Chief Learning Officer (CLO)

ORGANIZATION: The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation

POSITION: Chief Learning Officer

LOCATION: Ohio

REPORTS TO: Vice President for Sponsorship

Background

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation is a nationally recognized education policy think tank and charter school authorizer (referred to as a “sponsor” in Ohio), sponsoring ten schools across nineteen campuses serving approximately 6,900 students throughout Ohio.

Fordham’s mission is to promote educational excellence for all children in America through rigorous research, policy analysis, thoughtful advocacy, and high-quality charter school authorization. The organization’s sponsorship work focuses on monitoring, oversight, technical assistance, and accountability to ensure strong student outcomes across its portfolio of schools.

Fordham-sponsored schools primarily serve students in urban communities, the majority of whom are low-income and students of color. The organization is deeply committed to ensuring that every student has access to excellent teaching and rigorous, standards-aligned instruction that leads to long-term academic success.

To learn more about The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, please visit their website.

Opportunity

The Fordham Foundation has created the new role of Chief Learning Officer (CLO) to strengthen its capacity for sophisticated instructional leadership in support of the schools it authorizes and its approach to sponsorship while building on Fordham’s strong reputation as a high-quality authorizer. Fordham seeks a dynamic, systems-minded, and results-driven leader to help shape and define this role from the ground up.

The CLO is Fordham’s lead architect for instructional clarity, authorizer capacity, school-facing feedback, professional learning strategy, and renewal/application alignment. The role should help Fordham define what strong instruction, knowledge-rich curricula, and high-quality professional learning look like, train its own staff to see and evaluate those practices, give schools clear and actionable feedback, connect schools with outside exemplars, and ensure that the IEF (see below) becomes part of site visits, application review, renewal decisions, and accountability—not a separate instructional initiative.

Central to this work is Fordham’s Instructional Excellence Framework (IEF). The IEF sits within Fordham’s broader authorizing model, including HQIM, citizenship, academic excellence, governance, and financial sustainability. It defines rigorous, cognitively demanding instruction and aims to ensure that student growth translates into consistent, grade-level mastery.

The CLO will integrate the IEF into core authorizing functions, including site visits, application review, renewal decisions, and accountability systems, while working closely with school and network leaders to set clear expectations, provide evidence-based feedback, facilitate shared learning, and connect schools to external expertise.

As a senior member of the Sponsorship Team, the CLO will report to the Vice President for Sponsorship and lead an internal team responsible for school quality at Fordham. The CLO will build the leadership capacity of their team and school leaders by ensuring academic expectations are rigorous, transparent, and aligned to Fordham’s mission, and by reinforcing a clear instructional vision: grade-level, cognitively demanding instruction; strong classroom culture with high expectations; high-quality curriculum implemented with fidelity; data-informed teaching supported by frequent assessment and feedback; and professional learning systems that build instructional expertise over time.

In the first year, the CLO will be expected to:

• Build trusting, authentic relationships with school/network leaders across the Fordham portfolio;

• Partner with school and network leaders to identify gaps and connect them with the tools and resources needed to drive continuous improvement in student outcomes;

• Continue to build out Fordham’s instructional team (currently 3 team members, with one additional hire), with a strong emphasis on strengthening internal capacity to observe, evaluate, and provide high-quality, evidence-based feedback on instruction and professional learning;

• Embed clear instructional expectations and evidence into site visits, application review, and renewal processes, ensuring alignment between instructional quality and accountability decisions;

• Build a strong community of practice across Fordham-sponsored schools and networks to foster collaboration, shared learning, and collective impact;

• Design and advance a coherent professional learning approach for both Fordham staff and school leaders, with internal staff development as a central priority;

• Define and refine the scope and priorities of the CLO role in partnership with Fordham leadership and key stakeholders, and clearly communicate that vision across the organization.

Responsibilities

Academic Leadership & Strategy

• Lead and implement Fordham’s academic vision and strategy, ensuring strong, consistent execution of the Instructional Excellence Framework across all schools;

• Translate the Instructional Excellence Framework into clear, actionable, and differentiated supports that drive instructional quality and student achievement;

• Identify and strengthen the key drivers of instructional excellence, including curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and aligned, research-based practices;

• Use data to inform strategy, monitor progress, and drive continuous improvement across the portfolio;

• Develop and refine academic systems that support school performance and ensure consistent expectations for instructional quality and outcomes;

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align academic priorities with broader organizational goals and contribute to charter application and renewal processes with a focus on academic quality and sustainability.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead, manage, develop, and continue to build a team of professionals at Fordham that supports schools/networks across the state;

• Strengthen internal staff capacity related to instructional evaluation and academic strategy with an emphasis on designing and delivering high-quality professional learning for Fordham staff as a core, ongoing responsibility;

• Foster collaboration and alignment across the Sponsorship Team and in their work across the Ohio portfolio.

Professional Learning & Talent Development

• Design and support high-quality professional learning across the portfolio;

• Build internal capacity related to instructional quality, coaching, and leadership development;

• Advance professional learning practices aligned to Fordham’s Instructional Excellence Framework;

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across schools and the Fordham Team;

• Facilitate collaboration and shared learning across schools/networks to build a community of practice within the portfolio.

School Evaluation & Oversight

• Conduct school site visits and evaluations across the portfolio focused on instructional quality and professional learning;

• Develop clear, consistent standards for evaluating classroom instruction and school performance;

• Provide actionable feedback to leaders to strengthen instructional practice; Ensure academic accountability systems are rigorous, transparent, and aligned to student outcomes;

• Connect instructional evidence to student outcomes in annual evaluations and contract renewal decisions;

• Monitor school/network performance and provide the necessary support to drive improvement;

• Balance evaluative responsibilities with a coaching-oriented approach to maintain trust with school/network leaders.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Minimum of five years of instructional leadership experience in urban charter schools as a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Academic Officer, Superintendent, Principal Manager, or similar role;

• Minimum of three years of classroom teaching experience;

• Deep charter school experience with a demonstrated track record of success in improving student academic outcomes;

• Experience coaching school leaders and senior instructional leaders;

• Experience designing, implementing, and evaluating effective professional development.

Skills

• Ability to translate strategy into execution across multiple schools;

• Ability to lead through influence, not authority, and build trust with school leaders, students, and the community.

• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to build credibility and trust quickly in complex stakeholder environments;

• Strong organizational and leadership skills;

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively;

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to drive decision-making;

• Exceptional communication, observation, and writing skills.

Mindset

• A commitment to and belief in the potential of all students and the mission of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation;

• Practitioner mindset to devise practical, context-aware solutions;

• Collaborative team player who fits a tight-knit, fast-paced, high-performing culture;

• Highly detail-oriented with a focus on measurable impact;

• Continuous learner with a growth mindset.

Compensation and Benefits

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation offers a competitive compensation package, including:

• A starting salary of $150,000 with opportunity to scale based on experience;

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance with strong employer contribution;

• 403(b) retirement plan with approximately 12% employer contribution;

• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays, with additional time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day;

• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance coverage;

• Flexible spending account (FSA) options;

• Paid parental and family leave;

• Professional development support and funding;

• Travel reimbursements and a monthly work-from-home stipend.

Travel Requirements

This role requires regular travel within Ohio to support site visits, relationship-building, and the implementation of academic priorities across Fordham’s portfolio of schools.

Salary : $150,000