General Leadership

Are you an experienced school leader or educator looking to work in a collaborative, innovative, and creative environment? Do you already work at Maker Learning Network locations and want to move into leadership?In Maker Learning Network schools, we offer a unique way to see if we are a fit for each other: the Leadership Cafe. This is a full-day, invitation-only experience. If invited to participate in a Leadership Cafe, you will be considered as positions become available.

Apply below to be considered.

Whether you’re interested in being considered for a currently open position or a future one, the process is as follows:

  1. Own your “why.”
  2. Find common ground between your “why” and our “why.”
  3. Send us your résumé (application for consideration).
  4. Be contacted by our recruitment team to start the conversation.
  5. Be invited to our Leadership Cafe (LC).
  6. At the LC, meet, engage, and get to know stakeholders from our community who help us make informed decisions to form our team.
  7. After the LC event, be offered a position of employment (based on need), or stay connected with us to be notified of future possibilities.

Event Description

Leadership Cafe is an interactive event that is key in our leadership interviewing and selection process. Leadership Cafe gives our community the opportunity to get to know prospective leadership candidates for our schools. We try to schedule, on average, one event per month.

When someone is ready to learn more about working in our network, they express interest by submitting an application (link below). They will then be connected with someone from our recruitment team. After first contact, the recruitment representative discusses the candidacy with Employee Services and Maker Learning Network leadership and decides if an invitation to the Leadership Cafe is appropriate.

At a typical Leadership Cafe, we will strive to have about five to seven candidates participate in person and four to five candidates online. Leadership Cafes are not group interviews, and they are not geared toward filling one opening. Candidates are often of diverse career backgrounds and can be considered for varying roles at Maker Learning Network schools.

By participating in a Leadership Cafe, whether you are already part of the team or from outside of the organization, your name goes on a list into a pool of people who might be interested in leadership here. It is a prerequisite to attend a Star Search to learn the background of Maker Learning Network and other pertinent information.

Star Search and Leadership Cafe are similar but different. At Star Search, our executive directors and founders share their personal “why” as well as the careful thoughts that went into the “why” behind founding the organization. Leadership Cafe is your turn to share your why.

We want to hear what makes you tick, why, and how you want to make the world better.

Sometimes it’s easier to say what it’s not.

Leadership Cafe is not…

  • …a group interview. Similar to the concept of not “teaching to the test,” we don’t hold Leadership Cafe events with the goal of interviewing for one specific position. While more than one of you may be with us today with the initial intent of vying for a specific position, the intent of the day is to “interview” and network with the best candidates. And from these events, we hope to fill open positions as well as think BIG and may consider you for positions that are still in the planning stages.
  • …a typical interview where you spend the duration of the time answering questions. Instead, you meet, engage, and have a conversation with our stakeholders.
  • …a ONE-WAY event. We understand that “interviews” are taking place both ways, so we’ve put a lot of time and care into this process, making sure you gain inspiration from the experience.

Day’s Events Summary

  1. Give a 15-18-minute TED Talk-like presentation about your ‘’WHY.” Show the ability to INSPIRE.
  2. Tour (on-campus or virtually) a school/program site.
  3. Explore the power of diversity in collaboration. Discover your work style and how Maker Learning Network would use your unique qualities to collaborate.
  4. Participate in a Cafe Walk (table rotations). Each table will be hosted by a staff member facilitating a topical conversation.
  5. Carry a personalized poster to each table, on which stakeholders will add words, phrases and/or illustrations that capture and highlight the conversation.
  6. Present your poster to the entire group as a reflection of their day.

 

(List of leadership positions we typically hire for that might not be posted)

  • Leadership Resident
  • School/Program Director – Job Description
  • Department Director
 
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