KIPP Foundation

Multiple Locations
Type: Leadership & Support Staff
Full Time/Part Time: Full-Time
Start Date: Immediate
Subject:
Grade:

Organization: KIPP Foundation
Preferred Locations: New York, NY; Washington, DC

Contact: Nikeya Elliott
Email: nelliott@kipp.org


Chief Academic and School Leader Manager Coach
Regional Success Team, KIPP Foundation
 
KIPP
Great education transforms lives. KIPP, the Knowledge is Power Program, is a non-profit network of 224 college-preparatory, public charter schools educating nearly 100,000 early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students.  KIPP schools are tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. KIPP schools, KIPP regions, and the KIPP Foundation - are united by a common mission, a commitment to excellence, and a belief that if we help children develop the academic and character strengths they need for college and choice filled lives, they will be able to build a better tomorrow for themselves, for their communities, for us all.
 
The non-profit KIPP Foundation trains and develops outstanding educators to lead KIPP schools, provides tools, resources, and training for excellent teaching and learning, promotes innovation, and facilitates the exchange of insights and ideas within the KIPP network and with partners including: other charters, districts, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations across the country.
 
Why work at KIPP?
By working for the KIPP Foundation, you help more students across the country receive the high-quality education they deserve.  Since our founding in 1994, we've sought to prove what is possible in urban schools - to demonstrate that demographics need not define destiny and that all our students can learn and achieve. 
 
More than 87% of our students are from low-income families and 96% are African American or Latino. Nationally, 94% of KIPP middle school students have graduated high school, 81% of KIPP alumni have enrolled in college, and 44% of alumni have earned four-year college degrees - more than four times the rate of students from similar economic backgrounds.
 
If you believe all children deserve great schools and programs where they can gain the knowledge, skills, character, and habits necessary to achieve their dreams while making the world a better place, join us!
 
Position Overview
The Chief Academic Officer and School Leader Manager Coach (CAO & SLM Coach) is a perfect position for a seasoned instructional leader, most likely a former CAO, who is ready to make a significant impact on student outcomes across the KIPP network.  In this position, he/she will have an opportunity to work alongside KIPP regional leaders in creating systems for high expectations, accountability, and continuous learning and improvement that will lead to an excellent, equitable education for each KIPPster.
 
The Chief Academic Officer and School Leader Manager Coach will support Chief Academic Officers (CAO) and School Leader Managers (SLM) in KIPP's largest regions in developing their ability to create and manage instructional improvement systems within the schools they support.  Initially, these Chief Academic Officer and School Leader Manager Coach will be focused on building systems for data-informed instruction and lesson internalization and planning. They will spend 60-80% of their time on the ground (3-4 days) embedded within a regional academic team; from this position, they will support a case-load of 1-2 CAOs and 5-7 SLMs in diagnosing, prioritizing, and implementing the highest impact systems for change.  They will also support CAOs in creating progress monitoring systems to consistently evaluate progress and make adjustments.  CAO & SLM Coach will have the ability to deploy a growing team of Foundation and external experts to their region depending on need. Ultimately, this Chief Academic Officer and School Leader Manager Coach will hold him/herself and their regional teams accountable to student outcome goals. 
 
Beyond direct coaching, the Chief Academic Officer and School Leader Manager Coach will spend 20-40% of his/her time as part of a KIPP Foundation "home team."  When working with the Foundation team, they will: identify trends in development areas across the network and ensure the systems that they are supporting get embedded across KIPP regions; support the development and refinement of a national perspective on effective school leader and regional management, including the development of a 70-20-10 plan for this role; play a critical role in the development of a standardized model for evaluating school and regional health; plan for and respond to on-the-ground needs; and, participate in cross-team professional development to build their own skills and knowledge, and that of their team.
 
The CAO & SLM Coach reports to the KIPP Foundation's Chief Academic Officer but will have a dotted line reporting relationship with the CAO of the region that he/she is embedded within. It is expected that the Advisor will have a two-year embedded engagement with the region he/she is supporting.  The CAO & SLM Coach will have a few potential role opportunities after the two-year period, including becoming an Advisor in a different region. He/she is a member of the KIPP Foundation's Regional Success Team, works collaboratively with the KIPP School Leadership Programs and Teaching and Learning team, all members of the Network Services Team and leaders across the KIPP Foundation and KIPP Network, and deeply in the region they serve. In this role, you are at the heart of us building a national capability for schools and regions to benefit from our scale, specifically replicable instructional systems.
 
