DISTRICT OVERVIEW

The Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) is committed to ensuring a high-quality education for all. We have invested in recruiting and retaining diverse top-quality educators who inspire bold thinking, recognize student potential, and encourage all students to work towards their goals. In Holyoke, we are committed to becoming an anti-racist district by focusing on: Anti-Racism Training for All Staff Members Policy Review and Revision Facilitating School Visits Through an Equity Lens Establishing the Holyoke Race and Equity Team Establishing Equity Indicators for Accountability of HPS Employees, Students, and Partners We know that students do their best when they pursue their passions, so we have designed multiple pathways where all students graduate prepared to excel in college, career, and community leadership. Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) serves 5,400 students (of which over 80% are Latinx) in 13 schools and employs nearly 1,500 people. The District was placed into receivership by the State of Massachusetts in Spring 2015, because of struggling performance, and has since implemented a Turnaround Plan that has led to expanded choice programs (such as dual language, STEM, and early college) and new opportunities for students to explore the arts, sports, sciences, and local and world cultures. Since 2015, the District has experienced numerous accomplishments for instance: doubling access to PreK programming 10-point graduation rate increase 85 percent increase in access to early college programming 13-point increase (to 26%) teachers of color.

Opportunity Academy Overview

Opportunity Academy is the network of alternative pathways for middle and high-school students in Holyoke Public Schools. It's main campus (in which this position will serve) is The Success Center, a project-based, competency-based, and relationships-based innovative alternative high school, preparing students for choice-filled post secondary Lives. At Opportunity Academy we believe everyone deserves a high quality education. There are no small achievements, only meaningful ones. Students develop the competencies and knowledge-base necessary for choicefilled post-secondary lives by engaging with experts through rigorous and relevant project-based and community-based learning, including workbased learning opportunities, and engaging with experts and relevant projects within the classroom. Our students depend on strong relationships with educators who care deeply. As such our teachers act as primary persons for students, getting to know their students deeply, and understanding that each student requires personalized supports and opportunities for success.

Job description: The Learning Lab Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the intervention and extension learning platforms and student progress therein, as well as coordinating a cohort of part-time tutors who are responsible to assist students in their progress through these platforms. This position oversees 4 blocks of Learning Lab classroom time, during which students are working on a personalized palate of learning opportunities meant to provide intervention or extension opportunities beyond the core classes. The position organizes curriculum and assessment, assigns students their courses, and supports their academic progress across several online learning platforms and asynchronous courses including, but not limited to:

• Edmentum’s Plato
• Edmentum’s Exact Path
• iXL
• Xello
• STAR Testing (assessment)
• Google Classroom (teacher generated coursework)
• YUP Tutoring

Beyond the management and thorough understanding to troubleshoot these platforms the Learning Lab coordinator is responsible for:

• Building a relationship with each and every student, utilizing their Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) and their academic data, goal setting, path-to-grad,and post-secondary planning tabs, in particular, to develop a personalized palate of online learning options.
• Support students in monitoring their progress towards goals in the Personalized Learning Plan related to Learning Lab achievement.
• Maintain a calm, studious environment in the learning lab through a warm-demander and guide-by-the-side approach to pedagogy and classroom culture.
• Teach one high-interest hybrid learning course, weekly

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree preferred
• Experience with disadvantaged youth
• Experience working in an urban and/or high school setting
• Experience working at multiple jobs required
• High level of initiative required
• Experience managing online learning platforms for groups of students a benefit
• Understanding of competency based education and personalized learning a benefit
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent teamwork skills 
• Strong organizational skills

Location: Opportunity Academy

Salary Range: 35 hrs/wk @ approx. $28/hr

Shift Type: 1.0FTE

BUDGET SOURCE

General Fund - Account number: 41270999-51210