KIPP Texas Public Schools is a nonprofit public charter school network, dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for college success and choice-filled lives. Today, KIPP Texas operates 59 public charter schools educating over 31,100 students across four regions – Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income families.

The Primary Literacy Lead is an exciting opportunity for an individual with deep content knowledge of literacy at the primary school level (Pre-K through 4th Grade) and passion for curriculum and instruction. The Primary School Literacy Lead  will play a critical role at the state-level in one of KIPP’s most progressive reform efforts in order to drive improved student results, including growth and achievement, college and career readiness, and closing the achievement gap. The Primary Literacy Lead is responsible for leading the strategy and implementation of state literacy priorities and programs in order to improve and accelerate student achievement across Pre-K-4 classrooms through quality curriculum and instruction. 

Key Responsibilities

• Developing and Implementing Strategy | Create a strategy for PreK-4 literacy aligned to priorities and metrics and execute plans effectively to ensure strong literacy implementation across the state.

• Developing and Implementing Strategy | Create a strategy for implementing literacy professional development through Reading Academies aligned with TEA guidelines priorities and metrics and execute plans effectively to ensure strong literacy instructional practices across the state.

• Coaching | Coach and support school administrators, literacy coaches, teachers, and regional support teams to grow and achieve goals in literacy.

• Data Analysis | Analyze data at student-level, teacher-level, school-level and regional-level to identify strengths, opportunities for growth, and curricular and implementation implications.

• Professional Learning | Plan and lead virtual and in-person professional development to ensure all regions are set on a path to achieve 2020 goals and beyond. 

• Lead implementation of state literacy priorities, including but not limited to Close Reading, Guided Reading, Writing, and Foundational Literacy, and ELA curriculum across the state for grades PreK-4.

• Lead implementation of state literacy priorities, including but not limited to Close Reading, Guided Reading, Writing, and Foundational Literacy, and ELA curriculum across the state for grades PreK-4.

• Create strategy for literacy implementation, support, and coaching across matrices and teams to reach ambitious goals in literacy across the state.

• Coach, build relationships, and support to APs, SLs, teachers, and regional academics team members across the state to ensure strong implementation of literacy programs.

• Develop, manage, and lead literacy pilots across the state to innovate and try new programs, structures, and strategies; gather data and artifacts to make state-wide programmatic recommendations for further years.

• Serve as a model of instructional coaching power moves of internalization, observation and feedback, and data- driven instruction (DDI). Coach APs, SLs, and regional academics teams members across the state in the power moves when coaching in schools.

• Conduct Texas state-wide and region-specific data analysis to guide regions around intentional data driven response in instruction.

• Plan and lead virtual and in-person literacy professional development for literacy coaches and teachers including lesson internalization, module internalization, and responding to data. 

Skills and Qualifications

Content and Pedagogical Expertise

• Strong knowledge and believe in the college-ready bar for students in literacy; exceptionally high standards for rigor and the belief that all students can achieve at high levels

• Strong knowledge of the components of balanced literacy

• Strong background and familiarity with literacy assessments

• Master teacher in literacy with strong skill in internalizing curriculum and modeling lessons

• Strong coach of teachers with expertise in observation and feedback

• Strong coach of leaders with the ability to model strong coaching and school leadership

• Expert in literacy in the primary grades (Pre-K through 4th Grade) with a strong knowledge of the full literacy continuum (Pre-K through 12th Grade)

Technical Skills

• Detail oriented and obsessed with accuracy, especially in the areas of curriculum and assessments

• Ability to create own work plan and can project plan around multiple priorities and fast-paced deadlines.

• Able to succinctly present summaries and updates

• Can work across multiple modes of communication (virtual and in-person) to impact others and achieve goals

• Advanced understanding of Microsoft Office suite

Communication, Interpersonal and Team Skills

• Builds and maintains strong relationships across a variety of levels and stakeholders

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; tailors message for the audience, context, and mode of communication

• Motivates others to work in partnership toward ambitious goals

• Builds consensus and resolves conflicts; exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations

• Skillfully navigates systems and structures at various levels in a large district

• Comfortable in ambiguity and can take abstract ideas into concrete work plans and products

Problem Solving and Systems Level Thinking

• Understands how various systems, departments, and stakeholders interact to achieve short and long-term goals

• Makes decisions using data and takes initiative to solve problems and create stakeholder buy-in

• Can exhibit flexibility when faced with shifting priorities, demands, and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities

• Identifies and prioritizes mission critical issues and offers innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems

• Exhibits strong focus on goals and results and sets clear metrics for success

Leadership skills

• Motivates, inspires, and moves other adults to action to achieve ambitious goals

• Builds coalitions and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels, including but not limited to regional leaders, School Leaders, coaches, teachers, and students

• Establishes clear expectations, deliverables and deadlines across organizational layers

Empathy and Commitment to Cause

• Deep belief in the mission and values of KIPP and commitment to improving student achievement

• Passionately believes that all students can achieve at high levels

• Demonstrates cultural competence and a deep understanding of and empathy for issues facing students and urban school districts 

In addition to a competitive salary scale, a part of KIPP Texas’ competitive benefits options, KIPP offers all employees an $0 HMO plan for the employee only. In addition to our $0 plan, KIPP provides a $600 employer contribution towards a Health Savings Account and a variety of other supplemental benefits such as Dental, Vision, Short and Long-Term Disability, Pet Insurance, Life, etc.