Postsecondary Coordinator - 2023/2024 School Year

About Mastery:

We believe educational inequity is the most pressing social problem facing our country and the civil rights issue of our day. Mastery exists to help solve this problem. Our ultimate goal is to create a model urban school district that serves all students with excellence. We are organized around one driving mission: All students learn the academic and personal skills they need to be truly prepared for postsecondary success and able to pursue their dreams. To fulfill this mission, we attend to the whole child - academically and emotionally - matching high expectations for students with high levels of support.

Mastery Charter Schools is a nonprofit network of more than 24 schools serving over 14,500 students in Philadelphia and Camden. We are the largest turnaround school operator in the nation and have been lauded by President Obama and the US Department of Education for our ability to dramatically boost academic achievement in historically low-performing schools.

We know neighborhood schools matter, all students deserve access to a great education, and the people in our buildings can grow and develop sustainably to make the biggest impact possible in this work.

Mastery's Equity Vision:

We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to achieving our mission.

We strive to be an anti-racist school district that eliminates the inequities in academic achievement that limit our students' choices; that cultivates classrooms where every student is affirmed, supported, and held to high expectations; and that nurtures a diverse organization where students, staff, and families are valued, respected, and included.

Position Summary:

The role of the Postsecondary Coordinator teaches and supports Junior Seminar and provides the content knowledge and exposure to Mastery's multiple pathways strategy. In addition to the classroom responsibilities listed below, which engage students in self exploration before diving in to pathway exploration, Postsecondary Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that each student has the opportunity to engage in robust, differentiated pathway exposure experiences (IHE/Postsecondary program visits, rep visits, job shadowing, etc) during their 11th grade year.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plan, lead and teach Junior Seminar Curriculum
• Create a robust calendar of college and career exposure opportunities through partnerships to highlight education, vocational training, military, and employment pathways
• Meet with students 1:1 throughout the year, helping students to understand and evaluate the social, academic and financial fit of each pathway aligned to their individual interests.
• Facilitate end of year family meetings for student pathway selection to be utilized as their postsecondary roadmap during 12th grade.
• Plan and coordinate annual school day PSAT and SAT testing.
• Manage the Summer Opportunities program and goals for all grades
• Support the Postsecondary team to meet all team goals by supporting postsecondary events across grade levels, including but not limited to, FAFSA completion events, family meetings, graduation, mock interviews, rep visits and trips
• Participate in all Postsecondary Team professional development.

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with aspects of college counseling and career exposure programs, including college planning, career development, as well as matriculation challenges and other barriers faced by low-income, first-generation college students
• Exceptional organization skills - a detail-oriented approach to multi-task and meet deadlines under pressure
• Strong proficiency with database systems - start-up and ongoing support/maintenance
• Ability to gather data, compile information and prepare reports as well as analyze data in order to make improvement recommendations
• Excellent communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills both orally and in writing with ability to effectively connect with broad range of constituents including alumni, their families, secondary and post-secondary school staff/leaders
• Comfort and demonstrated ability to successfully facilitate and engage various size groups
• Track-record of high achievement (premium placed on experience in urban communities and schools)
• Personal drive and commitment to serve urban youth
• Deep belief in one's own ability to significantly increase college going, persistence and graduation rates for Mastery alums
• Ability to effectively work alone and with a high-performing, mission-driven staff
• Consistently evaluates progress, using data to drive changes in alumni support program
• Demonstrated resilience to persevere and turn challenges into opportunities while meeting aggressive goals despite limited resources
• Ability to be a self-starter and creative problem solver while also being a quick learner who is willing to ask questions and seek feedback.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required with urban education experience preferred
• Demonstrated performance to surpass aggressive and measurable goals in urban schools
• Experience in postsecondary planning at the secondary level and/or significant high-school teaching experience.
• Strong administrative background including: detailed data management, communication, and marketing skills, logistics and planning.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required such as maneuvering in classrooms and office space-reaching file cabinets, filing, faxing, scanning, coping, typing, mailing, and making phone calls; Must be able to sit for up to two (2) hours looking at a computer monitor, using a keyboard/mouse and typing.

Mastery's Benefits Package:

We offer a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth. Some of our most popular benefits include our 403(b) retirement plan for PA employees (with a 5% match from Mastery), enrollment in the State of New Jersey Pension Plan for NJ employees, a robust Employee Assistance Program, mental health and counseling programs, an annual Professional Development Fund, and discounts and perks at a myriad of retailers, travel organizations, insurance providers, and so much more, as well as a Benefits VIP Helpdesk to help you navigate various benefits-related topics!

Please go here to see all of our Benefits offerings!

Mastery's Annual Calendar:

As you plan to make Mastery your new work home, please feel free to review our PA Academic Calendar for SY 22/23 and our NJ Academic Calendar for SY 22/23. We like to think our calendar is a benefit of working here too!

Mastery Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience.

UPDATE AS OF January 2023 - Please review Mastery's Health and Safety Plans here to learn about our approach to vaccination and testing as well as our response to COVID-19. For ongoing positions, Mastery roles are designated as in-person, with regular on-site responsibilities, unless otherwise noted. As such, Employees must be able to support Mastery Schools' academic plan and business strategies on-site - at a Mastery campus - as required.

Exceptions to this requirement will be considered on an individualized basis.