the South.

Part of reimagining education in the South means that we confront the historic inequities that work against our scholars and actively work to dismantle those inequities. We are doing this by intentionally creating environments that embrace, honor, and celebrate our scholars’ identities and experiences, as well as the identities and experiences of every member of our community.

We are looking for a determined Director of Instruction at the high school level with experience in leading academic results in turnaround schools to lock arms with our RePublic High School team in Nashville, TN for the 2025-26 school year. Candidates must share our unwavering belief that all children can achieve at high levels and change the world. Sound like you?

What You’ll Do

Overview

At RePublic, we believe the people in front of our scholars each day are the key determinants of their ultimate success. We also believe that great teachers are not born—they are coached, developed, and supported by strong instructional leaders.

As Director of Instruction, you will serve as the chief instructional leader at Republic High School. You will directly manage and coach the Assistant Principals of Instruction (APIs), lead academic vision and execution, and ensure that every classroom delivers rigorous, engaging, and data-driven instruction. Through your leadership, you will empower instructional leaders and teachers to prepare for and deliver excellent instruction, foster meaningful relationships with students and families, and achieve extraordinary outcomes for kids.

Reporting directly to the Director of Schools, the Director of Instruction is a critical member of the school leadership team and is responsible for ensuring the highest levels of instructional quality across the school.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Instruction will drive academic excellence and create a culture of instructional ownership by:

• Setting a bold, school-wide vision for teaching and learning alongside the Principal and Director of TN Schools that ensures all scholars are held to a college-ready bar.
• Partnering with the Principal and Tennessee Director of Schools to lead the academic strategy for RHS, aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to rigorous standards.
• Monitoring scholar academic progress across grade levels and content areas, analyzing student achievement data with APIs and teachers, and ensuring responsive action plans are implemented.
• Ensuring classrooms are spaces where scholars love learning, think critically, and take ownership of their academic and extracurricular growth.
• Building strong relationships with families, scholars, and staff to secure collective investment in instructional priorities, initiatives, and expectations.
  
  

The Director of Instruction will empower and develop instructional leaders by:

• Directly managing, inspiring, and developing the Assistant Principals of Instruction, holding them accountable for teacher growth and scholar achievement.
• Setting clear, ambitious, and measurable short- and long-term academic goals aligned with RePublic’s mission and values, and ensuring APIs cascade these goals to teachers.
• Leading robust professional development for teachers, focusing on intellectual preparation, data-driven action planning, and high-quality teacher practices.
• Training APIs to effectively move teacher instructional practice through high-leverage, consistent observation-feedback cycles.
• Creating a leadership culture in which feedback—both positive and constructive—is embedded in daily practice to continuously elevate instructional quality.
  
  

The Director of Instruction will ensure the school’s continued instructional excellence by:

• Driving consistency and alignment of curriculum and instructional practices across departments, ensuring high school content knowledge is central to planning and execution.
• Collaborating with the Principal and leadership team to create a school environment where scholars feel safe, challenged, and inspired to persist in their academic journey.
• Partnering with network academic leaders to share best practices and strengthen instructional systems across RePublic schools.
• Championing the instructional vision of RHS to external stakeholders, including families, postsecondary partners, and community organizations, to build enduring support for our scholars’ success.
• Ensuring compliance with all academic components of federal, state, and network guidelines, and aligning instructional systems with accountability standards.
  
  

Qualifications

Who You Are

Builds Belongingness - You create a school community where every student feels known, valued, and supported. You prioritize inclusion and cultivate environments where both scholars and staff feel a deep sense of belonging.

Strives for Excellence - You maintain high standards for yourself and others. You believe achieving excellence is a challenging journey, and you push for instructional rigor and high school content knowledge that prepares every scholar for postsecondary success.

Creates Joy - You bring energy and optimism to your work, choosing to see and create joy within the school community. You spread that joy to scholars, staff, and families through your leadership and presence.

Becomes Better Together - You believe in the power of collective effort. You honor and celebrate diverse perspectives, build trust across lines of difference, and know that collaboration makes the team stronger.

Pursues Growth - You are reflective, coachable, and hungry for feedback. You model continuous improvement for APIs and teachers, holding yourself and others accountable for the ongoing pursuit of better outcomes for scholars.

Other Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (required); Master’s degree in education, leadership, or related field (preferred).
• Valid teaching certification in TN, MS, or in states with reciprocity (required).
• At least 5 years of successful and proven teaching and instructional leadership experience with a proven track record of driving student achievement in turn-around schools. (required)
• At least 3 years of experience coaching and managing other instructional leaders (APs, Deans, or equivalent).
• Deep high school content knowledge and the ability to coach across multiple subject areas.
• Demonstrated success in leading change management and improving student outcomes with historically underserved populations.
• Prior experience in a high-performing charter organization with an aligned mission strongly preferred.
  
  

Why You’ll Love Us

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary aligned with experience and local district benchmarks
• Comprehensive benefits package including mental health support, family planning benefits, and paid time off
  
  

Professional Development

• Robust onboarding and summer training through our Summer Teacher Summit
• Ongoing coaching and weekly professional development
• Access to leadership development pathways and career advancement opportunities