Regional Office: Director of Academics, Exceptional Learners (Elementary) - Greater Boston, MA (2023-2024)

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

Company Description

The mission of all of KIPP Massachusetts schools is to create an environment where students develop the academic skills, intellectual habits, and character traits necessary to maximize their potential in high school, college, and the world beyond. Our program is based on:

  • A focus on high-quality instruction supported by rigorous professional development to ensure that our students develop the academic skills necessary to pursue the life they choose.
  • High regard for character development to ensure that our students and staff celebrate and develop their character and identity strengths.
  • An emphasis on family engagement, because we believe that our students are most likely to be able to maximize their potential when we work in partnership with our students and their families.
  • A focus on college readiness for all students so that all students can make choices about their post-secondary education and future.

What We Do

We seek to provide a world-class education for students from educationally underserved communities in Lynn and Boston. Our student demographics mirror those of neighborhood schools in terms of race, socioeconomic status, English Language Learners, and students who receive special education services.

Our promise to families is that their children will enter college and the professional world able to thrive academically due to their literacy, numeracy, and core knowledge in science and social studies. We also promise that our students will develop the zest for learning and grit necessary to persevere as they climb the mountain to and through college and career. Our graduates will be prepared to return to their community as teachers, leaders, and architects of continued growth in Lynn and Boston.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Vision

At KIPP Massachusetts, we believe that Knowledge is Power. Every day, our team and family have the opportunity to either perpetuate systems of oppression or disrupt them. We are compelled by the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Therefore, we continuously commit to operating as an anti-racist organization.  Read more at Diversity Equity Inclusivity Vision.

 

Who We Are

KIPP Massachusetts began enrolling students in 2004. We currently hold two charters, operating two “districts.” Our first district, KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School, is based in Lynn, MA.  Our second district, KIPP Academy Boston Charter School, is based in Mattapan, MA. Each district is housed on one or more “campuses,” which we use to refer to different grade spans, for example, elementary grades, middle school grades, or high school grades.

In Lynn, KIPP Academy Lynn Elementary (serving grades K-4), KIPP Academy Lynn Middle (serving grades 5-8), and KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate (serving grades 9-12), are all under our Lynn charter.  Admission to any grade in the Lynn district is admission to all remaining grades in the Lynn district K-12. 66% of our students in Lynn are Hispanic, 23% are Black, and 11% are other races/ethnicities.

KIPP Academy Boston(serving grades K-8) operates under our Boston charter. Admission to any grade in the Boston district is admission to all remaining grades in the Boston district, K-8. 68% of our students in Boston are Black, 30% are Hispanic and 2% are other races/ethnicities.

Across both districts, KIPP Massachusetts will serve over 2,100 students.

 

KIPP National

KIPP Massachusetts is part of the nation-wide KIPP non-profit network of 255 college-preparatory, public charter schools educating more than 100,000 early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students.

KIPP Massachusetts is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all of our students, families, teachers, staff, and community members.

 

Job Description

Director of Academics, Exceptional Learners (Elementary)

The Director of Academics, elementary Exceptional Learners will lead KIPP MA’s efforts to deliver accessible, rigorous, engaging, aligned, and high quality instruction for all elementary students. The Director of Academics, Elementary Exceptional Learners will demonstrate their expertise and passion for K-4 Special Education in the design, integration, and implementation of curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, and accommodations for teachers and students. The Director of Academics, Elementary Exceptional Learners will be an essential partner to our elementary schools’ Leadership Teams, creating and implementing a vision for the ambitious instruction that all students deserve. The Director of Academics, Elementary Exceptional Learners will also invest, develop, collaborate with, and empower K-4 teachers so that all teachers are aligned with the shared vision, knowledge, and best practices that will amplify our children’s potential by creating a school experience that affirms, values, and challenges students each day.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Developing and Refining a Vision

  • Develop and/or refine a vision of excellence for instruction and specialized support for exceptional learners that is rooted in equity and a core set of aligned values.
  • Continuously create a differentiated path to move from our current state to the vision that includes strategic planning, change management, and innovative thinking).
  • Ensure the vision and all core components are aligned to our evolving understanding of being an anti-racist organization
  • Invest leaders, teachers, students, and families in KIPP MA’s academic vision and create ambitious implementation plans that ensure all students receive the instruction they deserve
  • Create and develop a path to achieve that vision from our current state

