Director of Educational Technology

Cascades Academy is an independent PK-12 day school with 232 students located in the beautiful mountain town of Bend, Oregon.  The school was founded in 2003 and resides on an award-winning 39-acre campus located on the Deschutes River. The school’s unique mission weaves challenging academics with experiential learning and actively promotes a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The school is seeking a full-time Director of Educational Technology for the 2021-22 school year.  

Essential Responsibilities Include:

• Providing the PK-12 vision, coordination, integration, and management of all educational technology systems and services to advance the mission of the School.
• Setting the strategic direction and executing the practical implementation of educational technology, information technology and data-security initiatives across all areas of school operations.
• Overseeing the school’s technical support staff and educational technology integrators, collaborating closely with this team, other administrators, and academic department heads to support innovative instructional practices amongst the faculty and promote the thoughtful evolution and integration of technology across operational departments.
• Setting policy, regulations, system standards, and operating procedures for use of technology by adults and students, including the Acceptable Use Policy and other institutional expectations regarding technology.

Educational Technology

The Director provides leadership and innovation for enhancing teaching and learning through the identification, evaluation, adoption, and integration of effective technology into the curriculum, including:

• Working creatively and collaboratively with all faculty to provide pedagogical and technical consulting to design, develop, and implement instructional content, courses, and projects that utilize technology to enrich teaching and learning and further the school’s core values.
• Implementing standardized classroom digital media and audiovisual solutions by evaluating classroom systems, and assisting teachers in understanding how the technology components of their classroom can improve student learning.
• Curating innovative online resources to engage students in personalized, technology-enabled, deeper learning.
• Teaching an Upper School IDEA Lab class and/or US electives, and working with US faculty to integrate STEM and makerspace skills into the curriculum.
• Staying abreast of new developments in technology by attending technology learning conferences, participating in online educational communities, reading current technical literature, and testing new hardware and software.
• Planning and implementing professional development and learning opportunities for teachers, administrators, staff members, and parents.

Information Technology (IT)

The Director of Educational Technology collaborates with and in some cases supervises other school administrators to:

• Oversee technology hardware, software, and digital learning platforms to support technological innovation in classrooms and offices.
• Oversee the maintenance of school-issued devices for students and faculty.
• Manage operations of mission-critical systems and technology platforms, including Blackbaud, GoogleSuite, Follette Destiny, and other applications necessary to the operation of the School.
• Periodically maintain site networks/servers, access points and switches, fiber/ethernet systems, data storage solutions, phones, and a wired/wireless infrastructure.
• Define purchasing needs and developing specifications for the purchase of computer, multimedia, and telecommunications equipment, as well as instruction and management application software and computer supplies.

Data Security Initiatives

• Ensure faculty and staff devices are appropriately configured/encrypted to ensure school information (including constituent data) is secured.
• Ensure server firewall and antivirus software is up to date and functioning.
• Work with divisions on age-appropriate digital citizenship curriculum to teach safety and security while online.
• Conduct cybersecurity audit on a predetermined basis.

The successful candidate will be a person who:

• enjoys working with both young people and adults
• can discern and communicate the inspiring possibilities of educational technology
• thrives in a hands-on position with responsibilities that range from strategic and long-range planning and implementation of system-wide technology solutions to providing one-on-one and group training and support
• Is committed to equity and inclusion

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master's degree in a field appropriate for this position preferred.
• Three years or more in a technological leadership and/or innovation role at an educational institution. Experience in the classroom preferred.
• Experience in educational technology planning.
• Strong understanding and technical knowledge in areas of IT security, network components, computer operating systems, protocols and standards, and experience with learning management systems and Google G-Suite.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and work well with all levels within an educational organization.

Position Title: Director of Educational Technology
Reports to: Director of Curriculum & Business Manager
Start Date: July 12, 2021
Salary:  DOE

Application Requirements:
To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and two letters of reference to hr@cascadesacademy.org. No phone calls, please.
 
It is the policy of Cascades Academy to provide equal employment opportunity, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental impairment, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other status protected by applicable law. Specifically, employment opportunities are and shall be open to all qualified applicants solely on the basis of their experience, aptitudes, abilities and training; advancement is and shall be based on the individual’s achievement, performance, ability, attitude and potential for promotion.