Key Accountabilities and Duties
•Provide on the ground, embedded coaching support to a CAO and 5-7 KIPP School Leader Managers within a KIPP region in the creation and management of instructional improvement and progress monitoring systems. 
•Initial focus will be on building systems for Data-Driven Instruction and Lesson Internalization & Planning.
•Diagnose subject matter expertise needs within the region and deploy a growing team of Foundation and external experts to meet those needs.
•Collaborate with other Foundation staff to codify methods of building systems within regions.
•Play a critical role in developing a School Health and Region continuum that will be leveraged across the network to measure school and regional health.
•Identify trends in CAO and SLM needs and elevate to regions and Foundation to inform future development opportunities for Chief Academic Officers, Chiefs of Schools, and School Leader Managers.
•Collaborate with the Network Talent Team to codify SLM competencies, a job description and a sample 70-20-10 development plan.
•Partner with Relationship Managers to ensure coordinated Foundation support to their region; coordinate with other teams supporting their region to ensure an aligned KIPP Foundation point of view with aligned support.
•Must have proven skills to influence; change and moving people in a common direction.
 
Key Competencies
Drive Results: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
oGathering information: Gathers information from multiple relevant sources and stakeholders when problem-solving
oAnticipating problems: Anticipates and identifies problems in a timely manner
oBreaking down information: Breaks complex information and problems into parts
oAnalysis: Analyzes, reflects upon, synthesizes, and contextualized information
oWeighing options: Weighs pros and cons of multiple options to solve complex problems

Building Relationships: Communication:
oListening: Listens attentively.  Seeks to understand other's point of view and confirms understanding.
oSystems: Established and/or uses communication systems that proactively engage key stakeholder, and rely upon a variety of appropriate channels
oWriting: Writes clearly, concisely and persuasively.  Uses correct grammar, vocabulary and a tone that is appropriate to the message and audience
oSpeaking: Speaks in a compelling and articulate manner, adapting communication content and style to different audiences and venues

Building Relationships: Impact and Influence:
oAdapting style: adapt personal leadership style/approach to influence others
oAnticipating & Persuading: anticipate reactions and addressing concerns of other to help persuade them to move toward a goal
oMotivating Action: stimulate others to take action and accomplish goals, even when no direct reporting relationship exists

Building Relationships: Self-Awareness and Cultural Competence
Managing People: Direction-setting:
oInspiring Others: Inspire and gain the commitment of others towards a vision, mission, values, and organizational goals
oModeling: Model organizational values and strong character at all times.
oManaging Change: Manage change by seeking to understand its effects upon the organization and key stakeholders, by guiding others through change, and by addressing resistance to that change.

Instructional Leadership:
oAcademic vision: established (in concert with regional team) academic vision and goals
oInstructional improvement: Supports instructional improvement by observing, coaching, modeling for, and teaching staff
oUse of Data: Supports the team in using student and staff performance data to drive improved teaching and learning
 
Experience and Qualifications
Required:
•Passion for KIPP's mission and values
•10-15 years of professional experience in a K-12 education setting
•Prior experience as both a school leader and a school leader manager (or regional superintendent), and/or Deputy or Chief Academic Officer
•Demonstrated success in improving student achievement by developing and implementing policies and practices that prepare all students, irrespective of socio-economic background and English language development, to be prepared for college and choice-filled lives
•Demonstrated success in building the capacity of Academic teams, School Leaders, and School Leader Managers to build and implement instructional improvement systems that lead to gains in student achievement
•Is a self-starter with a strong sense of personal accountability and responsibility that can work well in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment
•Able to spend up to 4 days a week on the ground in a region (locations are not yet determined; our largest KIPP regions include New York, Washington, DC, Texas, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, as well as other cities)
•Willing to continually learn and collaborate with all stakeholders; is a disciplined listener
•Demonstrated passion for achieving the educational mission of the organization
•Demonstrated ability to keep the interests and needs of student learning as a central focus for the organization
 
Preferred:
•Experience with school turnaround
•Training in Relay Graduate School of Education's instructional practices
 
The Chief Academic Officer and School Leader Manager Coach is expected to work on-site with their regional team approximately 3-4 days a week.  Therefore, if he/she is not local to the regional office, he/she will travel approximately 60% of the time.  The role will be based in one of KIPP's major regions.  This is a full-time, exempt position.
 
Compensation and Benefits
KIPP offers competitive salary commensurate with experience. A comprehensive benefits package, generous vacation and PTO, 401k retirement plan with both pre- and post-tax options, as well as gym reimbursement, flexible spending account (FSA), and cell phone reimbursement are also offered by KIPP.
 
To apply please submit your resume and cover letter online. Resumes submitted via email will not be accepted.

KIPP Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.