Deep Understanding of Impactful Programming

  • Maintain sophisticated knowledge of systems, practices, and resource allocation that drives maximum growth for exceptional learners and is in compliance with all Special Education regulations.
  • Stay up to date with current and relevant research
  • Actively continue to develop one's own knowledge with a strong focus on culturally relevant and culturally responsive content
  • Engage in a community of content leaders across KIPP and other charter schools
  • Disseminate research and key findings when meaningful

Lead on Multi-Tiered Systems of Academic Support

  • Support leaders in implementing practices that build capacity in general education teachers with effective practices for core components of the instructional model, including intervention.
  • Recommend and help implement instructional interventions
  • Recommend and help implement specialized services and supports based on specific areas of student need
  • Recommend additional formative and summative assessments for progress monitoring, including type and frequency
  • Develop personal knowledge of key assessments 
  • Recommend approaches to progress monitoring  data collection, analysis, and action planning
  • Use data to tell the story of the growth and achievement of our students who are exceptional learners

Develop Teachers and Leaders

  • Lead professional development to develop teacher and leader knowledge and effective instructional practices
  • Create exemplars including, but not limited to, rigorous scaffolding and differentiation of materials.
  • Empower leaders and teachers to share knowledge and best practices across our region
  • Coach leaders (ex: co-observations, professional development)  to improve their coaching of teachers 

Effectively Collaborate and Communicate

  • Work collaboratively with the other members of the regional Teaching and Learning team and Student Support Team (MLL, Special Education Directors)
  • Work collaboratively with school-based leadership across our current five schools and two sites
  • Leverage strengths on the team to foster meaningful collaboration within and across teams
  • Engage with families, students, and alumni to ensure their input helps to develop our curriculum and approach
  • Be curious about the past practices, current conditions, and interpersonal relationships that impact this work
  • Communicate with optimism, confidence, openness, and humility
  • Navigate change management to ensure the quality of instruction dramatically approves across the entire region

Regional Responsibilities

  • Embody KIPP MA’s Code of Conduct by acting with integrity, leading with humanity, centering self-awareness and critical consciousness, taking personal responsibility, and engaging productively
  • Participate and engage in regional professional development and community events as required

KIPP MA staff are supported in their demanding work by experienced and dedicated leadership and staff who have themselves proven successful in their role. Our KIPP MA Executive Leadership Teams maintain consistent systems and procedures designed to permit staff to do their best work. 

In addition to the responsibilities listed above, there will occasionally be other duties as assigned that staff will engage in to help promote a positive and safe learning environment and culture.

 

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Love and unwavering belief in the high potential of all students
  • Commitment to anti-racism and equity
  • Demonstrated ability to drive student growth and achievement and to create a warm, inclusive, rigorous learning environment
  • Passion and expertise for subject/content area and demonstrated commitment to professional learning
  • 2+ years of full-time teaching experience
  • Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in content area or education; Master’s Degree preferred
  • Demonstrated success in raising the achievement levels of traditionally under-served students preferred
  • Demonstrated success in coaching and mentoring adults
  • KIPP MA requires that all staff be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine (or approved by KIPP MA for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief). 
  • Pass Criminal Background Checks

KIPP MA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables all of our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. We hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Additional Information

What We Offer

The starting base salary for this exempt position is $70,000 to $85,000 (per 1.0 FTE/45 hours per week) with a $1,000 signing bonus—and $2,000 retention and $3,000 longevity bonuses in subsequent years. We offer a comprehensive tiered benefits plan, with a competitive employer contribution toward premiums for health insurance, including coverage for spouse/domestic partner and/or children. Other benefits include dental and vision plans, flexible PTO, life insurance, work-life balance benefits, paid family and medical leaves, flexible spending account options, parenting and elder care benefits, free access to financial coaching and services, commuter benefits, 403(b) plans, individualized coaching, and referral bonuses. KIPP MA may offer a relocation stipend to help defray the cost of moving for this role, where applicable.

All staff and educators at KIPP MA are committed to anti-racism and inclusion, are part of a close-knit diverse community, and are encouraged to show up authentically, inspiring our children to do the same. For more information on the benefits of joining KIPP MA, please view our Employee Value Proposition
 

Application process

Internal candidates: If you are currently a member of the KIPP MA team, please apply by emailing your resume to the Recruitment Team at [email protected].  Be sure to indicate to which position you wish to apply.     

External candidates: If you do not currently work for the KIPP MA team, please visit our job board at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/KIPP/massachusetts and complete an online application.

  1. The KIPP MA Recruitment Team will select candidates to move forward to the video/phone screen interview stage.

  2. Following the phone interview, the KIPP MA team will invite qualified candidates to interview with KIPP MA School or Regional Office Teams.

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