District TIP Lead (Therapeutic Intervention Program)

DISTRICT OVERVIEW

Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 4,800 students, of whom 80 percent are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners. We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.

Holyoke Public Schools’ strategic plan, “Moving Forward Together,” builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students’ well-being.

Many successes contributed to Holyoke’s return to local governance after 10 years in state receivership. These include:

• The highest graduation rate on record of 77.1 percent, an increase of more than 15-points over 10 years
• Meaningful, applied learning opportunities for high school students, including theme-based academies, career vocational technical education programming, work-based learning, and advanced coursework
• A comprehensive approach to early literacy that includes strong core instruction and one-on-one tutoring, contributing to more students reading at grade level
• A thriving dual language English/Spanish program, where nearly 900 students are on their path to becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural
• More than one-third of Holyoke teachers identify as people of color, a 19-point increase over 10 years. Many partnership programs support staff to earn licensure or additional certification.

Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us, our recent accomplishments, and our commitment to equity.

PERSPECTIVA GENERAL DEL DISTRITO

Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke son un distrito escolar público que cuenta con 11 escuelas de prekínder a 12.° grado y acoge a casi 4 800 estudiantes, de los cuales el 80 % se identifica como latino o latina. Empleamos a casi 1 300 personas que, en conjunto, educan y apoyan a una comunidad de estudiantes altamente diversa. Estamos comprometidos a contratar y retener educadores de alta calidad que creen firmemente que todos los niños pueden aprender y aprenderán, y que se esfuerzan diariamente por hacer de la escuela un lugar alegre de descubrimiento, apoyo y pertenencia.

El plan estratégico de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke , “Avanzando Juntos”, se basa en nuestras fortalezas previas y, al mismo tiempo, sirve como un llamado a la acción para acelerar el aprendizaje estudiantil a través de una nueva perspectiva sobre cómo enseñamos, cómo trabajamos en colaboración y cómo apoyamos el bienestar de los estudiantes.

Existen numerosos logros que permitieron a Holyoke recuperar el control local después de 10 años de administración judicial. Entre estos logros se encuentran:

• La tasa de graduación más alta registrada, del 77.1 %, lo que representa un aumento de más de 15 puntos porcentuales en 10 años
• Oportunidades significativas de aprendizaje práctico para estudiantes de secundaria, que incluyen academias temáticas, programas de educación técnica y vocacional, aprendizaje basado en el trabajo y cursos avanzados
• Un enfoque integral de la alfabetización temprana que combina una sólida instrucción básica con tutorías individuales, lo cual ha contribuido a que más estudiantes lean a nivel de grado
• Un próspero programa bilingüe de inglés/español, en el que casi 900 estudiantes avanzan hacia el bilingüismo, la biliteracidad, y la biculturalidad.
• Más de un tercio de los maestros de Holyoke se identifican como personas de etnicidad diversa, lo que representa un aumento de 19 puntos porcentuales en 10 años. Diversas colaboraciones con programas que han contribuido a que miembros del personal obtengan sus certificaciones o credenciales adicionales.

Visite el sitio web de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke para obtener más información sobre nuestra comunidad, nuestros logros recientes y nuestro compromiso con la equidad.

Position Overview

Holyoke Public Schools is seeking a dynamic and experienced educational leader to serve as the District TIP (Therapeutic Intervention Program) Lead. This district-wide role provides strategic leadership, oversight, and coordination of TIP programs serving students with complex social-emotional, behavioral, and academic needs across all grade levels.

The TIP Lead ensures consistent, high-quality implementation of therapeutic, trauma-informed, and strengths-based practices across programs. This position works closely with school administrators, floor managers, counselors, and district leaders to strengthen systems of support, improve student outcomes, and promote a cohesive program culture rooted in collaboration, equity, and student-centered decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Oversight

• Provide district-wide leadership and oversight of TIP programs across all schools
• Ensure fidelity to the TIP model, including trauma-informed, strengths-based, and therapeutic practices
• Align program implementation with district priorities and DESE regulations
• Support school-based teams in daily operations, problem-solving, and program consistency
• Monitor implementation of behavioral supports, IEP services, and therapeutic programming
• Conducts observations

Staff Support & Development

• Coach and support TIP staff, including counselors, floor managers, and program leaders
• Clarify roles and expectations to ensure consistency across all sites
• Coordinate and support professional development aligned to TIP needs
• Promote collaboration and shared practices across programs

Student Support & Progress Monitoring

• Oversee systems for tracking student progress in behavioral, social-emotional, and academic domains
• Support development of behavior intervention plans and individualized student support plans
• Guide extended evaluations, placement decisions, transitions, and reentry planning
• Support reintegration of students into less restrictive environments when appropriate

Data & Continuous Improvement

• Lead use of program-wide data to inform instruction, interventions, and professional learning
• Analyze student outcome trends and adjust programming accordingly
• Support data-driven decision-making to improve student outcomes across TIP programs

Collaboration & Communication

• Serve as the primary district liaison for TIP programming
• Maintain consistent communication with principals, district leaders, and related service providers
• Collaborate with general education and inclusion teams to support smooth student transitions and shared responsibility

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Integration

• Ensure consistent implementation of SEL curriculum and practices across TIP programs
• Support scheduling and delivery of SEL instruction aligned with student needs
• Identify and share high-quality instructional and behavioral resources

Crisis Intervention & Support

• Support development and implementation of individualized crisis and safety plans
• Provide consultation during escalated student situations
• Promote proactive, therapeutic, and de-escalation-based responses to student behavior

Team Culture & Alignment

• Foster a positive, collaborative, and unified culture across all TIP programs
• Facilitate team meetings and shared learning opportunities across sites
• Strengthen communication, consistency, and collective responsibility for student success

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Education, Special Education, School Psychology, Counseling, or related field (required)
• Licensure in Massachusetts as a special education administrator, school counselor, psychologist, or related area (preferred or required depending on assignment)
• Experience working with students with significant social-emotional and behavioral needs
• Demonstrated leadership experience in special education or therapeutic programming
• Strong knowledge of trauma-informed practices, behavior intervention systems, and inclusive education models
• Experience with data-driven decision-making and program improvement
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and coaching skills