Chief Academic Officer

Company Description

KIPP Kansas City Public Schools is part of a nationwide network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory charter schools dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. Our strength as a region serves as a catalyst for empowerment, change, and hope.

Founded in 2007, KIPP Kansas City Public Schools began with KIPP Endeavor Academy, serving approximately 31 fifth-grade students. Today, we educate approximately 1,000 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, with our community continuing to expand. Together with families and communities, we strive to create joyful, academically excellent schools that equip students with the skills and confidence to pursue their chosen paths—whether college, career, or beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and contribute to a more just world.

Job Description

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) serves as the instructional leader of KIPP KC and is responsible for the academic success of the network. The Chief Academic Officer will create, communicate, and execute the academic vision of KIPP KC. This involves developing and implementing both short-term and long-term strategic plans for the network and with individual school leadership teams. The CAO is also responsible for overseeing organization-wide professional learning experiences and ensuring all academic programs are aligned to support student achievement while in compliance with federal and state law. 

The Chief Academic Officer will be a part of an executive team that sets the strategic direction of the organization, ensures operational and academic alignment across all schools, and makes key decisions to drive student achievement and organizational health.

Key Responsibilities:

Academic Leadership & Strategy

• Develop an academic vision and long-term strategic plan that aligns with KIPP KC’s mission, ensuring consistency and excellence in instructional models across multiple campuses (K-12).

• Lead the implementation of high-impact academic strategies to ensure rigorous, engaging educational programs that improve student outcomes.

• Plan, develop, implement, assess, and improve academic policies and practices to support instructional excellence.

• Observe systems and classrooms to diagnose data gaps and provide fixes.

Curriculum Development & Instructional Design

• Design and implement a standards-based curriculum.  The CAO will have direct oversight of the roles that align to curriculum, academics and specialized cohorts.

• Ensure all curricula are aligned with KIPP KC’s academic model and in compliance with national and state standards.

• Collaborate with the Chief Schools Officer and school leadership to develop, implement, and monitor an effective multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework that ensures students meet academic and individual learning goals.

• Manage and partner with the Director of Student Support Services to implement appropriate and responsive behavior interventions that meet students’ unique social, emotional, mental, and academic needs.

Professional Development & Staff Support

• Develop and oversee network-wide professional learning to build on teacher strengths, identify areas for growth, and enhance instructional effectiveness.

• Knowledgeable of and provides professional development, guidance and support on KIPP KC Curriculum and Assessments (i.e. DIBELS, CKLA, Eureka Math, Fish Tank, Novel ELA, Illustrative Math, etc.)

• Knowledgeable of and provides professional development, guidance and support on student data platforms (Renaissance DNA, Infinite Campus, Amplify, iReady, etc.)

Assessment & Accountability

• Utilize student achievement data to drive instructional decisions, evaluate program effectiveness, and ensure school accountability.

• Lead and manage academic progress monitoring meetings to drive shifts in curriculum implementation and assessment strategy based on data.

• Develop network-wide assessment systems to track progress across multiple campuses. The CAO will manage the roles aligned to data and assessment management.

• Provide leadership to ensure campuses maintain exceptional academic progress in the areas of attendance, grades, matriculation, and graduation.  Facilitate the evaluation and monitoring of academic programs and outcomes.

Leadership and Management

• Lead and develop a high-performing Academic Team, directly managing four direct reports while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuou