Company Description
We are seeking a talented, committed, culturally competent Director of Lower Elementary Program with deep literacy expertise to join our regional Teaching & Learning Team. The initial deadline to apply for this position is Monday, October 4th. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but all candidates who apply by the deadline will hear from us regarding the status of their application by Friday, October 8th.
The target start date for this position is mid to late October, though flexibility exists for the right candidate . Submitting this application considers you for all 2021-2022 opportunities for which you are qualified. To browse immediate openings, please visit our careers website.
About Us
KIPP is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in educationally underserved communities. Over 100,000 students attend one of the 242 KIPP schools that operate in 31 regions across the United States. KIPP Philadelphia Schools Public Schools (KPPS) is a part of the national KIPP network and currently leads six schools serving approximately 2,400 students in North and West Philadelphia. By 2030, KPPS will lead ten schools serving approximately 4,000 students.
Our Mission
Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.
Life at KPPS
We know that talented, committed, culturally competent teachers, leaders and staff members have the power to amplify our children’s potential by creating a school experience that affirms, values, and challenges them each day. We seek to create a professional environment full of joy, candor, care and community where excellent educators can make a long-term home. Educators at KIPP –
- Are committed to anti-racism, equity and inclusion
- Are part of a close-knit, diverse community of educators
- Show up as themselves, inspiring our children to do the same
- Access resources, workshops, and affinity spaces that support physical, emotional, and financial well-being
- Lead with care and candor and take ownership of our children’s learning and growth
- Constantly evolve their craft via coaching and high quality professional development
- Enjoy a competitive, equitable, predictable approach to compensation, comprehensive health benefits for employees and their families, a 403B matching program, and free access to financial services
Job Description
Position Overview
Reporting to the Managing Director of Teaching & Learning and working closely with School Leaders and Assistant Principals at our six schools, the Director of Lower Elementary Program (DLEP) is responsible for ensuring that leaders and teachers at our growing network operate with the knowledge, skills, mindsets, data and resources essential to a joyful, rigorous K-2 academic program.
Key Responsibilities
- Work with school leaders and the regional academic team to set and drive a vision for the K-2 academic program, including the curricula, assessment, instructional approach essential to a high quality, rigorous, joyful, affirming K-2 experience for children
- Regularly review K-2 academic data, identifying trends, bright spots, and areas of concern in order to set priorities and develop key, responsive school and region-wide initiatives
- Regularly observe K-2 instruction alongside Assistant Principals, norming on the academic bar, critical next steps for instructional practice, and serving as a thought partner to troubleshoot school-specific challenges
- Regularly meet with and train Assistant Principals and school-based content leads to run effective curricula/content internalization professional development sessions that build teachers’ conceptual and tactical understanding of upcoming lessons and content
- Design and lead high quality professional development for teachers, Assistant Principals, and Principals on a set of proactive and responsive lower elementary topics that build essential knowledge and skills, infuse practice and feedback, and impact daily practice
- Ensure all core information, resources, and approaches across K-2 (including curricula, assessment, course sequence and aims, etc.) are clearly and simply codified and communicated
- Works closely with academic team counterparts, including the Director of Literacy, Director of Math, Director of Student Supports, and Director of Student Culture to ensure horizontal and vertical program alignment and clarity on shared and individual priorities
- Collaborate, work closely, and create partnerships with local and national experts and colleagues in the field of K-2 instruction through research, observation and formal collaboration to ensure that our K-2 program is operating with research-based best practices
- Support new teacher and new leader onboarding and training through PD design and execution
- Other duties as assigned by the Managing Director of Teaching and Learning
Qualifications
Skills & Qualifications
- Love and see the high potential of all children
- Demonstrated ability to drive student growth and achievement and to create a warm, inclusive, rigorous learning environment
- Passion for facilitating professional learning
- Ability to build relationships and establish rapport quickly with all stakeholders, including leaders, teachers, and regional colleagues
- Self-awareness and ability to reflect on your practice, biases, and leans
- Cultural competence and commitment to inclusion, anti-racism, and eradicating anti-Blackness
- Solutions-orientation; ability and eagerness to adapt to and manage change and solve problems
- Adept at data analysis; ability to extract meaningful insights across school-wide data and transform those insights into action plans
- Deep understanding of appropriate application and differentiation of high-leverage instructional strategies based on comprehension of child development and pedagogy
- Ability to exercise excellent judgement in decision-making
- Uphold KPPS core values (Children First, Cultural Competence, Community, Ownership)
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Minimum three years exemplary teaching in K-2 classrooms required
- Deep knowledge of the science of reading required
- Deep understanding of K-2 Common Core standards and research-based best practices required
- Deep knowledge of national, state, and local standards and assessments required
- Proficiency in MS office, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint required
- Experience working in a central or district office, or in a position that supports teachers or leaders or the adoption of new approaches across multiple schools strongly preferred
- Experience in teacher or leader coaching, training, and/or curricular design strongly preferred
- Complete all required criminal and child abuse background checks:
- PA State Police Clearance
- PA Child Abuse Clearance
- Cogent Federal Fingerprinting
Additional Information
Compensation
- Salaries at KPPS are competitive, equitable, and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this position starts at $80,000.
- All KPPS employees enjoy access to a comprehensive benefits package, a 403B matching program, and free financial advising services.
Note to Applicants
KIPP Philadelphia Schools is an equal opportunity employer. Employees are selected on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.