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 280 schools, nearly 15,000 educators, and 175,000 students and alumni.    

 
Our 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. 

Our vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. 

The KIPP Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports KIPP schools across the country. The KIPP Foundation trains and develops outstanding educators to lead KIPP public schools; provides tools, resources and training for excellent teaching and learning; promotes innovation; and facilitates the exchange of insights and ideas across KIPP and other public schools and organizations. 

About The Position 

At KIPP, we believe that achieving our Mission starts by supporting our students to become strong readers so they can build confidence; learn about themselves, others, and the world; express themselves and ultimately, craft their own future. We believe learning to read isn’t just about academic excellence, it’s about unlocking new worlds, being able to access and reflect on your own history and learning how to advocate for yourself and others. Also, it’s full of joy! As a Director of Literacy, you will partner closely with regions to create sustaining systems and successful implementation of all One KIPP K-8 literacy initiatives and KIPP Foundation holistic assessment strategy in support of meeting ambitious goals for students. The Director reports to the Vice President of Literacy and Humanities and is a member of the K-12 Teaching and Learning Team. 

Key Responsibilities and Duties  

Strategy Development  

• With the Vice President of Literacy and the Senior Director, Early Childhood and Elementary Literacy, you will develop our long-term One KIPP K-8 literacy model. 

• Implement a strategy for a systematic foundational skills program maintenance and management  

• Implement a strategy for DIBELS 8 assessment maintenance and management. 

• Develop our sustaining K-8 Literacy Program Management Strategy, Assessment in partnership with regions 

• Develop a vision and strategy for maintaining and updating our early literacy programming  

• Diagnose current implementation of early literacy and K-8 literacy program design and fidelity to the network-wide model 

• Create structures to progress early literacy and K-8 literacy program implementation and outcomes, with a particular focus on equitable outcomes for students 

• Build continuous improvement structures  

• Devise structures and mechanisms to collect insights, data, and best practices across a diverse body of programs 

• Create a culture of sharing, reflection and collective problem solving 

Management and Execution 

• Partner directly with a subset of regions to build and/or refine their K-8 literacy systems (e.g., talent, curriculum and assessment, coaching) so that they create excellent and equitable experiences for all students  

• Lead regular advisory/coaching calls to support regional partners in developing and executing a program that meets their regional vision and goals in alignment with the KIPP K-8 literacy model, e.g., a coaching systems and structures, curriculum and assessment implementation supports, approach to teacher and leader development, etc. 

• Develop training, tools, and resources required to support program design 

• Conduct site visits to support regional implementation and alignment with the KIPP K-8 Literacy model  

Team Leadership 

• With the Vice President of Literacy & Humanities and the Senior Director, Early Childhood and Elementary Literacy, support in leading the literacy & humanities team to ensure cohesive execution of the team vision and collaboration across the team and the overall KIPP Foundation, including attendance at team meetings  

• Connect with teammates to ensure coordination across the team, in service of our regions; look across the KIPP Foundation to ensure collaboration and cohesion of strategy

Key Competencies 

• Mission & Student Focus: Expresses high expectations for all students and expresses belief in their potential to complete college and succeed in life. Keeps commitments made to others – especially students; desire and ability to uphold KIPP’s values (Focus on Excellent Results, Courageous Action, and Resilient Solutions Focus)  

• Instructional Expertise in Literacy: Deep understanding of early childhood and elementary literacy development and the science of reading; Demonstrate track record of results in advancing student outcomes in the literacy and is well versed in the curricular and pedagogical practices that drove results along with the research base behind those practices  

• Achievement Orientation and Agility: Comfort with ambiguity and ability to problem solve, navigate, and lead through complexity; takes initiative, creatively works through hurdles, and will go above and beyond typical expectations; sets culturally competent and ambitious goals with team to achieve measurable outcomes; create an environment in which all systems and processes support high levels of efficiency to ensure that chief priorities are accomplished successfully; champions ongoing improvement and professional growth while holding self and teams accountable to results; follows through on commitments/ promises with an appropriate sense of urgency; does not confuse effort with results.  

• Stakeholder Management and Influence to Impact: Has the interpersonal, diplomatic, relationship building, and communications skills necessary to develop successful working relationships with diverse constituents, including region school leaders and senior leaders; ability to engage and drive senior leadership and key stakeholders toward target outcomes without direct authority; can effectively share complex information and translate for end users; responds promptly to concerns and ensures that stakeholders are aware of actions that are being taken and explains the rationale for decisions and/or outcomes to the stakeholder  

• Critical Thinking and Strong Judgement: Strong racial justice analysis, critical thinking, strategic planning, and restorative practice experience; ability to problem solve, navigate and lead through complexity; effectively leverages quantitative and qualitative data effectively for strategic decision-making and driving improvement; can diagnose root causes of pain points, solve complex problems and implement solutions in the interest of students and families with experience working with and in the interests of communities of color; Systems-level thinker who can co-develop and execute a vision/strategy.   

• Process & Project Management: Can effectively manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders to deadlines while balancing multiple short- and long-term projects; able to manage both the big picture and the details; demonstrates disciplined, independent, and innovative approach to translating strategy into priorities and project plans, even in unstructured spaces; able to anticipate and address risks; thrives in an entrepreneurial environment and comfortable operating in ambiguity; continually applies strong attention to detail to the execution of all projects and constantly looks for ways to improve and to scale learning quickly.  

• Culturally Competent Communications & Coaching: Ability to listen deeply to key stakeholders across lines of difference, understand and reflect back challenges, and guide individuals through a solutions-finding process; comfortable leading presentations and trainings to a diverse array of audiences; Examines the impact of their identities, biases, assumptions, and behaviors on his/her/their power and privilege, interactions with others, work and leadership in the organization; able to recognize, immediately respond, and consistently remedy interpersonal and systemic bias and inequities;  

Experience & Qualifications 

• Strong emphasis will be placed on this individual’s content knowledge of early literacy alongside a demonstrated track record in leading and managing major, complex efforts requiring strong process and project management as well as significant stakeholder engagement and management.  

• A proactive cultural leader and team player who thrives on collaboration and learning 

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in early literacy, experience leading/coaching literacy preferred 

• Bachelor’s degree required

Work Conditions 

• Travel requirements: Up to 30%

• Full time, Exempt role 

Location 

It is preferred, but not mandatory for this role to be based out of a KIPP Foundation office. This role also has the option of working from a remote office full-time.  KIPP Foundation offices are in NYC and Chicago. 

Compensation and Benefits 

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, and relevant experience.  The salary range for this position is $120,000-$145,000.  In addition, KIPP Foundation provides a variety of benefits to employees, including:  

• 25 holidays for + 18 days additional flexible PTO days (flexible PTO increases to 23 days for years 3 and 4 and to 28 days for years 5+). 

• 100% paid parental leave 

• 100% coverage of the premium for employee and 75% for employee + family’s medical/dental/vision plans. 

• Wellness benefits such as fitness reimbursements, discounted tickets to theme parks/attractions, backup care support for children and adults/elders, and our employee assistance program 

• Finance Security benefits include such as a 401K retirement plan with 4% match, employer-sponsored legal plans, life/disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts 

KIPP Foundation embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the students and communities with whom we work and the world that around them. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.