About the Managing Director of Academics & Teacher Development: The Managing Director of Academics and Teacher Development (MDATD) role will be an essential partner to the Chief Schools & Program Officer (CSPO), Principal Team, and the Academic Leadership Teams. This role will partner closely with KIPP’s school leaders, instructional staff, and external stakeholders and will have the unique opportunity to contribute to the overall impact of KIPP CO. The role reports directly to the CSPO. The MDATD will support the educational performance of KIPP Colorado, contributing to a clear vision and strategic direction for KIPP Colorado’s curriculum, instruction, and school improvement initiatives. This role will provide coaching, mentorship, and development of Home Office Academics Team Leaders at KIPP Colorado schools to foster healthy schools and overall academic achievement, as well as support leader development for assistant principals, including instructional and culture leaders. The MDATD will play a leadership role in academic systems and program design aligned with our 2025 strategic plan. The MDATD will consistently demonstrate their experience in designing, integrating, and implementing a large complex system to improve student results, as well as knowledge of curriculum, instructional practices, school improvement, and leadership development.

About KIPP: Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating from four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students. 

Who we are: KIPP Colorado Public Schools is a network of six free college-preparatory public charter schools open to all students. Our 350-person staff educates 2,600 students from ECE to 12th grade. At KIPP Colorado, we partner with our KIPPsters, educators, families, and communities to ensure that we are all united around the goal of a choice-filled future for our KIPPsters. Our KIPP Forward Team supports our 1,000+ high school Alumni as they create their own paths. Our core values of excellence, belonging, belief, advocacy, and courage are central to who we are and how we operate at all levels of our organization.

What we do: We believe in the unique gifts and brilliance of every student. We believe in setting a high bar for joy and academic excellence to ensure that the infinite possibilities our students have before them become a reality. We aspire to create and reinforce a culture of achievement, belonging, and support. We know that every student is different, and we personalize learning based on a student's needs, skills, and interests.

Professional Responsibilities 

• Believe deeply in the mission, values, and Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn 
• Assume personal responsibility for student achievement 
• Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines
• Provide an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning (regardless of my role and its proximity to students)
• Take ownership of the development of your craft (meet 1x/1-2 weeks with a manager, implement feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
• Commit to being prepared. For example: internalizing and preparing for lessons, O3s/coaching, meetings, coaching, PD, etc. 
• Meet professional obligations, including but not limited to meeting deadlines and honoring schedules 
• Consistently leverage existing professional tools, including but not limited to Google Suite (Google Documents, etc.) and Microsoft Suite (including but not limited to your KIPP Colorado email, Teams chat / meetings, Teams phone, and Microsoft Outlook) 
• Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities
• Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement 
• Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals 
• Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings
• Actively engage and implement in all school-wide and org-wide professional development
• Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade-wide initiatives
• Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, ensuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient. Focus all feedback on improving outcomes and experiences for students. Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement- including events, home visits, calls home, and other determined and related requirements
• Know that your role, professional development, org-wide meetings, etc., may require you to travel around Denver to other KIPP Campuses, our Home Office, or other KIPP or PD events 

• Assist with other duties as assigned (such as but not limited to lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, bathroom duty, school support duties, etc.) 

Vision Setting

• In collaboration with the CSPO, set the organization’s ECE-12 vision for educational excellence - including academics, student culture, student experience, and the execution of regional curriculum and instructional initiatives
• Promotes the regional academic and cultural vision, strategy, and goals by leveraging demonstrated success and learnings as an instructional expert
• Identify opportunities to improve current instructional practices, in collaboration with KIPP Foundation and regional academic and school leaders using rigorous student growth and achievement data
• Design and implement a strategy for curriculum and assessment adoption and/or modification and improvement to meet the demands of the range of standardized tests we hold as our north star: i-Ready, mCLASS DIBELS, CMAS, ANET, P/SAT, and AP.
• Designs and implements a Teacher Development and Effectiveness strategy and approach 
• Supports in the development of state-of-the-art Teacher evaluation processes, teacher coaching approaches, and strong onboarding of new teachers

