KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to 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.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

You can see all our job opportunities at https://kipptexas.org/join-our-team/.

KIPP Texas Early Literacy Instructional Lead

The Early Literacy Lead is an exciting opportunity for an individual with deep content knowledge of literacy at the primary school level (PreK through 2nd Grade) and passion for curriculum and instruction. The Early Literacy Lead will play a critical role at the state-level in one of KIPP’s most progressive reform efforts in order to drive improved student results, including growth and achievement, college and career
readiness, and closing the achievement gap.

Position Overview

The Early Literacy Lead is responsible for leading the strategy and implementation of state literacy priorities, including foundational literacy, guided reading, close reading & writing, in order to improve and accelerate student achievement across PreK-2 classrooms. This role can require travel to all four KIPP Texas regions (Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston & San Antonio), and about 75% of time will be spent in
schools and classrooms.

Role Description
● Implementing the KIPP Texas Early Literacy Strategy: Execute KTX early literacy initiatives through strategic, region-specific support across the state
● Coaching: Coach and support regional achievement specialists, school administrators, literacy coaches, and teachers to grow and achieve goals as aligned to our statewide implementation plan
● Data Systems: Design and maintain systems for collecting statewide implementation data
● Data Analysis: Analyze data at student-level, teacher-level, school-level and regional-level to identify strengths, opportunities for growth, and curricular and implementation implications.
● Professional Learning: Plan and lead virtual and in-person professional development to ensure all regions are on a path to achieve our goals and beyond.

Duties and Responsibility
The Early Literacy Lead responsibilities will include, but not be limited to the following:
● Manage success of Reading Academies implementation for assigned cohorts
● Lead implementation of state literacy priorities, including but not limited to reading growth assessment/s, foundational literacy, guided reading, close reading and writing across the state for grades PreK-2.
● Create strategy for literacy implementation, support, and coaching across regions and teams to reach ambitious goals in literacy across the state.

● Coach, build relationships, and provide support to regional Early Literacy leads, APs, SLs, teachers, and regional academics team members across the state to ensure strong implementation of literacy programs.
● Develop, manage, and lead literacy pilots across the state to innovate and try new programs, structures, and strategies; gather implementation data and artifacts on a weekly basis to make statewide programmatic recommendations for future years.
● Serve as a model of the three instructional coaching power moves – intellectual preparation, instructional coaching, and data-driven instruction. Coach regional Early Literacy leads, APs, SLs, and regional academics teams members across the state in the power moves when coaching in schools.
● Conduct Texas statewide and region-specific data analysis to guide regions around intentional data driven response in instruction.
● Work with KTX 3-8 Literacy Implementation Lead and K-8 Literacy Curriculum Specialist to maintain strong curriculum and implementation feedback cycles, vertical alignment and streamlined literacy support across all grades.
● Support KTX regions in developing their literacy-specific professional learning scope & sequence and professional learning plans.
● Plan and lead virtual and in-person literacy professional development for regional Early Literacy leads, literacy coaches and teachers including lesson internalization, module internalization, and responding to data.

Skills and Competencies

Please note that this role does required that candidates currently hold a TEA Reading Academics Cohort Certification. (Should be Reading Academies Cohort Leader Certification)

Content and Pedagogical Expertise
● Strong knowledge and believe in the college-ready bar for students in literacy; exceptionally high standards for rigor and the belief that all students can achieve at high levels
● Expert in literacy in the early primary grades (Pre-K through 2nd Grade) with a strong knowledge of the full literacy continuum (Pre-K through 12 th Grade)
● Strong knowledge of the components of balanced literacy, with a particular focus on Foundational  Literacy (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension)
● Strong background and familiarity with literacy assessments, with a particular focus on reading growth assessments
● Master teacher in literacy with strong skill in internalizing curriculum and modeling lessons
● Strong coach of teachers with expertise in observation and feedback
● (Preferred) Strong coach of leaders with the ability to model strong coaching and school leadership

Technical Skills
● Detail oriented and obsessed with accuracy, especially in the areas of curriculum and assessments
● Ability to create own work plan and can project plan around multiple priorities and fast-paced deadlines
● Able to succinctly present summaries and updates
● Can work across multiple modes of communication (virtual and in-person) to impact others and achieve goals
● Advanced understanding of Microsoft Office suite

Communication, Interpersonal and Team Skills
● Builds and maintains strong relationships across a variety of levels and stakeholders
● Strong verbal and written communication skills; tailors message for the audience, context, and mode of communication
● Motivates others to work in partnership toward ambitious goals
● Builds consensus and resolves conflicts; exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations
● Skillfully navigates systems and structures at various levels in a large district
● Comfortable in ambiguity and can take abstract ideas into concrete work plans and products

Problem Solving and Systems Level Thinking
● Understands how various systems, departments, and stakeholders interact to achieve short and long-term goals
● Makes decisions using data and takes initiative to solve problems and create stakeholder buy-in
● Can exhibit flexibility when faced with shifting priorities, demands, and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities
● Identifies and prioritizes mission critical issues and offers innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems
● Exhibits strong focus on goals and results and sets clear metrics for success

Leadership skills
● Motivates, inspires, and moves other adults to action to achieve ambitious goals
● Builds coalitions and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels, including but not limited to regional leaders, School Leaders, coaches, teachers, and students
● Establishes clear expectations, deliverables and deadlines across organizational layers

Empathy and Commitment to Cause
● Deep belief in the mission and values of KIPP and commitment to improving student achievement
● Passionately believes that all students can achieve at high levels
● Demonstrates cultural competence and a deep understanding of and empathy for issues facing students and urban school districts

Compensation and Benefits

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance, and disability plans.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.