KIPP NYC Director, Elementary School Literacy

Company Description

KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of 18 free, public charter schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. We partner with families and communities to create joyful and rigorous schools in pursuit of a more just world. In 1995, we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in the Bronx, with a vision that every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. Today, our network consists of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Forward, a comprehensive program to support our students and alumni in choosing and preparing for the educational and career paths that fit their goals and sense of purpose. KIPP NYC currently serves more than 11,000 students and alumni, has a staff of more than 1,000 (11 % of whom are alumni), and continues to grow!

Job Description

Position Overview

The Director of Elementary School Literacy is an essential position that drives ELA achievement at KIPP NYC’s Elementary Schools. The Director of Elementary School Literacy will report to the Managing Director, Academics and work closely with the Teaching & Learning Support team (TLS) and school-based leaders to ensure the effective implementation of the Middle School literacy program and other literacy initiatives, specifically the KIPP NYC’s Literacy Bill of Rights.

This role is based in NYC and may require travel to our schools. Cadence and frequency of travel to schools is determined by your leadership team. If you relocate outside of a commutable distance or out of the state of NY, your employment will be subject to review, which may include separation from KIPP NYC. It is important that you notify HR if you move or have plans to relocate.

General Duties and Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Strategic Curriculum Design and Management

• Continually refine KIPP NYC’s Literacy Bill of Rights and ELA instructional practice
• Manage and design curricula and teacher/leader facing resources to support high-quality literacy instruction across KIPP NYC’s elementary schools
• Draw on content knowledge and understanding of effective literacy instructional practices to design and revise curriculum documents and continually evaluate curriculum implementation

 Assessment Design and Data Systems

• Develop and design summative assessments that yield meaningful data on students’ reading and writing skills throughout the year
• Analyze regional data in collaboration with regional leaders and school-based leaders to create action plans that promote student achievement in reading, phonics, and writing
• Collaborate with the Data and Assessment Team to create and manage a system for sharing assessment data results and analyses to the greater KIPP NYC teacher and leader community

School Support

• Engage and invest stakeholders (teachers, school leaders, students, families) in the vision of high-quality literacy instruction
• Observe instructional practices in schools to identify and address curriculum design and professional development gaps
• Collaborate with school-based leaders and teachers to devise meaningful action steps that improve student outcomes
• Support school-based leaders in continually evaluating the effectiveness of the literacy program overall (ELA, guided reading, independent reading, content area literacy, foundational literacy)

Professional Development

• Provide targeted coaching and professional development experiences to principals and deans to support content knowledge development and curriculum implementation and innovation
• Develop and facilitate regional professional development for teachers and leaders to ensure full implementation of curriculum and instructional initiatives across content areas

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in education and/or ELA or Literacy education preferred
• Minimum 4 years exemplary ELA teaching experience with strong student achievement results
• Minimum 3 years exemplary teacher coaching and adult management experience
• Deep knowledge of ELA content and learning theory, current educational trends, blended learning practices, methods, research, and technology, and program planning and implementation
• Commitment to DEI practices and willingness to evolve curricula to be more culturally responsive and sustaining
• Experience planning and leading engaging and effective professional development for adults
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop productive working relationships with multiple stakeholders across the organization