Administration in a hybrid school
Many of us who have grown grassroots hybrid programs have had to make adjustments to our job descriptions and roles every year. Part of this is because of size adjustments and resource limitations at the start, and part is because it is the learning process that comes with building something new. However, administration in a hybrid school is very similar to administration in a full-time school.
Let’s breakdown what some of the key administrative jobs needed. All of these are essential from the start in some capacity, but what is most likely to happen is that the same one or two people will do multiple jobs when first launching, and then the jobs will be separated out and delegated to new hires as resources and size grow.
Education Director: This person is going to oversee teacher training and management. The job will involve hiring (which should be done with others’ input, either board members or fellow administrators), planning and leading teacher training and ongoing staff meetings, some form of feedback and evaluation to teachers, and should always include constant presence and ongoing conversations. Being on campus is essential.
Curriculum Development: This may be the same person as above, but if not, they should work closely together during training to make sure curriculum is delivered by teachers effectively. Sometimes accommodating curriculum to the hybrid model takes some trial and error, so open communication with teachers is key! Theory and practice are not always the same :) This job can often be done off-campus, however, as long as there is good communication about implementation.
Business Director: This person works closely with the Treasurer (or alone if not a nonprofit) to oversee budgets, bookkeeping and accounting, insurances, payroll, tuition management, and legal paperwork, as well as any fundraising. This doesn’t mean they have to do all of these things alone, but they do need to make sure it is getting done correctly. This person should also be part of communication with landlord (in conjunction with the education director). Always have proactive meetings regularly with your landlord!
Admissions: This job may be just collecting registrations in the beginning, but can quickly grow into giving tours, creating a selection process for admissions, evaluation of new students, et cetera.
Program Logistics: Field trips, events, volunteers, sign-ups…the bigger you grow the more time-consuming it becomes to keep this organized!
Secretarial: There are often time-consuming secretarial tasks such as printing handouts, creating classlists and signs, acquiring supplies.
Executive Director: At first, the founders will likely do most of the above jobs while also doing this one. But once the organization has grown, an executive director can really help manage the program as a whole and act as a liaison between the board and the administration and teachers. This person should be very good at keeping focused on the mission of the organization and translating it into good management of the above positions and the organizational structure as a whole. Being sure that everyone is communicating, processes and systems are being revisited and adjusted as needed, personality strengths are being used well while weaknesses are supported are management tasks that sometimes fall by the wayside as founders do all the things out of necessity in the beginning. However, a well-run organization takes care of its administration as well as its teachers and families. A director can help hold all the pieces together and make sure the organization is kept in top-notch condition.
Again, it is not likely each of these jobs is going to be its own person, at least for the first few years. But it is helpful to categorize the job descriptions even if one person does two or three of the jobs. The same person may do Curriculum and Education, another may do Business and Admissions, and a third may do Programs and Logistics. Don’t be afraid to change things as you grow, and always keep in mind that clear expectations and job descriptions (and frequent meetings!) are going to help with efficiency and productivity!