Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers

Executive Director, White Plains, NY

MISSION: To recruit, mentor, and train culturally diverse and economically challenged students from high school through college and place them as effective teachers and committed leaders who strengthen schools and communities.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Are you inspired to address the national crisis of educational inequity in underserved communities to change the lives of children and enhance their life chances?

Will you lead with a sense of urgency to eliminate the gap and acute shortage of teachers of color in low-income diverse communities?

Are you committed to a powerful model that regenerates itself by transforming the lives of middle school and high school students to become teachers so that they strengthen schools and communities and inspire the next generation of teachers in their communities?

Do you have the determination, tenacity, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit to grow an organization, scaling programs, outreach, and strengthening impact? Are you a builder of teams and strategic partnerships?

Are you driven to apply your experience to grow with energy and creativity a comprehensive and diversified fundraising strategy of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing major gifts for the organization?

Are you focused on results and organizational efficiency? To expand TSTT's model and share best practices?

If so, we invite you to keep reading and think about the untapped opportunities for you to make a lasting difference in the lives of young people.

ABOUT TODAY'S STUDENTS TOMORROW'S TEACHERS

In 1994, Dr. Bettye Perkins founded Today's Student Tomorrow's Teachers ("TSTT") as a national career development model that addresses teacher shortages and increases the number of culturally diverse educators and other professionals in public schools. Started with just seven students and an ambitious mission to diversify and strengthen the education workforce, TSTT has trained over 1,200 middle and high school students and placed more than 300 graduates back in their communities as teachers, school administrators, and other educational professionals. TSTT alumni attain graduate degrees and 90 percent remain in the teaching profession for five or more years, compared to the national average of 50 percent.

TSTT currently serves over 600 middle and high students representing 35 school district partners in New York and Connecticut, and an additional 220 college students. Nearly all TSTT high school students are accepted into college – over 95 percent each year. Students receive scholarships covering a minimum of 50 percent of total tuition from numerous partner colleges and universities. The TSTT college graduation rate of 80 percent far exceeds the national average of 40 percent for students of color.

TSTT has been helping to close the racial gap in the teaching profession by recruiting and equipping students to succeed. TSTT is transforming families and communities by helping first-generation college students find stable employment and remain in their home communities as teachers and leaders.

With its headquarters on Westchester Avenue in White Plains, New York, TSTT has a staff of 16 and an annual operating budget of approximately $2.1 million.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIORITIES

The Executive Director partners closely with the Board of Directors to achieve the organization's mission and vision. They demonstrate passion for the mission and dedication to the customers while maintaining excellent client and partner relations. Basic accountabilities include managing human capital, financial operations, public relations, fundraising, marketing, information technology, event planning, and delivery of TSTT's student-centered programs. The Executive Director leads organizational effectiveness and supervises staff and contractors in these areas.

• Leadership – Lead with an inspirational strategic vision that fully embraces the mission while keeping a finger on the pulse internally of day-to-day operations, services, and activities. Create and support a caring and responsive culture and community of learners where staff are encouraged to continue learning and developing as professionals.
• Resource Development – Grow and broaden a sound and diversified funding base from individual donors, foundations, and corporations in partnership with the board. Identify, plan, and execute new and innovative ways to raise money. Cultivate and seize opportunities from new funders so that development activities meet the requirements of an expanding organization. Most importantly, ensure fiscal sustainability and create a plan for the development of an annual campaign.

• Staff – Attract, build, and lead a highly motivated, competent, and responsible team with a common vision, sense of purpose, and shared objectives with cultural sensitivity and dedication to collaboration, caring, equity, and diversity. Evaluate the talent structure of the organization. Manage and support staff and the overall team. Foster cohesiveness. Set benchmarks and expectations with staff and hold them accountable. Develop appropriate professional development opportunities for staff.

• Board Relations – Establish a strong working partnership with the Board of Directors. Gain their trust and confidence as a strong peer, and forge relationships that will bring forth their best ideas and efforts in support of TSTT's programs and fundraising activities. Maintain a regular communications system for informing Board members of the organization's activities and programs. Coordinate and support efforts of various Board committees. Help attract new Board members.

• Growth – Build upon TSTT's history of success and its strong foundation as the gold standard for diversifying the educational workforce. Develop a plan for continued excellence and growth. Develop a plan for growth and scaling the enterprise.

• Evaluation – Assess and evaluate the organizational structure, staff, processes, and procedures to ensure organizational goals and objectives are met. Make changes where necessary to ensure that programs and operations are effective and that collaboration, communication, and accountability are the norm. Measure efficacy of service delivery with a clear sense of metrics.

• General Management, Administration, and Finance – Assess TSTT's administrative and management systems, internal policies, and procedures, making and implementing recommendations for their continued enhancement. Oversee and manage the development of TSTT's budgets. Ensure that sound financial controls are in place and that funds are spent wisely.

• Relationship Building – Engage stakeholders, customers, and contractors around TSTT's activities. Build upon existing partnerships and seek new strategic alliances to promote TSTT's mission and work.
• Public Role – Represent TSTT to the outside world. Serve as a spokesperson. Make effective presentations, both orally and in writing, to the external community, staff, Board, school districts, donors, and media on the effectiveness of TSTT's model and programs. Attract additional attention and resources. Build the brand.

• Strategic Planning – Support, manage, and implement a strategic planning process fully integrated into the organization's operating and business plans and ensure that the strategic plan is implemented in a timely and cost-effective manner.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS

The Executive Director and CEO will be and have:

• A passionate commitment to education as an empowering tool to uplift children and their communities.

• A strong, caring leader and catalyst able to articulate a vision and motivate and engage others. An individual with a naturally consultative and inclusive management style experienced in working with a wide range of culturally diverse groups and a deep commitment to equity at all levels.

• A positive go-getter with impeccable ethics and a demonstrated ability to respect, listen, and work well with internal and external constituencies.

• Proven managerial, problem-solving, and strategic-planning skills and commensurate fiscal responsibilities as an executive (preferably in an educational/school setting or youth development nonprofit organization or in the private sector, provided the individual has served as a volunteer or nonprofit board member). Demonstrated ability to balance long-term strategic vision with daily operational issues.

• A fundraising track record and the ability to attract financial resources by building effective relationships and networks with potential donors at all levels.

• Demonstrable success as a steward for responsible organizational growth and sustainability.

• Experience working effectively and in partnership with a board of directors.

• A history of communicating effectively in writing and verbally, including excellent public- speaking skills for formal and extemporaneous presentations. Demonstrated ability to identify and capitalize on public relations opportunities as they arise.

The estimated salary for this position is $150,000.

TSTT seeks a diverse pool of candidates and will offer a competitive salary. Applications, including cover letters and resumes, and nominations should be sent to the attention of Paul Spivey at TSTT@PhillipsOppenheim.com.

For further information about TSTT, please visit https://tstt.org/.