Our school encourages children to wonder, to think, to discover and to question.
They are cherished and respected and will learn to do the same with the world around them.
Ridge and Valley Charter School believes that it is possible to create a more ecologically
sustainable future and that our children have a right to a planet of pure air, clean
water, a vibrant natural world and a more just and equitable human community.
This vision is not only a right but a possibility. We believe it is the purpose of a democratic society to lay the foundation of such a future. The result of a Ridge and Valley Charter School education will be children who grow into adults who love the earth and who are passionate about its ability not only to survive, but to thrive. They will provide leadership that has a clear vision of the world and how to make it better.
Ridge and Valley Charter School
Education for a Hopeful Sustainable Future
1234 State Route 94
Blairstown, NJ 07825
(908) 362-1114 Fax: (908) 362-6680
email:
office@ridgeandvalley.org www.ridgeandvalley.org
Infrastructure Coordinator
Position Summary: The Infrastructure Coordinator is a visionary leader focused in particular on the development, maintenance, cultivation, and integration of the physical and cultural environment of RVCS, grounded in principles of
permaculture and holistic management. In addition to ongoing collaboration with the Leadership Team and trustees to advance Ridge and Valley Charter School’s mission of education for a hopeful sustainable future, the Infrastructure Coordinator guides the community in stewardship of the school
land, cultivated gardens and orchards, and physical structures. The Coordinator integrates with the LandCare, Facilities, and Finance Committees, guides, teams, and students, and RVCS vendors to maintain and develop mutually-enhancing relationships in support of a thriving, safe, and healthy learning community.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Stewardship / Land care /
Permaculture The Infrastructure Coordinator sees and hears the land with a systems thinking, bioregionally-focused, earth care, people care, and fair share mindset. The Infrastructure Coordinator manages the land activities of the school in accordance with
permaculture principles, New Jersey law, NJ Department of Education requirements, and school policy. The Infrastructure Coordinator will:
• Develop a relationship with the land and its inhabitants, including humans cultivating it
• Determine the long-term, day-to-day, and emergent needs of the RVCS ecosystem with thoughtful intention and purpose
• Coordinate the LandCare Committee
• Monitor, maintain, and coordinate (with support) all stewardship, agriculture, and farming of the land
• Monitor and communicate needs to the Finance Committee for budgeting or reallocation
• Select and monitor all on-site land care vendors
• Create and tend educational and ceremonial spaces
• Educate and support classroom guides in land care, stewardship, and maintenance based on
permaculture and holistic management principles
• Support students’ education in permaculture principles and sustainability
• Conduct role-related professional development for staff
Facility Maintenance The Infrastructure Coordinator manages facility activities of the school in accordance with NJ law, NJDOE requirements, and school policy. The Infrastructure Coordinator will:
• Attend to long-term, day-to-day, and emergent needs of the structural, mechanical, and physical maintenance and repair of the facilities
• Utilize Integrated Pest Management
• Coordinate the Facilities Committee
• Select and monitor on-site maintenance vendors, including: janitorial and custodial services; groundskeeping, mowing, and snow removal; well and septic system maintenance; water testing and treatment; electrical and
solar energy production and use; repair and maintenance of decks, porches, and walkways; other site development projects as appropriate
• Maintain facility records
• Monitor and communicate facilities needs to Finance Committee for budgeting or reallocation
• Complete required NJ and NJ Department of Education reporting related to facilities
• Apply for, implement, and report on land-based grants and/or recognitions (e.g., Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, Sustainable Jersey, National Wildlife Foundation Schoolyard Habitats, et al.)
Leadership Team The Infrastructure Coordinator shares responsibility for managing all aspects of the school. In cooperation with the Curriculum and Integration Coordinators, the Infrastructure Coordinator will:
• Build on the existing foundation of the RVCS mission
• Develop relationships with all guides, students, and families
• Respond to emergent situations, particularly related to the physical facility
• Host visitors (incl. DOE representatives,
local district officials, researchers, et al.)
• Participate in grant research, writing, and reporting
• Contribute to required NJ Department of Education reports including the Annual Report and 5-Year Charter Renewal Applications
• Participate in Leadership Team Meetings
• Participate in Trustee Meetings
• Facilitate Community Service Days
• Support school curriculum and activities in the Key Learning Experiences of Relating, Exploring, Designing, and Nourishing
• Participate in the life of the school community in the form of weekly Assembly and student presentations, guide meetings and professional development, annual Celebration of Learning, Earth Olympics, Meet and Greet, Refresh, and Debrief, et al.
• Contribute to new staff orientation and ongoing staff professional development
Desirable qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in sustainability, permaculture, ecology, or related fields;
experience with
gardening, orchard management, or agriculture; practical skills in design, maintenance, and repair; experience with children and outdoor education; experience working in collaborative teams; excellent communication skills.
Ridge and Valley Charter School, a K-8 public school in NW New Jersey, cultivates interconnectedness by immersing children in the natural world through an innovative outdoor experiential, project-based curriculum, with an integrated ecological and sustainable living focus. All staff and students spend significant time outdoors, in all weather, including overnight expeditions. Please send resume and cover letter to: Ridge and Valley Charter School, 1234 Rt. 94, Blairstown, N.J. 07825 Phone: 908-362-1114 Fax: 908-362-6680 or Email:
hiring.committee@ridgeandvalley.org.
The Ridge and Valley Charter school board of trustees guarantees to all persons equal access to all categories of employment, assignment to a position, transfer, and promotion in this district. The board shall not assign, transfer, promote, or retain staff, or fail to assign, transfer, promote, or retain staff, on the sole basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, domestic partnership status, familial status, pregnancy, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, disability, nationality, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait of any individual, nonapplicable disability or because of genetic information or refusal to submit to or make available the results of a genetic test.
