Middle School Literacy Specialist

Who We Are
KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 20 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 10,000 students and supporting 6,800 alumni to and through college and beyond.
What We Believe
KIPP SoCal believes that the purpose of education is for liberation. This means that we see, develop, and inspire the limitless potential in each and all of our KIPPsters.
What We Do
At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it's not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.

The Opportunity
The Middle School Literacy Specialist reports to the Director of Literacy. They will lead the design and implementation of the KIPP SoCal middle school literacy approach, with a primary focus on literacy in grades 5-8. All efforts driven by the Middle School Literacy Specialist will be in service of an equitable, inclusive, rigorous, and diverse learning experience in reading, writing, listening, and speaking for all students. 

Primary Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Director of Literacy and Director of Teaching & Learning, the middle school literacy specialist will create and document an inclusive, equitable, and culturally relevant vision for excellence in middle school literacy
• Collaborate with the Director of Literacy to create the enabling systems to realize the vision
• Research, recommend, and review curricular and assessment options 
• Lead any adaptation efforts to middle school literacy curricula to better meet the needs of students (e.g. adjusting lessons / units per the gradual release of responsibility instructional framework).
• Monitor and lead the creation and adjustment of regional scopes and sequences for middle school literacy
• Monitor and, when relevant, lead the creation of regional formative and summative middle school literacy assessments
• Conduct literacy observations and literacy walkthroughs in collaboration with the Director of Literacy and school site-level instructional leaders.
• Lead the planning and execution of regional professional development in middle school literacy 
• Plan and lead professional development at schools in literacy on an ad hoc or on-going basis based on individual schools’ needs in literacy
• Coach and develop specific teachers across schools when needed
• Collaborate with the Director of Literacy to plan and lead middle school content team meetings for literacy
• Collaborate with the Director of Literacy to craft a personalized professional learning plan (e.g. text study, workshops, conferences, school visits, etc.) to build knowledge and capacity in early literacy content and teaching and learning instructional methods and practices

The Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree (required)
• 4-5 years of teaching related experience, preferably charter schools
• Deep experience with and knowledge best practice research methods for early literacy and language acquisition
• Experience driving outcomes for students of all ability levels
• Critical thinking skills and creativity in building strong systems and structures that support literacy instruction
• Extensive experience designing and leading professional development and training sessions to a variety of teacher experience levels
• Excellent project management skills
• Experience leading teams to drive results
• A deep passion for social justice, anti-racism work, and equity for all children
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others and build relationships across teams and schools
• Model the values of KIPP SoCal (lead with love, strength in the collective, equity and excellence, curiosity and integrity)

The Perks

• KIPP SoCal Public Schools offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The salary range for this position is $79,200 to $118,800. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint of $99,000 depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
• 100% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer, dependents added at 50% of the cost
• Employer-paid KIPP SoCal life insurance