Managing Director, KIPP Through College

Managing Director, KIPP Through College

About KIPP Houston Public Schools

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is on a mission to develop in underserved students the academic skills, intellectual habits, and qualities of character necessary to succeed at all levels of pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, college, and the competitive world beyond. Finishing its second decade, KIPP has become a national leader in the movement to provide all children with access to an excellent education. KIPP was founded in Houston in 1994 and has grown to 200 public schools in 20 states and DC, educating 80,000 children. KIPP Houston Public Schools is KIPP’s largest region, educating 13,500 students in 26 schools. KIPP Houston serves an additional 2,300 alumni in college and beyond. While only 10 percent of students from low-income communities in Harris County graduate from college, 50 percent of KIPPsters, tracked from the 8th grade, graduate college. While we are excited about our KIPPsters’ college completion rate, our goal is for 82% of our KIPPsters to graduate college.

KTC Houston’s mission:

The mission of KIPP Through College is to empower KIPPsters to employ their academic behaviors, knowledge, and qualities of character in life, so that they will attain a degree(s) in higher education and give back to their communities. We commit to providing great individual student guidance coupled with world-class college counseling to change societal beliefs on what is possible in every single school in every single community and to help our children build a better tomorrow for themselves and generations to come. When KTC is successful, we will produce students that are lifelong learners demonstrating executive functioning skills, which will allow them to participate in our economy as a consumer and contributor, all the while inspiring others to believe in what is possible through education.

KTC offers direct educational support, mentoring, and college and career counseling services to KIPP students and alumni as they prepare for college, and the competitive world beyond. KTC works closely with schools, students, and families to deliver lessons, counsel students and families, and prepare students to matriculate to college. In addition, the alumni persistence team works with KIPP alumni in college to ensure they graduate and works with alumni not attending college to ensure a successful career path.

Position Overview

The Managing Director of KIPP Through College (KTC) is focused on stewarding the KTC vision and leading the department strategy to ensure all KIPP students and alumni are benefiting from strong and strategic college counseling, college persistence support promoting college completion, and career readiness programming to help our KIPPsters lead choice-filled lives. This teammate will support efforts to ensure that college match goals are met or exceeded for our students attending KIPP high schools, as well as for our alumni attending non-KIPP high schools. The Managing Director of KTC will support efforts to ensure that the region’s college persistence efforts are such that actual college completion rates exceed estimated college completion rates. Finally, this teammate will ensure that the region’s career readiness programming supports relevant experiences for both college-goers non-college goers through career exposure and experiences. The Managing Director of KTC will provide all KTC Managers with consistent leadership, coaching, management, support and feedback. Ultimate accountability over the region’s success in meeting college match, college completion and career readiness goals lies with this person. She/he will report to the Superintendent (KHPS) and work out of the KIPP Houston Public Schools Regional Support Team office (located at KIPP CONNECT Primary/ Middle School).

The ideal candidate for this position has a background in college access and/or college counseling, K-12 classroom teaching and adult management, and experience working in higher education (student services and success). This individual must possess strategic planning skills and the ability to analyze data to make data-driven decisions. This individual must also possess outstanding written and verbal communication skills. S/he must have a proven record of driving results. Finally, s/he must have a demonstrated interest in serving low-income students and must be committed to doing whatever it takes to support our students to and through college.

Primary Leadership Responsibilities

·  Steward the KTC vision and lead the department strategy to ensure all KIPP students and alumni are benefiting from strong and strategic college counseling, college persistence support promoting college completion, and career readiness programming

·  Lead, coach, manage, and evaluate KIPP Through College team

·  Set annual KTC goals focused on college match, college persistence/completion, career readiness, and talent development/retention and support team members in achieving goals

·  Lead the College Partnership Initiative strategy and support

·  Provide the KIPP Houston Pubic Schools Superintendent and senior leaders with monthly reports focused on progress towards annual goals and present to the Board of Directors annually

·  Ensure that KTC data is consistently monitored to ensure accuracy and timeliness and reported out in a clean and transparent manner

·  Ensure KTC staffing model supports best-in-class results, while focusing on career pathways and innovative talent pipelines

·  Set and successfully manage annual KTC department budget

·  Support the KIPP Houston Public Schools Development team on grant proposals and reports focused on KTC programming and support

·  Ensure that strategies and data collection request from the national KTC team are being executed and delivered in a successful and timely manner

·  Work with school leaders, teachers, and parents to teach process and pathways to college match, persistence, and careers.

·  Participate in the planning and facilitation of the KTC United for College Success initiative

Advising Responsibilities

·  Co-manage the Big Dog Investment Fund (program that provide college students financial support)

·  Co-manage the Skills for Success program (Project LEADS- Department of Education grant)

·  Track and maintain student data (contact information, grades, financial aid, internships, etc.) using the KIPP Alumni Database

Regional Support Office Participation

·  Model and exemplify KIPP Houston’s Freedom Tree values at all times

·  Serve as member of One Song regional leadership team, attending monthly meetings, participating in decision-making, and serving as an ambassador for KIPP Houston Public Schools

Qualifications:

·  Experience in leading high-performance teams and managing a diverse team

·  Proven written and verbal communication skills

·  Excellent organizational and planning skills

·  Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, parents, students, administration teams, higher education administration, and funders

·  Ability to work on both daily workflows and broad strategy

·  Strong command of high school readiness, college admissions, and college readiness

·  Strong work ethic, exceptional leadership, self-starter, collaborative worker and flexible

·  Models respect and sensitivity for cultural differences

·  Strives for personal and organizational excellence

·  A passion for education and a dedication to the mission, beliefs, and values of KIPP Houston and KIPP through College

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.

Must have 5+ years combined experience, directly or indirectly, serving students in the areas of college counseling and student success in secondary or post-secondary.

KIPP Houston Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. KIPP seeks to have the best available person in every job. KIPP’s policy prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, medical condition, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, military status, genetic information, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.

To apply, please apply on-line at www.kipphouston.org/apply.

For questions, please contact the Recruitment Team at 832-328-1051 x1547.