KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 285 KIPP schools across the nation and the District of Columbia, serving more than 175,000 students and alumni with more than 15,000 educators. 

Founded in 2008 with 50 students in 5th grade, KIPP Columbus currently educates  2,000 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth.  With a mission to, together with families and the community, create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose -- college, career, and beyond --  KIPP has maintained excellence in its growth, and will improve upon that standard – proving what is possible in public education.

KIPP Columbus continues to rank as one of the top schools for academic growth of any school in the state of Ohio, and is a top performing urban school in the state for academic growth. In our first three graduating classes (in spring 2020, 2021, and 2022) 100% of students were accepted to college and/or military service  with nearly $40 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities awarded.

In addition to academic excellence, KIPP Columbus also partners with nearly 100 community organizations to provide extracurricular activities, programming, health and wellness services, meals, and more to KIPP students, families, and the broader community. KIPP is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, offering more than 10 varsity sports. 

The KIPP Columbus learning campus will continue to advance student learning, expand partnerships, enable superior programming, and serve as a teaching and leadership lab for schools nationwide, reimagining education through a deeper lens of antiracism, excellence, and joy as we expand to educate nearly 4,000 students on our learning campus in the coming years. 

Interested in learning more about our school?  Please check out our website: https://www.kippcolumbus.org/

The Opportunity 

At KIPP Columbus, it is critically important that we provide an excellent and equitable education to all students. Under the direction of the Head of Schools, the Assistant Director of Early Literacy is responsible for providing leadership to all aspects of the region's K-2nd grade literacy instructional program.  This role will directly support our school leadership team to align current practices, curriculum, lesson delivery, and development to the science of reading.   The School Leaders at each school will work directly with the Assistant Director of Early Literacy who will be responsible and accountable for the academic performance of all schools. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a talented and committed educational leader to accelerate KIPP’s efforts to positively impact the lives of our students in Columbus. 

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide leadership for all aspects of the KIPP Columbus early literacy programming, including  academic standards alignment, instructional quality, use of data and assessment, professional development, and curriculum development.
• Lead and support the strategic planning and priorities of the KIPP Columbus Early Literacy Professional Learning Community partnership with the KIPP Foundation.
• Monitor assessment programs for maximum effectiveness and uses of assessment data in analysis, decision making, faculty review/development, and strategic planning.
• Ensure that instruction, curriculum, and learning resources support an outstanding educational experience for students, grounded in the science of reading.
• Hold school leaders accountable to high standards of excellence while providing high quality support to help schools meet these standards and achievement targets.
• Carefully monitor school performance through frequent classroom observations and in-depth data analysis in order to identify areas of strength as well as opportunities for improvement.
• Provide on-going coaching and feedback to School Leaders, Assistant School Leaders, and instructional coaches to help them develop in their roles as instructional leaders.
• Ensure that educators have efficient access to high quality student achievement data and can meaningfully use this data to improve instruction.
• Ensure that instructional lessons are consistently aligned to the science of reading, standards-based, objective-driven, and effectively delivered with an urgent focus on individual student mastery.
• Design and implement enhanced professional development for School Leaders and Assistant School Leaders based on individual and region-wide needs.
• Facilitate collaboration among school leaders and teachers across school sites.

• Master’s Degree in Education, or related field
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience with specific experience in school leadership, curriculum development, or program leadership
• Expertise in curriculum development, program design, and/or pedagogy
• Expertise in the science of reading
• Experience as a teacher, teacher-coach, and principal preferred
• A demonstrable commitment to pursuing equity
• A strong track record of experience and results as a trusted member of an organization’s senior leadership team
• Excellent communication and influencing skills to interact effectively with all levels of the organization and the school network
• Exceptional strategic, analytical, and critical thinking skills
• Belief that outstanding school leaders, staff, and teachers can achieve excellent outcomes for all students
• Ability to persevere with a sense of optimism, strong problem solving skills, and desire to learn and grow in a collaborative professional learning community
• Willingness, and commitment, to go above and beyond to prove the possible with students.
• Ability to multi-task and work within an ambiguous, fast-moving, start-up environment, while driving toward clarity and solutions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Extreme flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high levels of responsibility and multiple priorities
• Model the values of KIPP Columbus (Imagine, Navigate, Seek, Persevere, Integrity, Responsibility, and Empathy)
   

Compensation and Benefits

KIPP Columbus offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefit plan including medical and dental insurance, as well as group term life insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.  

Sign on Bonus:  Successful candidates for the 22-23 school year, who are new to the KIPP Columbus team, will receive a $5,000 bonus ($2,000 provided after the first 90 days of employment, and the remaining $3,000 upon the successful completion of the school year).

Statement of Non-Disclosure

KIPP Columbus is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school for consideration of any position (admission, employment, etc.). KIPP Columbus does not discriminate on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 4112.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.