Teaching and Learning: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• Alongside the CSPO, implements KIPP Colorado’s ECE-12 instructional model to achieve breakthrough student results, promotes a strong culture of teaching and learning excellence, and fosters educational equity for all students
• Promote educational equity (equitable outcomes and processes) as a guiding principle across the entire school network, and ensure it is reflected in curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems
• In collaboration with both the KIPP Foundation and regional and school leaders, oversee the implementation of curriculum and assessments across all content areas for all schools, including K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 grade bands Provides support to school academic leaders to implement curriculum effectively, including facilitating professional development for teachers in pedagogy and their specific content areas, in partnership with the CSPO, Academic Leads, and Principals
• Develop and oversee systems for data-driven instruction that facilitates the analysis of and response to mastery data and students’ GPA. 
• Develop, oversee, and actively respond to data (achievement, observation, perception, retention, etc.) to engage in year-over-year improvement of the program, mid-year course corrections as needed, and to make appropriate decisions about resource allocation and coaching support.
• Manage all academics and academic operations matters in the region, including but not limited to: report cards, grading and gradebooks, state testing coordination, curriculum purchasing, data and progress monitoring of academics, region-wide academic course correction, scheduling, etc. 
• Lead region-wide processes for driving student outcomes such as state testing, academic progress monitoring, test preparation, etc. 
• Develop and/or cultivate subject matter expertise across grades and disciplines K-12 to inform academic policies and decision-making about programs.

School Management and Support

• Work as a “bridge” between program and school management by building relationships and investment with all parties and supporting the efficacy of the Academic Leadership Team in our schools.
• Work with the CSPO to set clear expectations for school teams on academic outcomes, school culture and student experience, and related goals. Actively coach, develop, and mentor new school leaders to deepen their effectiveness across all aspects of school leadership
• Collaborate with Managing Directors of Schools to deploy talent and resources (e.g., additional coaching support, model leadership, etc.) based on takeaways from academic progress monitoring.

Team Management

• Directly manage the 6-person Academic Leadership Team, including but not limited to weekly check-ins, observations and feedback on practice, and curriculum and artifact review. This will include working in schools across PK-12.
• Monitor progress to ensure all KIPP students are on track to achieve goals and graduate aims. Support the development and execution of strategy aligned with goals and academic vision. Programs include: 
  • Leader Development (inclusive of PIR, principals, and all campus-based leaders)
  • Teacher Development
  • KIPP Forward 
  • Special Services (IEP, 504, G&T, MTSS, Mental Health, and SEL) 
  • Multilingual Education 
  • Early Childhood Education
  • School Culture and Student Experience (inclusive of athletics)

Role Level Specifics, Scope of Work, and Level of Responsibility

• For more about how you’ll lead at this level, please visit the KIPP Colorado Role Levels Matrix (this is an internal document, only)

About the skills and qualifications you will bring to this role: 

• Bachelor's Degree (required)
• At least 8 years of school-based experience (required) 
• Previous experience developing and facilitating adult learning/training (required)
• 3+ years of experience managing a team (preferred) 
• A full understanding and Commitment to an Exceptional Student Experience (more about that HERE) (required)
• Adept at thinking strategically, translating plans into action, and exhibiting excellent judgment
• Detail-oriented with exceptionally strong follow-up and follow-through skills
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP Colorado’s mission and values, including a strong commitment to the belief that all children can learn and deserve access to an excellent public education
• Naturally and readily assumes responsibility to fix problems and create improvements
• Ability to quickly and effectively build relationships with, motivate, and engage a diverse group of stakeholders
• Skilled at analyzing, interpreting, and using data to collaborate, identify best practices and areas for improvement, and drive results

Employee retention and satisfaction are imperative for KIPP Colorado. We seek to provide competitive compensation and benefits, including the following:

• Competitive Market Salary: Starting salary for this role begins at $147,900 and is commensurate with experience
  • Please submit a comprehensive resume to ensure all your experience is accounted for! Tip: We don't care if your resume is more than one page; we are eager to see and compensate you for all of your experience and accomplishments
• Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by KIPP Colorado and options for family enrollment and coverage through United Healthcare 

• Time Off !!!: More than 6 weeks of annual vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO) 
  • Based on hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) 
  • All employees receive summer break through an organization-wide closure, based on work location and position
  • Access to parental and medical leave: includes 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks (after your first year)

• Career Trajectory: Access to opportunity to move up, across schools, and grow your career during weekly coaching sessions to refine your craft

• Mental Health Care: Immediate and ongoing access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program

• Technology & Access: Equipment provided: laptop & phone 
• Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including a PERA 401k option

• Move to Join Us: Relocation reimbursement (when applicable)
• Additional Pay: Most schools offer various stipend opportunities
• Other Insurance Options: 
  • Wellness reimbursement
  • Voluntary employee, spousal, and child life insurance
  • Voluntary long-term disability insurance
  • Voluntary short-term disability insurance
  • Optional Basic Life and AD&D Insurance

• Additional Information: For more information, you can view our benefits FAQ here

 
KIPP Colorado Schools is dedicated to equal employment opportunities and fair labor practices. KIPP Colorado Schools, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, KIPP Northeast Elementary, KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications, and the ability to perform a job without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, legally protected medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, or on any other basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. It is our policy to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based upon these grounds.