Start Date: June 2021

Team: AF Accelerate

Location: Flexible

Time: FULL-TIME

About Achievement First and AF Accelerate:

Achievement First (AF) exists to address the legacy of racism in education in America. We know that all children—regardless of race, zip code, or economic status—need and deserve access to a great education.

Achievement First has consistently been rated one of the top charter school networks in the country, AND we are still learning and growing. AF is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that currently supports 37 public charter schools in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The mission of AF is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all children. We currently employ more than 2,000 staff — 47% of whom identify as Black, Latinx, or Multi-racial — who collectively educate more than 14,300 students. More than 85% of our students qualify for free or reduced priced lunch. Our students are proving what’s possible by achieving breakthrough results in terms of academic achievement and long-term college persistence. For more information about Achievement First, please visit our website.

AF Accelerate is a division of Achievement First that provides strategic support to educators beyond AF and partners with them to achieve stronger outcomes for students. We also work to foster an open source and collective learning environment within the broader education community to ensure quality resources, proven practices, lessons learned and promising ideas are available to all.  AF Accelerate works with entrepreneurs starting charter networks and with traditional district schools through two programs, the Charter Network Accelerator and Navigator, putting 60,000 students on the path to college, and plans to scale to impact the outcomes of 150,000 students in the next 5 years. Our work is based on Achievement First’s open source materials, creating nearly limitless reach.

About Navigator ES Math:

Navigator ES Math is an Achievement First open source program designed to support charter school networks in accelerating their elementary school math achievement by sharing AF’s elementary school math curriculum and providing intensive, individualized coaching support to networks participating in the program. Navigator is designed to be a two year program resulting in a significant increase in student achievement.

 

Summary:

The ES Math Instructional Leadership Coach is the primary source of guidance and implementation support for school-based and network leadership teams during their program years. In addition, this person serves as an important member of their content-subteam, as well as the broader AF Accelerate team — helping to strengthen an innovative program.

 

  Responsibilities of the ES Math Instructional Leadership Coach will Include but are not limited to:

 

●        Leadership and programmatic coaching: 

○        Intensive coaching of instructional leaders, including observation of, feedback to and co-planning.  Coaching responsibilities include weekly coaching around content, instructional skill building (IPP, Observation Feedback, LASW, and systems management), as well as change management/people leadership support;

○        Ability to coach through layers of leadership and influence change across teams – from instructional deans to CAOs and CEOs – and across lines of difference;

○        Coaches work with a portfolio of approximately five to six partners nationwide and are required to travel to visit each site in person several times per year. Note, as we continue to navigate COVID travel restrictions, we’ll continue to leverage CDC guidance to influence travel schedules, and adjust to virtual visits as necessary.

●        Program Strategy and Design:

○        Contribute to the design and execution of a long-term program design that ensures all partners leave the program with a strong instructional model aligned to a culturally-responsive and college-ready bar;

○        Design and execution work varies by coach, but might include; creating development scopes and sequences, creating or editing curricular materials, and designing and facilitating group development experiences;

○        Engage in strategic discussions to improve the overall program design and impact.

●        Data analysis and action planning:

○        Regular collection and analysis of data including: student achievement data, partner experience data, and partner skill progression, with an attention to potential variations across lines of difference;

○        Development of data-driven action plans, both as a team and with partners, aimed at creating high leverage supports for diverse partner needs.

●        Serve as an active member of a Navigator sub-team and the broader AF Accelerate team:

○        Attend weekly sub-team meetings to engage in problem solving and development;

○        Collaborate with sub-team coaches in the pursuit of program continuity and best-practice sharing;

○        Recognize that race and power dynamics play out within our organization and on our team, and commit to interrupting those inequities through honest and difficult conversations about race and power as a commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive organization that honors marginalized identities.

○        Collaborate with other sub-team coaches and the operations team members on shared project work (working groups, event planning, selection, etc);

○        Participate in (and potentially travel for) AF Accelerate- and organization-wide meetings and training as necessary, typically four to five times per year.

Skills and Characteristics:
●        Courageously and authentically engage in critical learning and conversations about diversity and inclusiveness;

●        Deep passion and knowledge for subject matter; 

●        Track record of driving strong student achievement gains as a teacher leader or leader of leaders;

●        Ability to coach and lead leaders; 

●        Deep experience in coaching of adults and knowledge of adult learning strategies including the ability to differentiate coaching approach to the learner’s skill and/or experience level

●        Ability to learn and adapt to different contexts, e.g.,  charter/district; single site/network;

●        Strong problem analysis and problem resolution at both a strategic and functional level;

●        Excellent written and verbal communication skills;

●        High level of personal organization and planning, and the ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed;

●        Highly motivated and capable of seeing projects through from beginning to end;

●        Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model;

●        Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude;

●        Ability to travel approximately 25% time (see note above regarding travel in the time of COVID)

Educational Background and Work Experience:
●        Bachelor’s degree; master’s degree a plus;

●        Highly effective teaching experience demonstrating a strong track record of student performance gains;

●        At least 3 years of leadership experience at a school, district,  or similar organization, driving gains in their content area by managing academic programs, facilitating professional learning, coaching teachers, and/or coaching network/school leaders;

●        Experience working with and developing leaders across lines of difference.

 

Compensation

Salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience.  Additionally, Achievement First offers a comprehensive benefits package.

 

To Apply

Send resume and letter of interest to: 

 

Kelsey Wasserman

Kelseywasserman@achievementfirst.org

 

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.