Managing Director, Primary Curriculum and Instruction

Company Description

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose -college, career, and beyond-so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more fair world.

Founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, we are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. KIPP Texas is a team and family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in belongingness, academic success and joy.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students.

Job Description

The Opportunity

The Managing Director of Primary Curriculum and Instruction is responsible for co-creating and executing on the vision for primary curriculum and instruction, with a particular focus on foundational literacy, across our schools . The managing director will have recommendation and approval-making power to address day-to-day academic visioning and will be responsible for ensuring that KTX's mission and goals are achieved.

Collaboration with multiple departments to ensure consistency of practice and use of resources will be essential as this position works continuously to improve the skills and knowledge base of middle and high school leaders.

General Role Description:

• Curriculum and Assessment Management: Manage the creation and vetting of curriculum materials and assessments that align to and then exceeds the expectations of state standards and meets the preparation bar for Advanced Placement (AP) success in middle and high school. Set direction around master scheduling that allows schools to fulfill all requirements of the KTX academic program.
• Student Achievement: Ensure that curriculum is responsive to student achievement and create the expectation that all curriculum specialists and implementation leads are oriented that way by leading a team that embraces accountability and outstanding student results
• Data Driven Curriculum Creation: Lead curriculum team on the use of data to drive student achievement and hold team accountable for adjusting curriculum for continuous improvement
• Professional Learning: Planning professional development and model exemplary implementation of the curriculum and best practices for lesson planning and delivery leveraging the curriculum to direct reports. Vision, develop and lead professional learning for teachers and leaders to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge, skills and content expertise to support curriculum implementation.
• Professional Learning: Design and vet professional learning experiences that ensure regional and school based teachers and leaders are equipped with pedagogical practices aligned to curriculum and instructional strategy and to support best practices around GPA
• Cohesive Coaching Cycle: Create and execute on primary vision for internalization and lesson instruction
• Math Achievement: Create and execute on primary vision to strengthen math curriculum and instruction materials

Key Responsibilities

• Co-create and implement vision for foundational literacy as it relates to the curricular and instructional program
• Co-create and implement vision for math curriculum and instruction to directly impact and increase math achievement
• Plans, administers and directs primary academic programs including Reading Academies and other state requirements

• Formulates proposals for the development and revision of policies pertaining to primary education academic programs, including preschool curriculum and instructional vision
• Establishes and monitors procedures for the primary education instructional program to include policies related to implementation of foundational literacy requirements
• Interprets primary education programs to senior leadership, staff, and schools
• Assists regional and school leaders with planning and implementing effective instructional programs.
• Serves as a facilitator of various instructional professional learning experiences to ensure that leaders are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and content expertise necessary to run a strong primary instructional program
• Evaluates primary education programs to ensure that objectives for student education are met.
• Prepares and contributes to the management of the team budget, prepares grant applications, and solicits funds to provide financial support for programs as needed.
• Analyzes academic performance of middle and high schools and correlates this data with curriculum and instructional practices to ensure necessary adjustments are made and supports are given
• Coordinates middle and high schools to promote a rigorous academic program of studies, superior student achievement, and continuous improvement of results for all students.
• Hires and manages a team of curriculum writers, through senior directors of curriculum, to ensure that the primary curriculum is of the highest possible quality
• Ensures that curriculum writing team crafts assessments of the highest quality
• Crafts learning experiences for regional academic leaders and primary leaders to guide the implementation of effective instructional programs
• Conducts regular formal and informal classroom walk-throughs aligned to student achievement and instruction/curriculum goals alongside the broader academics team and regional teams
• Builds the instructional leadership capacity of school leaders with particular focus on instruction, content knowledge, and curriculum
• Creates a culture of inquiry and mutual accountability among the team
• Visits schools on a regular basis to monitor curriculum implementation
• Models non-discriminatory practices in all activities
• Set direction around master scheduling that allows schools to fulfill all requirements of the KTX academic program.

(These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.)

Other Duties

• Initiates and maintains effective liaisons to maintain a current knowledge of developments and research in the profession
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the CAO or Deputy Chief or other appropriate leaders

Qualifications

Instructional Knowledge and Expertise

• Proven ability to develop and deliver programming that drives improved academic performance for all student populations; knows effective practice for differentiating instruction
• Deep understanding of curricular frameworks, pedagogy, and quality classroom materials; experience developing and implementing curriculum for a wide variety of grade levels and subjects
• Strong knowledge of high-quality instructional practices and the ability to lead others to implement these practices consistently across classrooms and school sites
• Thorough knowledge of effective instruction and knowledge of current theories of curriculum instruction and assessment

Empathy and Commitment to Cause

• Deep understanding of the urban school system environment and commitment to improving student achievement
• Passionately believes that all students can achieve at high levels
• Demonstrates cultural competence

Communication, Interpersonal and Team Skills

• Builds and maintains strong relationships
• Works successfully alone or on a team
• Coaches, coordinates, and leads teams
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; tailors message for the audience, context, and mode of communication
• Actively listens to others and able to effectively interpret others' motivations and perceptions.
• Builds consensus and resolves conflicts; exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations
• Skillfully navigates existing political structures/systems

Problem Solving and Systems Thinking

• Understands how various systems / departments interact to achieve the long term goal
• Makes decisions using data and technology
• Takes initiative to solve problems and create stakeholder buy-in
• Identifies and prioritizes mission critical issues with alignment of people, time and resources
• Offer innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
• Exhibits strong focus on goals and results. Sets clear metrics for success
• Removes barriers or obstacles that make it difficult for principals to achieve their goals and ensures that school leaders have the resources they need to succeed
• Demonstrates excellent execution and project management skills, including attention to detail, organizational skills, ability to balance the big picture with detailed steps to reach the end goal, and ability to balance multiple projects under tight deadlines

Leadership Skills

• Motivates, inspires, and moves other adults to action to achieve ambitious goal
• Skilled at re-envisioning, building, and managing a team, especially in a time of growth and change; excellent at identifying talent and taking advantage of each person's skills and contribution to team effort
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with individuals and groups
• Moves groups to consensus and resolves conflicts. Exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations
• Builds coalitions and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels, including but not limited to region personnel, students, families, communities, and/or advocacy groups
• Establishes clear expectations, deliverables and deadlines
• Sets clear agendas and facilitates effective meetings
• Ability to train, supervise, and evaluate staff from different cultural backgrounds and skill sets

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise.

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas' benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance, fertility, and disability plans starting as low as $25/month.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.