Position : Early College Program Manager (0.8 FTE), One Year Appointment
Office of Secondary Education

Overview:
Under the guidance of the Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, the Early College Program (ECP) Manager will develop and coordinate all components of the new ECP program in the Cambridge Public Schools(CPS). This program will be based on the following five core principles established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Equitable Access, Guided Academic Pathways, Enhanced Student Support, Connections to Careers, and Effective Partnerships with emphasis on Equitable Access, especially with regard to race.

Building on the successful initial efforts with the CPS Dual Enrollment program, the Manager will identify Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) that have successfully supported students from underrepresented backgrounds in their first two years of postsecondary education and explore possible partnership arrangements with them that will enable CPS students to gain a full year of college credit and experience prior to graduating from high school.

In order to determine areas of community interest, the ECP Manager will lead a design process to gather stakeholder input from students, families, and staff, and then work to build an ECP that reflects these interests and embodies the 5 Core Principles in a positive culture of support for students who have had to contend with systemic racism and other barriers to access and success.

Under the direction of the Assistant Superintendent for secondary education, the Program Manager will build on the district's initial efforts in this area and undertake the following activities:

• Conduct focus groups with traditionally under-represented students and their families to determine areas of interest and identify barriers to access and success;
• Begin to develop a strategic plan for continually addressing the identified barriers to access and success; this will be a living plan as the ECP takes shape;
• Collaborate with staff from the CPS Guidance Department to develop a Career Exploration curriculum that can be delivered in modules in a variety of settings;
• Build a relationship with the newly formed Cambridge Families of Color Coalition (CFCC), a group in the process of developing a Caregiver University to support families of color; explore ways to bring career exploration to our families through this organization;
• Explore models that exist with other ECPs; explore possible academic pathways with IHEs based on identified student interests and co-develop proposals for consideration and approval by district and IHE administration; prepare Memorandums of Understanding as needed;
• Work with community stakeholders, such as the city's College Success Initiative and other student supporting groups such as Cambridge School Volunteers to build the supports identified in the 5 Core Principals.

The Program Manager will explore how school, IHE, and community resources might be best deployed to provide the kinds of wrap-around supports that ECP enrollees may need, including course advising, study skills and group supports, and tutoring. To meet the principles of Guided Academic Pathways and Connections to Careers, the Program Manager will work with staff of the Guidance department to build a career exploration curriculum based on the Career Interest Inventory and the US Department of Labor website. The Program Manager will collaborate with our IHE partners to establish clear academic pathways for students as they begin the program, with a clear plan for the completion of a minimum of 12 higher education credits upon graduation. To connect students with careers, the manager will work with our community partner organizations to provide students with internships and/or work shadowing opportunities.

Your Skill Set:
As the incoming Early College Program Manager, you may possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following skills and experiences:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;
• At least five (3) years related experience, preferably in an urban public school district or higher education setting with experience in the area of Early College development
• Excellent interpersonal, and written and verbal communications and presentation skills.
• Must be an organized, creative thinker and practical doer, with proven ability to build strong, collaborative and effective professional relationships and achieve results.
• Reliability and a strong sense of integrity; ability to maintain positive motivation and momentum even in challenging circumstances.
• Self-starter, driven towards achieving measurable results while effectively generating positive engagement and support among groups.
• Proven ability to work effectively and flexibly as an individual contributor and collaborative team member.

Terms of Employment:
This is a 0.8 FTE, exempt position (12 months/32 hours per week) with occasional evening and weekend work hours required. Manager's benefits package, including health and dental insurance and four (4) weeks annual vacation. This position is currently available through no later than June 30, 2022.

How to Join Our Team:
Please include a resume and thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.