Founding Chief Academic Officer

  • Full-time
  • Start Date: Immediate opening
  • Department: Regional Support and Leadership

Company Description

ABOUT KIPP

Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students.

ABOUT KIPP ALBANY COMMUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (KIPP ALBANY)

KIPP Albany launched on July 1, 2020 as the new partnership between KIPP Tech Valley Charter Schools and Albany Community Charter Schools. KIPP Albany is a unified group of schools striving towards excellence in education in the Capital Region, with 1600 students across four schools. KIPP Tech Valley Middle School (KTVM) was founded over 15 years ago in 2005. In 2018-2019, KTVM was named a Recognition School by the New York State Department of Education. KIPP Tech Valley Primary School (KTVP) opened its doors in 2016 to 100 kindergarten students, and is now fully scaled to 500 students grades K-4. KIPP Albany Community Charter Elementary (KACCSE) and Middle Schools (KACCSM) will continue their commitment to providing students with a nurturing and supportive environment of high expectations, love, and respect. KIPP ACCE was founded in 2006, with KACCM following in 2012 and brings a relentless focus on academic achievement and character development to their K-8 students.

Job Description

1.  Academic Vision and Systems - In close collaboration with regional and school-based instructional staff, design a comprehensive instructional model for KIPP Albany that is focused on KIPP Albany’s vision of achieving breakthrough student results and promoting a culture focused on excellent teaching and learning, as well as equity for all students

  • Observe, diagnose and establish academic and character vision and goals for schools, taking ultimate responsibility for academic alignment at all levels, ensuring instructional quality and academic performance across the region
  • Demonstrate expertise in instructional research that informs curricula choices and instructional practices

  • Ensure that the designed instructional model meets the needs of all student

2.  Implementation and Measurement of Teaching and Learning - Successfully deliver a uniform instructional model across KIPP Albany Public Schools

  • Develop implementation of the KIPP Albany instructional model and all of its enabling systems, ensuring that the model is implemented to achieve desired student outcomes

  • Offer support to School Leaders, including curriculum and assessments, instruction, and continuous improvement

  • Make decisions considering contextual factors (e.g., local politics, and community considerations) that may arise; effectively consider trade-offs and their implications; and continually seek input from key stakeholders in decision making

  • Support and retain academic talent by building relationships, encouraging them to seek out challenging roles and providing ongoing coaching

  • Provide ongoing measurement and improvement of teaching learning in the following areas:

    • Define and monitor key metrics to determine success of KIPP Albany’s teaching and learning

    • Benchmark KIPP Albany’s schools against other schools at the district, state, and federal levels

    • Continually improve instructional model and professional development systems to drive improvement

    • Create a data-driven culture in curriculum and instruction 

    • Actively contribute to and seek best practices in teaching and learning in K-12

3.  Effective Talent Strategies - Ensure KIPP Albany is committed to developing and retaining highly effective academic talent

  • Help set organizational standards of excellence in instructional performance and articulate standards for instructional staff

  • Ensure clear performance evaluations systems for instructional staff, including clear performance frameworks, timely evaluations and accessible data

  • Set vision for instructional staff professional development and ensure that professional development supports implementation of the KIPP Albany instructional model

  • Mentor and coach regional curriculum and instruction team; develop a clear career path in schools and for the regional academics team to drive retention and growth of high-performing staff

  • Partner with the ED to attract, develop and retain school leaders and emerging school leaders

4.  Regional Leadership - Serve as a member of the region’s leadership team

  • Partner with Executive Director to ensure entire organization is leading for learning (e.g. regional office departments keep schools and students in mind as they are making decisions)

  • Support the unification of four KIPP Albany schools by building strong relationships and coalitions (with students, families, stuff and communities) for the purpose of developing a shared academic vision 

  • Ensure the decision around future growth (to potentially include a high school and additional K-8 schools) can be effectively supported by the academic vision and systems

  • Partner with other KIPP schools and regions to learn best practices and collaborate with other academic leaders.

5.  School Culture - Build a school culture that values joy and rigor, that prioritizes observation and feedback, that drives lessons with data, and results in exceptional achievement gains for children

  • Establish and promote a clear vision of educational equity as a guiding principle across all schools, and ensure it is reflected in curriculum, instruction, and program offerings so that our students’ identities are affirmed.

  • Collaborate with schools to develop instructional programs and to implement reform models designed to improve achievement of all students; develop a two-way feedback loop from school sites to the Chief Academic Officer

  • Actively listen to others, understands nuance, and effectively interprets motivations/perceptions and data (both quantitative and qualitative); able to integrate feedback from others and additional data points to achieve better results.

Qualifications

  • A deep commitment to the mission of KIPP Albany and an unwavering belief in the potential of all our students

  • An unwavering commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, with an ability to serve as an exemplar for the organization’s values and foster an inclusive and respectful workplace

  • A strong desire to collaborate with school leaders and Central Office teammates in service to four unified schools 

  • 8+ years of work experience, including 3+ years of experience as a high-performing principal and/or principal manager, who has experience closing the student achievement gaps between racial, ethnic and economic groups; K-12 experience strongly preferred

  • Deep experience in the design, integration, implementation, and management of an instructional model, including knowledge of curricula, instructional practices, school operations and management, and talent development

  • Ability to analyze and use data on a regular basis to drive decision making

  • Possess a deep commitment to both racial equity and improving the lives of kids from low-income communities; experience working within predominantly African-American and low-income communities; required

  • Must live in Albany or a surrounding community, or be willing to relocate

  • Commitment to building relationships and trust with leaders, teachers, students, families, and community

  • A track record of leading, motivating, and developing diverse and high performing teams

  • Values rooted in high expectations, going above and beyond, and deep humility

Additional Information

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

KIPP Albany is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP Albany is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

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