Managing Director of High School STEM

Start Date: July 1, 2024

Team: Team Teaching & Learning

Location: NYC, CT, or RI (Hybrid 2-3 Days On-Site Per Week)

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that currently supports 41 public charter schools in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Consistently rated as one of the top charter school networks in the country for almost 25 years, AF is committed to continuous improvement, programmatic evolution for enhanced student outcomes, and sustainable growth. The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. AF currently employs more than 2,200 staff — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence, RI.

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. AF knows that every child—regardless of race, zip code, or economic status—deserves access to great schools. At AF, students realize their potential and develop the skills they need to graduate from high school, succeed in college, thrive in a competitive world, and serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities. At AF, students and staff embark on a shared journey to fulfill their incredible potential.

Why work at Achievement First? First and foremost: you should work at AF if you believe in our values and want to surround yourself with people who share them. We are committed to leading for racial equity. We approach our work with humility, humanity, and the recognition that both what we do and how we do it must model the equity we seek. We strive for excellence by setting a high bar in all areas and pursuing it relentlessly. We care about the whole person and are known to be as warm as we are demanding. We choose joy and actively seek out moments of humor, gratitude, and deeper purpose for ourselves and with each other. We know that we will go further together and intentionally choose to join forces on both big and small things. We name brutal facts, embrace challenge, and see our mistakes as opportunities to get better.

Finally, come to Achievement First if you want to help support schools that are striving to redefine what’s possible in education. We are obsessed with getting better and are working to create some of the best schools in the country - schools that support not just students’ academic success but also their social-emotional learning, identity development, independence as learners, passion/enrichment/extracurriculars, and life-long fulfillment. AND, at AF, we believe getting better starts with looking in the mirror. We have done a lot of that lately, as we have more aggressively confronted our own biases and unacceptable gaps in our student experience. We are committed to addressing inequity within our systems, culture, and practices and resolve to do the critical work needed to ensure equity for our scholars and staff. So, come to Achievement First if reflection, challenge, and growth feed your soul.

The Achievement First Secondary Science and Math Programs

The Achievement First math and science programs aim for students to master Common Core math standards and Next Generation Science Standards, to have pathways to take college-level STEM courses via College Board Advanced Placement courses or other dual enrollment options, to develop confidence in themselves as mathematicians and scientists, and to find joy in persevering through challenging tasks to discover mathematical and scientific insights and problem-solving strategies.

Our programs are grounded in several core components: 

• Core Instruction: Students grapple with mathematical and scientific concepts to provide a strong foundation and procedural fluency with grade level standards. 
• Problem Solving: Students apply their learnings from core instruction to complex, multi-step, authentic real world tasks that push them to hone their problem solving skills and mathematical and scientific practices. 
• Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness: We also strive to ensure our curriculum, tools, resources and student experiences are relevant, affirm student identity and foster a diverse array of perspectives. 

Position Summary 

The Managing Director of High School STEM will report to the Associate Chief of Academics. Managing Directors will primarily work directly with network instructional teams and principals to craft and drive the vision behind exemplary instructional programs. Each Managing Director will oversee 2-4 Senior Directors who are responsible for driving the strategy in their respective content areas and grade bands.

Responsibilities of the Managing Director of Teaching and Learning , but are not limited to the following: 

Set Program Vision and Ensure Alignment to Network Priorities: 

• Act as a thought partner with regional superintendents, school leaders, and instructional teams to develop a network vision for instruction and contribute to the development of clear programmatic recommendations, goals, and priorities for the Teaching and Learning Team.
• Collaborate and align with other managing directors, the Associate Chief of Academics, the Chief of Academics (CAO), the student experience team, and other C-level leaders, to contribute to a coherent, high-quality learning experience for students grades K-12.
• Communicates key decisions to school stakeholders regarding assessment strategy, HQIM decisions, and professional development programs.

Talent Management and Development: 

• Coach Senior Directors to meet outcomes and develop their directors to meet goals
• Coach Senior Directors so they can: 
• Create strategic resource allocation plans 
• Analyze data of state/national exams, Interim Assessments, and ongoing quizzes and unit tests - as well as mock AP and Regents exams in high school to inform recommendations 
• Implement school support plans with fidelity aligned to team Teaching and Learning’s vision for coaching and data.
• Cultivate future content area leaders through lateral coaching 

High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) Selection and Supporting Systems 

• Ensures horizontal alignment and vertical alignment of HQIM across K-12
• Collaborates with Regional Sups (and by extension schools) on scheduling guidelines
• Communicates scheduling guidelines and program decisions to schools
• Collaborates with Regional Superintendents, schools, student supports, and Student Experience team on integration of SEL
• Ensures alignment across assessment maps by academy and subject level PD plan
• Creates and manages school support structures aligned to the arc of the year using school tiering data
• Manages feedback from schools and Regional Superintendents
• Collaborates with school teams on implementing scheduling guidelines based on local context

• Designs and facilitates Professional Development, exemplifying best adult learning practices and serving as a model for directors and senior directors. 

Skills and Characteristics 

• Coaching and People Management: Has a demonstrated track record of developing leaders (e.g. a principal who has developed an AP into a Principal) 
• Curricular and Programmatic Vision:Has in-depth content and pedagogical expertise in their content area
• Brings an Equity Lens to the Core Work: Consistently ensures that the Leading for Racial Equity lens will be a required, explicit part of priority planning, goal-setting, professional development planning, and progress monitoring for school leaders and network leaders
• Practices Self-Awareness: Consistently reflects on “How am I positioned (relative to privilege and/or oppression) in all aspects of my identities (e.g. race, class, gender, language)? How might these identities impact people and our process?”
• Focuses on Relational Trust and Human Values:Notices and actively repairs broken trust/relationships; notices and addresses patterns of exclusion in meetings and 1:1 interactions; holds time to address and lean into difficult conversations.
• Designs with not for: Actively looks for and insists on decision-making that requires us to listen, learn, and co-create with the people most impacted by work/decisions.
• Utilizes a Growth Mindset: Consistently identifies and addresses gaps in previous mindsets/skills and perceives the strength and performance of others through a growth mindset. Actively seeks feedback to improve and demonstrates growth in response to feedback.
• Employs Strategic Thinking: Utilizes multiple perspectives and data points to drive to a clear understanding of the current state relative to organizational goals and best practices and pushes for deeper understandings of how and why this came to be. Sets clear, obtainable, and timely goals which move work and the program forward and proactively plans how to involve and invest others in those goals.
• Analyzes and Responds to Data: Accurately identifies strengths and gaps based on existing data, considers additional information which may/may not be included in the dataset and provides specific insights based upon multiple data points.

Educational Background and Work Experience

• A bachelor’s degree
• At least four years of experience coaching other leaders, such as coaching a dean or AP who was promoted into their next role 
• A proven, multi-year track record of exemplary academic achievement, especially the achievement of low-income, minority students
• At least four years of highly successful math or science teaching experience OR a minimum of two years of math or science teaching experience with exceptional results when combined with strong district or network level experience. 
• Two or more years of highly successful teaching experience in a school serving primarily low-income students.

Travel Expectations 

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in the role would be able to come into the Network Support office (NYC, CT, or RI) 2-3 days per week. There may be additional travel to regions outside of your own on a monthly basis.

Occasional weekend or evening work and travel within New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are required.

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 $150,331 with no flexibility. 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.