Director of Academic Strategy

This position is being supported through temporary federal funding. As such, the role will expire at the conclusion of School Year 2022-23, with the potential for an extension of one additional year.

• Do you want to help create a more just and kind world?
• Do you believe that diversity is a powerful strength for a school community?
• Do you want to ensure that every student can be successful and prepared to thrive in college, career, and life?

You Are:

A kind, communicative, social justice leader that seeks an academic leadership position, with a strong belief that you will prepare students to thrive in college, career, and life. You understand the value of ensuring that every student can reach their full potential regardless of ability. You want to lead special education programming in order to create a more just and equitable world. You have a growth mindset, want to develop the perspective, agency, and urgency to positively impact the world around you, and take actions that promote justice and equity in your community.

We Are E.L. Haynes.

A learning community where every student - of every race, socioeconomic status, home language, and ability - prepares to thrive in college, career, and life. Together, we create a more just and kind world.

Founded in 2004 and named for the first African-American woman to earn her Ph.D. in Mathematics, the award-winning E.L. Haynes Public Charter School serves more than 1,135 students in grades Pre-K3 through 12th grade. E.L. Haynes operates two campuses in the Petworth neighborhood of Northwest Washington, DC, and offers a rigorous educational program designed to prepare students to succeed in the college of their choice.

We believe that our most significant contribution to ending systemic injustice is through purposefully empowering our diverse community- as individuals and as a collective- with the skills and the conviction to be effective leaders for equity.

Our mission of student success is inextricably linked with our commitment to equity and the daily efforts of every member of our community to live our motto-Be Kind, Work Hard, and Get Smart.

We:

• Lead For Equity: We challenge ourselves and each other to interrupt inequities and build equitable alternatives.
• Choose Joy: We find, bring, and share joy in our work every day. We practice gratitude, celebrate wins, and offer praise.
• Achieve Excellence: We deliver high-quality work every day. We set ambitious goals, embrace challenges, and hold ourselves and each other to high standards.
• Own Our Learning: We model a growth mindset for our students. We own our actions, mistakes, and learning. We continually look for ways to improve and produce high-quality work.
• Succeed Together: We value every member of our community and treat each other with kindness and care. We build meaningful relationships with students, families, and each other. We achieve more through collaboration and teamwork.

We Are Different. We Are:

• A diverse and inclusive community, with more than 90% of our students identifying as culturally or linguistically diverse and nearly 75% of our staff identify as people of color.

• The hub of the neighborhood. We are a community school and partner with neighborhood organizations to provide our families with comprehensive medical, dental, and mental health services.
• A place where all community members have their voices heard in the decision-making process.

• A school where students learn in a rigorous and coherent PK-12 environment.

We expect students to demonstrate the following skills and qualities in our graduate profile.

About Our Academic Program:

E.L. Haynes provides a rigorous and engaging college preparatory curriculum for students in grades Pre-K through 12. Our instructional program provides intensive learning experiences that deepen understanding at all grade levels so that every student is prepared to become kind and curious community members, lifelong learners, and leaders of social justice.

Please read more about our academic program here .

About the Position:

The Director of Academic Strategy is responsible for the research, design, support and implementation of strategic academic initiatives, including initiatives aligned to our multi-year accelerated learning and wellness plan and our five-year strategic plan. The Director learns about effective models for accelerated instruction, designs pilots to support a variety of approved initiatives, engages with and provides oversight for partnerships that support the academic strategy, and identifies ways to measure the success of programming.

The Director of Academic Strategy is a key member of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) Team and the Academic Support team. The Director will collaborate extensively with the Sr. Director, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, the Sr. Director of Student Support Services, the Director of Professional Learning, principals, and the Data and Support team.

The Director of Academic Strategy reports to the Chief Academic Officer. This is a 12-month position.

You will lead:

Research and Development of Year Round Programming

• Lead the planning and development for a year round programming pilot starting in School Year 2023-24;
• Research effective and existing year round programming across the country and recommend best practices;
• Design stakeholder engagement opportunities to elicit input about year-round programming;
• Partner with members of the CAO Team to develop intersession programming that aligns to the academic strategy and vision;
• Design, develop, and implement programming pilots and determine their effectiveness; and
• Design a strategy for roll-out of new year-round programming, including designing tools for measuring the effectiveness of programs, to be approved by the CAO Team.

Development of an MTSS Strategy

• Research and review existing MTSS strategies to determine the most effective processes moving forward in alignment with current academic strategy;
• In collaboration with school leaders, develop and support the appropriate infrastructures, systems, and processes for implementation of effective MTSS programs across each campus;
• Oversee and develop pilot MTSS systems on each campus;
• Collaborate with the special education team to create systems for the continuity of the provision of services from general education to special education
• Design measures of effectiveness of current and future MTSS programs; and
• Conduct quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reviews for MTSS programs and recommend improvements to programming.

Research and Development of Student Life Initiatives and Signature Learning Experiences

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all student life initiatives and signature learning experiences across each campus;
• Research, design, and support a set of pre-K - 12 signature learning experiences;
• Design, support and curate student life initiatives; and
• In collaboration with school leaders and culture deans, support the design and implementation of a system for school-wide culture, including fostering a culture for restorative practices.

You Have:

• A Bachelor's degree;
• Two to five years of teaching or administration experience in a K-12 setting;
• Strong project planning skills;
• Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis;
• An ability to utilize systems to support project planning (i.e. Asana);
• Outstanding written communication skills;
• A clear understanding of Common Core State Standards and restorative practices in schools;
• Strong collaboration skills; and
• Full COVID-19 vaccination .

You Might Also Have:

• A Master's degree in teaching or educational leadership.

We Look Forward to Meeting You!

We proactively recruit, intentionally develop, and deeply value all members of our diverse and highly talented staff community. Our work environment fosters inclusion and authenticity, supporting all staff to thrive in their roles and maximize their impact on our students.

If you are interested in joining our learning community, please visit this link on our website to start an application. Also, please see more information about our hiring process here .

E.L. Haynes offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Click here to view our Employee Benefits Snapshot.

Spanish speakers and people of color are encouraged to apply.

To help stop the spread of COVID-19, we have reimagined our safety and cleanliness procedures to keep our students, families, and staff as safe as possible. More details can be found here .