Managing Director of Humanities

About Ascend

Ascend is Brooklyn’s premier K–12 public charter network, committed to graduating high-achieving students who have access to boundless choice in their futures—not only through college acceptance, but through meaningful preparation for career readiness and thriving adult lives.

Across our schools, we pair rigorous academics with strong systems, supportive adult culture, and a deep belief in students’ brilliance and potential. Our work is grounded in the understanding that preparing students for long-term success requires excellence in instruction, intentional culture-building, and disciplined execution at every level of the organization.

At Ascend, adults are held to high standards because our students deserve nothing less. How we teach, lead, collaborate, and make decisions every day directly shapes the opportunities our students will have tomorrow.

Join us in shaping learning environments where curiosity is nurtured, excellence is the norm, and every student is prepared for a lifetime of boundless choice.

About the Role

Ascend Public Charter Schools seeks a Managing Director of Humanities to lead the design, coherence, and performance of the K–12 Humanities program across the network. Reporting to the Senior Managing Director of Academics, the Managing Director of Humanities oversees curriculum, assessment, and teaching & learning systems in English Language Arts and History.

Ascend’s Humanities program is rooted in inquiry, intellectual rigor, and deep engagement with diverse voices and complex texts. Students read widely, write analytically, think critically, and develop the historical understanding necessary to navigate and shape the world. Our course sequencing is intentionally designed to build cumulative knowledge from foundational literacy through Regents mastery and Advanced Placement coursework.

The Managing Director of Humanities ensures that this vision is executed consistently and at high quality across all Ascend schools.

Responsibilities

K–12 Academic Strategy

• Lead the development and refinement of Ascend’s K–12 Humanities strategy aligned to organizational goals.
• Ensure vertically aligned literacy and history sequences from elementary through high school, including:
• Foundational literacy development
• Middle school history progression leading to 8th-grade Regents
• AP English and AP History pathways in high school
• Safeguard intellectual coherence across grade bands and schools.
• Ensure backward mapping from AP and Regents standards into earlier grades.

Curriculum & Assessment Oversight

• Oversee the design and continuous improvement of common Humanities curricula and assessments.
• Ensure alignment to NYS standards while maintaining inquiry-based rigor and intellectual depth.
• Establish clear expectations for text complexity, writing standards, argumentation, and historical analysis.
• Monitor curriculum implementation fidelity across schools.

Teaching & Learning Systems

• Oversee the development of Humanities professional learning aligned to curriculum expectations.
• Ensure instructional coaching systems build teacher expertise in close reading, writing instruction, discourse, and evidence-based reasoning.
• Partner with school leaders to strengthen Humanities instruction at the classroom level.
• Establish educator effectiveness benchmarks aligned to student literacy and historical thinking outcomes.

Student Achievement & Performance

• Own Humanities-related student outcomes across the network, including:
• Literacy growth
• Regents performance in English and History
• AP access and performance in Humanities disciplines
• Identify performance gaps and lead strategic academic interventions.
• Ensure academic supports are aligned to core Humanities instruction.

Leadership & Team Development

• Directly manage Senior Directors/Directors of K–12 Humanities Curriculum and Teaching & Development.
• Develop internal academic leaders and content experts.
• Ensure clarity of roles and accountability across curriculum and T&D functions.
• Contribute to executive-level academic planning as a member of the Academic Leadership Team.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 8–12 years of professional experience in K–12 education.
• 4–6 years in academic leadership roles, such as Director, Senior Director, Principal, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience leading ELA and/or History curriculum or instructional systems.
• Proven track record of improving literacy outcomes and/or Regents/AP performance.
• Experience managing and developing instructional leaders or content specialists.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in a high-performing charter network or centralized curriculum environment.
• Demonstrated success in implementing vertically aligned K–12 literacy strategy.
• Experience leading inquiry-based Humanities instruction.
• Advanced degree in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, English, History, or related field preferred.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Deep content knowledge in Humanities disciplines.
• Strong systems thinking and vertical alignment mindset.
• Ability to translate academic vision into actionable systems.
• High expectations for rigor and intellectual depth.
• Strong people leadership and talent development capability.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive academic design.

Compensation

Initial salary offers for this position will start at $170,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained education.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Based at an Ascend school campus in Brooklyn, NY

• In-person role aligned to school-based instructional expectations

In-person work includes daily intervention sessions, collaboration meetings, professional development sessions, and other responsibilities as determined by school leadership.

This full-time, exempt position offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching
• Generous paid time off and additional employee benefits