Director of Literacy

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

Company Description

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares
students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves,
their communities, and us all. We are a network of 270 schools, nearly 10,000
educators, and more than 160,000 students and alumni.
● Mission: Together with families and communities, we create 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.
● Vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves
and their communities.
● KIPP in Oklahoma: KIPP currently operates as two KIPP regions in Oklahoma.
KIPP OKC was founded in 2002 and serves students grades 4-8 in a middle
school. KIPP Tulsa was founded in 2005 and now serves grades 5-12 in middle
and high school. Nationally, other same-state KIPP mergers/integrations are
occurring to better leverage outcomes, scale, and sustainability. In early 2021,
the KIPP Tulsa and OKC boards approved the hire of shared Executive Director
Darius Kirk and the launch of a due diligence and planning process currently
underway with support from consultants and KIPP Foundation to determine
whether the two regions should combine to become KIPP Oklahoma. As of
December 2021, the KIPP Oklahoma merger was voted on and completed by each representative board of directors. KIPP Oklahoma will officially launch July
1, 2022.


The Five Pillars of KIPP

1. High Expectations. KIPP schools have clearly defined and measurable high
expectations for academic achievement and conduct that make no excuses based on
the students' backgrounds. Students, parents, teachers, and staff create and reinforce a
culture of achievement and support through a range of formal and informal rewards and
consequences for academic performance and behavior.
2. Choice & Commitment. Students, their parents, and the faculty of each KIPP
school choose to participate in the program. No one is assigned or forced to attend a
KIPP school. Everyone must make and uphold a commitment to the school and to each
other to put in the time and effort required to achieve success.
3. More Time. KIPP schools know that there are no shortcuts when it comes to
success in academics and life. With an extended school day, week, and year, students
have more time in the classroom to acquire the academic knowledge and skills that will
prepare them for competitive high schools and colleges, as well as more opportunities
to engage in diverse extracurricular experiences.
4. Power to Lead. The principals of KIPP schools are effective academic and
organizational leaders who understand that great schools require great school leaders.
They have control over their school budget and personnel. They are free to swiftly move
dollars or make staffing changes, allowing them maximum effectiveness in helping
students learn.
5. Focus on Results. KIPP schools relentlessly focus on high student performance
on standardized tests and other objective measures. Just as there are no shortcuts,
there are no excuses. Students are expected to achieve a level of academic performance that will enable them to succeed at the nation's best high schools and
colleges. Teachers will be provided consistent and constant professional development.

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Literacy (DL) oversees the full implementation of the PreK-12 curriculum
to lead KIPP Oklahoma students to the highest literacy achievement results possible.
The DL ensures student learning experiences are rigorous, engaging and aligned to
standards. The DL also engages teachers in professional development about best
practices, drives data-driven conversations about student progress, models appropriate
lesson delivery and offers support where needed. This role reports directly to the Chief
Academic Officer and oversees literacy and humanities curriculum grades PreK-12 as
part of the larger academic team’s strategic plan.


Success in this role would be measured by student achievement results in literacy,
curricular implementation success, and the codification of systems and procedures.


This position is year-round and performs duties as assigned by their manager. This
position reports directly to the Chief Academic Officer. Typical hours are 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. but vary for this role based on the season. Some travel between school
locations or other training during/after normal business hours would be required.


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Literacy and Social Studies Curriculum Leadership
● Collaborate with regional and school-based leaders to develop and refine a
horizontally and vertically aligned K-12 ELA framework● Oversee the full implementation of KIPP Wheatley Curriculum across grade
levels 3-8
● Collaborate with school-based PreK-2 Literacy Coaches to provide an excellent
early literacy experience for our students
● Monitor ELA 9-12 student achievement and curricular implementation in
collaboration with the KIPP Foundation
● Monitor and evaluate literacy interventions across the region
● Oversee Writing Curriculum 4-12
● Oversee Humanities Curriculum PreK-12
● Create and revise regional curriculum pacing calendars
● Ensure alignment of curriculum to standards and state assessments
● Monitor Regional benchmark assessment and progress monitoring
● Serve as a liaison to school-based content leads with curriculum related
questions
● Analyze regional data in collaboration with regional and school-based leadership
to identify areas of need, and support the facilitation of region-wide instructional
initiatives that lead us to our goals
● Other duties as outlined by a manager


Instructional Leadership
● Develop and facilitate region-wide professional development for teachers,
instructional leaders, and School Leaders in order to build our teachers’ and
leaders’ capacity with ELA content, planning, and instructional execution
● Conduct regular instructional reviews
● Serve as a model teacher and assist as needed in the classroom setting
● Provide coaching as needed to teachers and school-based content leaders

Qualifications

REQUIRED

● Possesses a deep commitment to both racial and educational equity; supports
the building of an organization that reflects the community KIPP serves; holds
self and others on team accountable for centering equity.
● Master’s Degree
● Five (5)+ years of teaching experience
● Reading Endorsement or Certification
● Experience coaching or managing others
● Demonstrates strong student achievement results in literacy
● Experience with elementary and secondary literacy
● A relentless work ethic and a high degree of patience to push through difficult
challenges
● Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a team of teachers
● Outstanding public speaking and writing skills
● Technological proficiency and adaptability
● Excellent organizational skills


HIGHLY PREFERRED
● Master’s Degree in literacy or curriculum & instruction
● Prior experience as an instructional coach or content specialist
● Prior experience as an Assistant Principal
● At least four years working in an urban school setting


COMPETENCIES
● Expresses belief in all students potential to complete college and succeed in life
● Articulates and teaches the organization’s vision, mission, values, goals and
commitment to racial equity
● Ensures systems are implemented that reinforce positive character, behavior,
and organizational values
● Develops mutually beneficial relationships. Ensures instructional improvement by observing, coaching, modeling for, and teaching staff
● Coaches others towards goals and provides timely, relevant, and constructive
feedback
● Focuses on results
● Uses data to drive improves teaching and learning
● Uses intuition and data to make timely decisions in the face of ambiguity
● Holds themselves and others accountable to achieving planned milestones
● Takes responsibility for mistakes and learns from successes and failure
● Perseveres through significant challenges to reach goals
● Demonstrates flexibility when plans or situations change unexpectedly and adjust
plans
● Manages time and resources effectively

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits


● In addition to a competitive salary scale, KIPP Oklahoma provides a generous
benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life insurances and other
ancillary benefits.
● KIPP Oklahoma does not and shall not discriminate on the race, color, religion,
creed, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation,
marital or parental status, disability, source of income, or status as a veteran in
any of its activities or operations.
● All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.


KIPP OKC is dedicated to equal employment opportunities and fair labor practices. KIPP OKC provides equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications, and the ability to perform a job without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, legally protected medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, or on any other basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. It is our policy to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based upon these grounds.

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