Senior Director of English Language Arts, K-8

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

We are looking for a Senior Director of English Language Arts, K-8 to join our Teaching and Learning team. 

Your Impact

The Senior Director of ELA, K-8 manages a team of content and grade-level experts, working closely with senior instructional leaders at the school and network levels to implement the Achievement First instructional vision across our schools. 

Reporting to the Managing Director of Humanities, K-8 your responsibilities will be:

• Team Teaching and Learning Goals and Priorities   
• Provides input on team goals and priorities
• Provides recommendations on content area team goals 
• Assessment
• Makes recommendations to Managing Directors and CAO on subject area assessments
• Creates quality control process for internal assessments (process for creation, feedback, overall quality and implementation model)
• Manage the formative and summative assessment approach to recommend to the team leader/CAO
• Systems to Support HQIM Implementation
• Approves professional development, school support plans, and any documents codifying the instructional approach.
• Ensures alignment across academy and subject level Professional Development, School Support Plans, and documents codifying the instructional approach to implementing the selected HQIM. 
• Creates and/or approves data analysis and response protocols for formative assessment data
• HQIM Implementation
• Designs and facilitates Professional Development, exemplifying best adult learning practices and serving as a model for directors. 
• Translates the Teaching and Learning coaching vision to their specific content area so that schools have a consistent coaching experience in the content area. 
• Approves school support plans developed by direct reports
• Conducts school observations based on school support plans and director development plans to develop content-specific instructional practices, improve implementation of curriculum, gather information on best practices, and support student achievement 
• Develops content specific instructional coaching skills of directors, deans, and principals through focused co-observations and feedback 
• Analyzes student achievement data (student work samples, weekly quizzes, interim assessments and state tests) to determine how to better allocate organizational resources and to make recommendations to schools on how to respond to the data.
• Leverages teacher and leader feedback on HQIM to make design and resource allocation decisions in both the short and long term.
• Drives strong student achievement results through others at the network and school level through HQIM and implementation support strategy.

• Talent Management and Development
  • Directly develops three directors, setting performance goals and development plans. 
  • Regularly observes and provides feedback to directors on their performance and execution of their responsibilities with a focus on their planning, coaching, and facilitation of professional development
  • ​​Conducts quarterly stepbacks with team members and communicates synthesis of departmental performance to the Managing Director
    
    

Educational Background, Work Experience and Skills You’ll Have

All successful candidates for this position will have: 

• A bachelor’s degree
• A proven, multi-year track record of exemplary teaching experience, preferably ensuring the achievement of low-income, minority students.  This includes at least four years of highly successful teaching experience OR a minimum of two years of teaching experience with exceptional results and strong district or network level experience
• At least three years of experience coaching teachers, preferably at the AP/Dean or the equivalent level. 

An ideal candidate will have strong district or network level experience with exceptional results and in-depth content knowledge and pedagogical expertise.

The following skills, characteristics and competencies are required to be successful on this team:

• Excellent strategic thinking skills, including the ability to analyze and respond to data
• Track record of bringing an equity lens, utilizing a growth mindset, designing with not for, practicing self-awareness, and a focus on relational trust and human values
• Flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed 
• Exceptional eye for detail, follow-up skills, and organization 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proactive communication style
• Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model 

Travel Expectations 

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in the role would be able to be in our schools (NYC, CT, or RI)  2-3 days a week. There will be additional travel to regions outside of your own on a monthly basis. 

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role.  The salary for this position is $130,842. In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay.  Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/