Company Description

About KIPP New Jersey

KIPP New Jersey is part of the nationally recognized “Knowledge Is Power Program” network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and in life. In 2002, 80 fifth graders walked through the doors of our first middle school in Newark, New Jersey and KIPP New Jersey has since grown to educate 8,135 students in grades K-12 across 17 schools in Newark and Camden. More than 90% of KIPP New Jersey students currently qualify for free or reduced meals. 

By 2025, KIPP New Jersey will provide a world-class education to over 10,300 students across fifteen schools in Newark and five in Camden. To learn more, visit www.kippnj.org.

Job Description

KIPP New Jersey Culture Vision

At KIPP:NJ, we will cultivate the academic, social-emotional, and character skills students need to lead choice-filled lives. These habits will be built in the learning environment with staff, students, families, and the community. We use a variety of developmentally appropriate methods (i.e., responses, conversations, incentives, recognition, and consequences) to teach necessary skills for students to make more informed choices. We envision a school where:

• Our high expectations are rooted in clear, consistent, rational guiding systems and routines;
• Universal responses, conversations, incentives, recognition, and consequences are methods that we use to teach necessary skills for students to make more informed choices 
• All members of the school community exhibit cultural humility  and respect for each other
• Staff members equitably support 100% of our students to meet their potential
• Staff create a balance of proactive and reactive approach to student challenges
• Students take responsibility for their own actions and their own learning

Here's what you need to know:

 As the Director of Student Experience at KIPP NJ, you will play a crucial role in driving our culture vision forward. Collaborating closely with the School Management and Teaching & Learning Teams, you will coach our APs of Culture and leverage best practices, research, and feedback to respond effectively to the needs of our schools in support of our culture vision. Your responsibilities include monitoring key school culture and student experience data points and creating actionable plans to support leaders and schools that may be off track.

In addition to these responsibilities, you will focus on increasing the leadership capacity of school-based leaders, including APs of Culture, School Leaders, and Generalist Assistant Principals. This involves deepening subject matter expertise and providing modeling and coaching around the enabling systems for school culture. Ultimately, your efforts will ensure that our schools are joyful, safe, and supportive communities for all students, fostering environments where every student has full access to affirming and responsive learning experiences. We are committed to creating safe spaces where all students can explore their identities while consistently achieving high academic gains in preparation for college access.

Uphold Vision for School Culture

• Serve on the culture leadership team that drives our region-wide vision and philosophy of student culture.
• Design, develop and drive our school culture systems, identify action plans for continued improvement and lead the change management process in our schools and at regional level. 
• Assess and monitor school culture data, report out on high level trends to assess progress towards the school culture and the student experience goals.
• Analyze data from major milestones with culture leaders at each school and make recommendations for process and system improvements. 

Coaching, Support, and Professional Development

• Plan and execute professional development that aligns with priorities and goals in support of our culture vision.
• Collaborate with regional leadership to identify strategies that are responsive to the needs of Culture leaders and schools based on data.
• Work with culture leaders in each school, by engaging in walk-throughs, observing O3s, observing and monitoring culture team meetings to provide feedback, identify best practices, and provide support.
• Support our schools to get results for kids’ experiences, by engaging in coaching & strategy sessions with each school based on needs.

Manage Compliance

• Manage oversight of HIB investigations and data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with state regulations and reporting requirements and effectuate action plans with any data gaps.
• Attend all long-term suspension hearings and ensure that there is consistency across school types for these consequences.
• Provide crisis intervention support to the Managing Director of Operations, School Leaders, Heads of Schools, and Executive Director.  
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to gather necessary data and investigation information for entry into the state portal system.
• Proactively address data discrepancies to identify and resolve promptly.
• Propose and implement data entry process improvements to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Provide training and support to staff members responsible for data entry to ensure consistency and adherence to established procedures.
• Monitoring of all suspension data in conjunction with APs of Culture to identify trends and recommended targeted action in response.
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws regarding student suspensions.

Collaborate and Execute Student Experience Priorities

• Lead and participate in meetings with Heads of Schools, School Leaders, and APs, so that student experience vision is upheld and students have consistent experience across schools.
• Facilitate meetings with various stakeholders to problem solve, engage in strategic work together, and respond to the most pressing needs of our schools to ensure that our students are meeting our academic and student culture bar. 

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above essential duties and responsibilities.

Skills

• Achievement Orientation: Has demonstrated results and experience leading a high-performing school (student achievement and leadership development); upholds a high bar for excellence.
• Mission Commitment: Believes in our mission of college access for all
• Knows, models, and lives our Heartbeat.
• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving 
• Strong judgment/decision making skills 
• Experience coaching different types of leaders in a variety of contexts and a track record of developing leaders 
• Proficiency in MS Office, google suite, excel and customary school database systems.

Abilities

• Ability to be in schools aminium of at  least 3x a week
• Ability to coach, develop  and mentor leaders
• Ability to analyze and create an action plan in response to data
• Ability to plan and execute professional development for large groups
• Demonstrated ability to create and execute long term vision and strategy across multiple stakeholder groups.

Qualifications

Must Haves:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Multiple years of school based leadership experience 
• Successful track record as an Assistant School Leader and/or School Leader

The usual and customary methods of performing the job’s functions require the following physical demands.

• Prolonged periods of sitting, standing and walking.
• Weekend and evening work will often be necessary to carry out the requirements of this job.
• Travel between New Jersey regions and our schools.
• A certain number of days per week in the office or at schools is required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Additional Information

Compensation & Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, KIPP NJ offers a full comprehensive benefits plan, including health care, retirement, a school laptop, and transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into New Jersey from the New York City area.