Manager of School Culture and Climate School Year 26-27

About Sankofa Montessori

Sankofa Montessori embarked on its educational journey as a public charter school, receiving its charter from the Georgia State Charter School Commission in 2021. We officially opened our doors in July 2023, starting our adventure with Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades. As we chart our course, we added a 3rd grade in our second year, 4th grade in our third year and will be adding 4th grade during the upcoming school year, school year 26-27. Our mission is to empower children with the knowledge, skills, and agency needed to lead purposeful lives. Join our team and help us continue to chart our course.

The Manager of Student Culture is a schoolwide culture leader responsible for sustaining, strengthening, and protecting a joyful, structured, and inclusive learning environment aligned to Sankofa Montessori’s mission, values, and public school responsibilities. This role goes beyond discipline management and serves as a coach, model, systems steward, and thought partner to staff, students, and families. The Manager of Student Culture ensures that classroom practice, schoolwide expectations, and student behavior systems are aligned and consistently implemented, grounded in Sankofa’s existing PBIS framework, Montessori Grace & Courtesy, and the school’s core values - with joy at the center.

At Sankofa Montessori, we bridge standards-based instruction with the Montessori approach. If you think you would be a great fit, we invite you to apply for our manager of culture role for the 26-27 School Year.

Start Date: July 2026

Location: 5881 Phillips Drive, Forest Park, GA, 30297

1. Classroom Culture Coaching, Observation & Modeling

• Conduct regular classroom observations focused on:
• Instructional readiness and environment setup
• Routines, transitions, and behavioral expectations
• Alignment to schoolwide culture and PBIS practices
• Provide clear, actionable feedback to teachers that supports growth, consistency, and alignment to Sankofa’s culture vision
• Model best practices in classrooms, including:
• Classroom routines and procedures
• PBIS-aligned responses to behavior
• Montessori Grace & Courtesy in action
• Partner with instructional leadership to support teachers in developing predictable,rigorous, and joyful classroom cultures

2. Professional Development Leadership

• Design, lead, and facilitate professional development aligned to:
• Sankofa’s school culture vision
• PBIS implementation and fidelity
• Identified schoolwide culture and behavior trends

• Train staff on:
• Consistent behavior tracking and documentation
• Interpreting behavior data to inform classroom practice
• Preventative culture strategies and “sweating the small stuff”

• Provide follow-up coaching and support to ensure PD translates into daily practice

3. PBIS Implementation & Fidelity

• Lead the implementation, monitoring, and refinement of Sankofa’s existing PBIS system
• Ensure PBIS practices are:
• Implemented consistently across classrooms
• Aligned with Montessori Grace & Courtesy
• Grounded in Sankofa’s core values
• Analyze behavior data to identify trends and inform coaching, PD, and intervention decisions
• Ensure systems, tools, and materials support clarity, consistency, and fidelity

4. Schoolwide Culture Initiatives & Joy Leadership

• Own all aspects of schoolwide student culture initiatives, including:
• Student recognition and reward systems
• Takeoff celebrations and culture events
• Joy-centered community traditions

• Lead the planning, ordering, coordination, and facilitation of all culture-related events
• Intentionally elevate JOY as a daily practice—not just a celebration
• Serve as a visible model of Sankofa culture for students, staff, and families

5. Discipline Administration & Restorative Practice

• Implement and enforce school policies related to behavior, conduct, and discipline aligned to our school’s Code of Conduct
• Maintain a fair, consistent, and values-aligned disciplinary system
• Serve as first responder for elevated classroom culture concerns
• Facilitate Welcome Back Meetings with students and families following removal from the learning community
• Collaborate with teachers and leadership to resolve concerns and prevent recurrence

6. Student Guidance, Intervention & Support

• Implement, manage, and maintain behavioral intervention systems

• Provide guidance, mentorship, and targeted support to students facing behavioral challenges
• Monitor intervention effectiveness and adjust supports based on data
• Partner with instructional and student support teams to align academic and behavioral supports

7. Family Partnership & Communication

• Serve as a culture-facing leader for families

• Reinforce clear expectations around family partnership, accountability, and communication
• Lead family-facing culture processes, including: Welcome Back Meetings, Parent shadow days (as applicable), Behavior and culture-related conferences
• Communicate proactively and transparently with families, reinforcing Sankofa’s values and expectations

8. Data, Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of disciplinary incidents, interventions, and outcomes

• Prepare reports and analyses related to student culture trends
• Use data to inform decision-making, professional development, and intervention planning

9. Crisis Response & School Safety

• Support the management of crisis situations or emergency incidents involving student behavior
• Ensure student safety, policy compliance, and clear communication during high-stakes situations
• Collaborate with leadership on post-incident reflection and system adjustments

Who This Role Is For

This role is ideal for a leader who:

• Understands that culture is instructional
• Leads through presence, modeling, and consistency
• Balances warmth and firmness
• Takes initiative and ownership without waiting to be asked
• Believes joy, rigor, structure, and accountability can coexist

What being a staff member looks Like at Sankofa Montessori (and How You’re Supported)

Working at Sankofa Montessori is demanding and deeply purposeful. As a founding school, staff are asked to do meaningful, high-impact work that challenges the status quo—with real support built into the structure of the day.

Staff at Sankofa Montessori:

• Use student data regularly - with support from a dedicated coach with a strong track record of student success - to refine instruction and close gaps.
• Build strong classroom cultures grounded in identity affirmation, restorative practices, and high expectations.
• Receive the materials needed to be successful, including curriculum for every subject (for Lead Teachers to adapt and improve), classroom supplies, and teacher/student laptops.

While the work is harder than the status quo, teachers are not asked to build in isolation. We believe challenge should be purposeful, supported, and shared - and we invest accordingly.

This role is not for educators seeking comfort or predictability, it is for those who want to build something new, more just, and more powerful than what currently exists.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

For this position, we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• Bachelor's degree (required)
• Two or more years of effective coaching experience in a high needs public school environment
• Has demonstrated impact on the growth of adults and students
• Willing to serve all children, regardless of background or needs, in an inclusive and supportive setting
• Skills in instructional practices and classroom management for student achievement
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Work collaboratively with a growth mindset. Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship.
• Strong learning orientation and desire to work in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment
• Can complete physical demands of the role (including standing and walking for extended periods of time and lifting heavy objects up to 40 Ibs)
• Unwavering commitment to Sankofa Montessori’s mission and willingness to go above and beyond to meet the needs of Sankofa Montessori students, families, and staff
• Successful background check results required

Benefits

COMPENSATION

• Sankofa Montessori’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for the PK-12 charter market to ensure equity across our institution. The salary for this role is $50,000.
• We offer contributions to the Teacher Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) in accordance with Georgia state law, as well as an additional, optional 403(b) retirement account.
• Sankofa Montessori also offers competitively-priced health benefits.

Supports:

• A dedicated coach with a track record of success with students
• A daily planning period and weekly student early release for teacher collaboration, student work analysis, and peer professional development.
• Materials needed to be successful in your classroom, including teacher/student supplies/laptops, etc.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Sankofa Montessori provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.