LEAD TUTOR

HOURS: Full-Time (40 hours/week)

REPORTS TO: Academic Advancement Coordinator

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: N/A

LOCATION: ACS Facilities (Crossroads Juvenile Center, Non-Secure Detention, Limited Secure Placement in Brooklyn and Queens)

Organization Description

Youth Justice Network (formerly known as Friends of Island Academy) was founded in 1990 on

the school floors of Rikers Island to anchor, support and develop capacity among young people

newly released from jail in New York City. Our mission is to break cycles of incarceration and

build an equitable justice system by providing young people with individualized advocacy,

mentorship, and opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead. Youth Justice Network builds on

connections developed with young people whose lives have intersected with the justice system,

and leverages those relationships to provide post-release, neighborhood-based supportive

services. Young people become members of Youth Justice Network for the long-term and

develop personal milestones and goals in health and well-being, education, employment, youth

leadership and community participation.

New Initiative

Youth Justice Network is honored and excited to have been selected by the NYC Administration

for Children’s Services/Division of Youth and Family Services to offer Workforce Development

Services for young people held in secure detention at Crossroads, and limited secure and Close to

Home placement settings in Brooklyn and Queens. The award represents an investment in the

promise of so many of the City’s most resilient young people and reflects YJN’s experience in

supporting justice-involved young people in and out of custody. This initiative will launch

September 1, 2026. Youth Justice Network is building a team to provide young people in ACS

custody with high quality career exploration, work readiness, vocational training, tutoring, and

related supports. The vision and goal of this initiative is to leverage young peoples’ time in

detention and placement by offering relevant, necessary skills and tools to build self-efficacy and

agency. In collaboration with ACS, DOE, and key community partnerships, this initiative will

provide justice-impacted young people with individualized advocacy, mentorship, coaching, and

opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead.

Position Overview

Tutors play a critical role in Youth Justice Network’s (YJN) ACS-funded Career and Education

Pathways initiative by providing individualized and small-group academic support to justice-involved youth ages 13–21. Tutors reinforce classroom instruction, deliver targeted literacy and

numeracy remediation, and prepare youth for GED/HSE exams and credit recovery.

Working closely with YJN staff, Lead Tutors, Coaches, and DOE/Passages Academy teachers,

the Lead Tutors ensures that youth remain academically engaged during their time in ACS

custody and have clear educational plans for reentry into school, training, or postsecondary

pathways. Tutors use trauma-informed, culturally responsive instructional strategies that affirm

youth identities and strengthen both academic skills and confidence.

Key Responsibilities

Instruction and Academic Support

• Provide direct tutoring in literacy, numeracy, GED/HSE preparation, and credit recovery for middle and high school content.
• Adapt instructional strategies to individual learning needs, including accommodations for students with IEPs.
• Reinforce classroom instruction provided by DOE/Passages Academy teachers, ensuring alignment with credit-bearing coursework.
• Incorporate project-based learning, real-world applications, and culturally relevant materials to increase youth engagement.
• Support each youth in developing their Career Readiness Portfolio, documenting academic progress as part of broader career and education planning.

Collaboration and Service Integration

• Coordinate with YJN staff, Tutors, Coaches, and DOE/Passages Academy staff to ensure seamless academic support.
• Participate in regular case conferencing and team meetings to address barriers to academic success and support individualized education plans.
• Collaborate with Coaches to ensure tutoring connects to career goals, sector-based training, and workforce readiness.
• Refer youth to additional resources (e.g., vocational training, mental health supports) in collaboration with program staff.

Training and Professional Development

• Participate in quarterly training sessions developed by the Education Operations Consultant and Academic Advancement Coordinator.
• Engage in professional learning communities with other Tutors, sharing best practices in trauma-informed pedagogy, literacy/numeracy instruction, and culturally responsive education.
• Incorporate ACS’s LGBTQAI+ best practices and restorative approaches into daily instruction.

Data and Accountability

• Maintain accurate records of tutoring sessions, academic progress, and milestones in YJN’s Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database.
• Track and report on literacy gains, numeracy improvements, GED/HSE readiness, and credit recovery progress.
• Contribute to quality assurance processes by providing feedback to Lead Tutors and Academic Advancement Coordinator on trends and challenges.
• Participate in regular supervision and coaching sessions with the Lead Tutor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Literacy, Mathematics, or a related field required
• Minimum 2–3 years of experience in tutoring, teaching, or academic support for adolescents, preferably including justice-involved or opportunity youth.
• Strong content knowledge in literacy and numeracy; experience with GED/HSE curriculum and credit recovery strategies strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and engaging instruction.
• Familiarity with NYC DOE/Passages Academy systems a plus.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with adolescents.
• Commitment to advancing equity and affirming the identities of justice-involved youth.

Youth Justice Network is privileged to have a profoundly committed and caring staff – one

which believes unconditionally in our members’ ability to do right and do well. We take our

work very seriously, but we strive to make time for self-care and joy. We look for staff from all

walks of life who have integrity, humor, a strong work ethic, are passionate about our mission

and work, and who are committed to address the harms caused by mass incarceration.

Depending on full or part-time status, benefits include a competitive vacation/sick leave policy

including three days off between Christmas and New Year's Day, four-day summer weeks

through July and August, generous health insurance, 403b match.

Salary Range: $60,000-65,000k

Target start date: September 1, 2026

For purposes of internal equity, we are unable to go outside of the salary posted.