Organizational Overview

KIPP NC is a network of eight high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools providing an academically rigorous and joyous school experience to more than 3,500 students in grades K-12 in Charlotte, Durham, Gaston, and Halifax. KIPP NC supports several thousand alumni on their journey to and through high school, college, and career.   

KIPP NC is building on a rich tradition of academic excellence and relentless fight for social justice present from the founding of both KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte. KIPP ENC is the second oldest KIPP region in the nation. In its 20 years of operation, KIPP ENC has been a cornerstone for students and families in rural Gaston and Halifax, operating two primary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Over the past five years, it grew to serve even more students by opening up a middle school in Durham, an urban center in the center part of the state. KIPP Charlotte, which grew out of the strong traditions and academics of KIPP ENC, has supported students and families for the past 13 years, operating one primary school and one middle school in the largest city in North Carolina.

KIPP North Carolina is building upon the successes and experiences of KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte to provide inclusive school environments and an educational program that will enable our students to lead full lives and equip graduates to be future leaders and agents of change in North Carolina and beyond. KIPP NC is engaging in direct, anti-racist work, and contributes meaningfully to the dismantling of structures of inequality within our organization, schools, and classrooms. We’re committed to expanding our efforts to embed anti-racism in all of our activities and engagements within our classrooms and schools, across our organization, and throughout the State of North Carolina. All of this will be in a tireless effort to create classrooms that are homeplaces for our students, places where they feel safe, loved, validated, seen, and heard, places where all their beautiful identities will be affirmed and celebrated, and places where they will learn the academic knowledge and skills needed for college, career, and beyond.

The Opportunity

The founding Head of Schools for KIPP NC will be responsible for the overall quality of school programming, and will maintain a laser-focus on continually increasing the number of students who thrive in and graduate from the college of their choice. They pursue this work through excellent management and development of school principals and collaboration cross-organizationally with other curricular, operations, talent, technology, and finance leaders. The Head of Schools reports directly to the Chief Academic Officer and serves as an integral member of the KIPP North Carolina academic leadership team, which is responsible for driving the overall direction and strategy for all KIPP North Carolina instructional and cultural programming. 

This is an ideal opportunity for a dynamic and visionary organizational leader with significant people management experience to play a critical role in building and shaping a premier K-12 charter management organization committed to supporting students to graduate college and succeed in school and life.

Key Responsibilities

Managerial Leadership and Team Development

• Manages the principals of select schools and holds them accountable to school goals, such as talent management, student enrollment, student academic success, etc
• Serves as a thought partner to direct reports as they lead their respective teams; coaches and supports direct reports to address their key roles and responsibilities
• Builds a strong, cohesive team culture that reflects the core values of KIPP NC
• Works in collaboration with the Chief Academic Officer and Talent Team to hire school principals and assistant principals and execute the organization’s talent strategy in schools, including providing best-practice coaching and development, annual goal setting, and succession planning
• With instructional team colleagues, helps plan and implement professional development for school principals and assistant principals
• Supervises principals in the creation and implementation of effective professional development opportunities for their staff
• Completes annual performance evaluations of direct reports

Educational Leadership & Academic Support

• Works with principals to implement academic strategies and talent strategies in support of strong classrooms and schools, and supports principals to implement their school priorities in alignment with KIPP North Carolina’s vision, mission, and strategic plan
• Collaborates with other Heads of Schools and centralized academic team members to implement academic priorities
• Works with principals to develop and implement long-term plans for curriculum, assessment, and school improvement
• Ensures that the principals have a clear plan for improvement of instruction and school culture
• Engages principals in weekly academic program analysis and progress monitoring
• Manages long-term and annual school planning
• Supports the development of strong school operational systems and processes with a focus on data collection, scheduling, and EC programs and services, in partnership with their central academic team colleagues (i.e., Director of Student Support, Director of Social Work, Director of Data & Analytics, and Director of School Operations)

KIPP North Carolina Leadership

• Participates in KIPP NC academic leadership team that oversees the strategy for all KIPP North Carolina programming
• Leads PD programming for Principals in collaboration with other academic leaders and to develop other school leaders (AP & DCI)
• Works with KIPP NC academic leadership to develop a vision and comprehensive long-term plan for the design of integrated, scaffolded K-12 schools
• Recommends to the KIPP NC Chief Academic Officer system-wide goals; monitors and reports back to the Chief Academic Officer on the progress toward achieving those goals
• Works in collaboration with Regional Support Team colleagues to ensure that all of the operations, technology, talent, and financial needs of the schools are met

Qualifications

KIPP NC’s Head of Schools candidates will have the following:

• A deep commitment to the mission of KIPP NC and an unwavering belief in the potential of all our students
• An unwavering commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion
• A strong desire to collaborate with school leaders and Regional Support Teams in service to a new KIPP region growing out of two exceptionally strong ones
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a principal in a high performing school serving a similar student population to KIPP North Carolina
• An understanding of the specific, unique characteristics of public charter schools, NC-specific knowledge a plus
• A proven track record of success managing high-performing school leaders to achieve ambitious goals; previous experience supporting the full array of responsibilities and challenges faced by school principals preferred but not required
• Outstanding leadership and management skills, particularly as it relates to building teams, working through others, promoting collaboration, managing conflict, goal setting, and holding people accountable
• Strong instructional leadership skills- instructional coaching, data analysis, building content knowledge, effective professional development, etc.
• An entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrated success in building a program, department or organization
• The flexibility needed to accommodate the breadth and depth of responsibilities and priorities
• Outstanding written, speaking, and organizational skills including excellence in backwards planning long-term goals, accountability and progress monitoring systems
• Ability to interact with a broad range of stakeholders with different interests and needs
• Possess a deep commitment to both racial equity and improving the lives of kids from low-income communities; experience working within predominantly Black, Brown, and/or low-income communities
• Understanding and willingness to work in both rural and urban communities, including exhibiting resourcefulness and willingness to travel up to five hours within North Carolina multiple days per week based on need
• Must live in North Carolina
• Must be willing to travel (within North Carolina) at least 50 - 75% of time for school visits and in-person principal and school support. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as a high school Principal for 2+ years with a proven track record of results
• Residence in Nash, Edgecomb, Vance, Wake, Halifax, or Northampton Counties

Total Rewards

Heads of Schools are a Band 7 on our Regional Support Team compensation scale and start at $140,000 annually.

Comprehensive Benefits Package:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with generous discounts for spouses, children, and families
  • An HRA with $1200 that’s added to it each year and rolls over each year
• Optional enrollment in a 403b with an employer match and vested immediately
• 20+ days of combined Paid Time Off (PTO) and sick leave
• KIPP NC laptop and other necessary technology
• This role is considered remote and RST staff works from home (WFH) a majority of the time

About KIPP

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 242 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.

Non-Discrimination Statement and Policy

KIPP North Carolina 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.