Director of School Culture

Position Summary

The Director of School Culture will work closely with the Chief Schools Officer and our Managing Directors of School to ensure that our schools have joyful, identity-affirming, culturally responsive, learning environments that provide teachers with a strong platform for learning. The Director will build and sustain a positive and inspiring vision for School Culture at KIPP NorCal that builds on many of the individual strong practices already in places across our 22 schools (restorative practices, social-emotional learning, warm and demanding teacher skills). The Director of Culture will lead region-wide systems and structures that codify our approach to School Culture and help to build alignment across our 22 schools, including alignment with national KIPP guidance. The Director will develop and lead professional development to a variety of stakeholders including teachers, admin teams and school leaders. The Director will also work directly on site with a subset of schools in implementing strong culture practices and will provide consultation to all schools.

This is a hybrid role with the expectation that 3-4 days per week be spent onsite at our school campuses or at our Regional Support Office in Oakland.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

At least three years of leadership experience in a school setting (required)

At least five years of teaching experience (required)

Experience in leading whole-school culture initiatives

Demonstrated achieving outcomes with students from educationally underserved areas

Education:

Bachelor’s degree (required).

MS in Education (preferred)

Knowledge/skills required:

Ability to demonstrate a broad knowledge of school systems’ functioning, classroom and behavior management, curriculum and instruction, models for working with diverse populations, including students with disabilities, and a clear understanding of education law

Ability to lead professional development with a wide variety of stakeholders within a school community from small groups to regional sessions with multiple schools teams

Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills; able to build effective and collaborative relationships and influence diverse stakeholders.

Ability to synthesize and codify information based on a variety of data sources

Excellent organizational, planning, and implementation skills

Ability to manage the ambiguity and multiple priorities inherent in an entrepreneurial environment

Detail-oriented team player willing to roll up sleeves and get the job done

Brings a racial equity, inclusion and belonging lens to the work and a commitment to anti-racism.

Passionate about educational equity and KIPP’s mission, vision and values.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Long-Term Vision and Strategy

Develop a KIPP NorCal vision for School Culture that integrates existing practices, approaches and research in use across the region (Strong Start, restorative practices, Get Better Faster, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain) and builds one unified cohesive approach

Align KIPP NorCal’s approach to School Culture with national guidance from KIPP Foundation

Develop, implement, and monitor a strategic multi-year plan for improving school culture, including analyzing culture data and other regional data to inform key action steps

Disseminate information on current trends and research in school culture, classroom management, equitable learning environments, culturally responsive classrooms, social emotional development

Arc of the Year Systems and Structures

Define a vision for Strong Start and January Jumpstart as part of NorCal’s Arc of the Year, including metrics for success

Determine core deliverables for School Teams for the Strong Start season as part of the Arc of the Year (i.e. behavior response plans, summer PD scope and sequences, minute by minutes for core routines) and provide feedback

Coordinate and facilitate formal Strong Start visits to all 22 schools that yield actionable plans for school teams focused on 1 Big Rock

Use data from Strong Start visits to inform professional development opportunities for the region

Create resources for school teams to support successful implementation of Strong Start and January Jumpstart

Design and lead Strong Start onboarding sessions for new teachers during new teacher training week.

Leading Professional Development

Create and lead professional development to key stakeholders, including teachers, admin team members and school leaders, on high-leverage practices related to school culture practices, behavior expectations, classroom management, etc.

Curate and share professional development resources that can be turnkeyed in schools and widen the impact of the school culture team

Plan and lead portions of the monthly School Leader and Assistant Principal Communities of Practice

Direct School Consultation and Support

Directly coach, support, and develop leaders and staff on core culture practices

Partner closely with school leaders on whole-school issues, such as school climate, attrition, suspension, and expulsion rates

Serve as a resource to school leaders and culture leaders in areas related to SEL instructional strategies, discipline cases, student social-emotional needs, student attendance, and student behavior intervention strategies utilizing PBIS and restorative practices

Collaborate with school leaders on universal interventions for students such as peer mediation, conflict mediation, restorative practices, and communication strategies

Support school leaders, coaches, and their teams in developing effective systems and coaching practices grounded in a restorative approach to support teachers in implementing effective classroom management systems, building relationships and running effective routines

Collaborate with regional leaders to codify disciplinary policies to ensure consistency across the region and reduce disproportionality

Coordinate hearings to ensure that our expulsion process is fair and aligned with our vision for a sustainable, positive school climate

Collaborate and coordinate with the Director of Mental Health to ensure wrap-around strategies and support for staff and families focused on children’s social-emotional and mental health issues

Physical, Mental and Environmental Demands

Physical: Ability to navigate office and school campuses, and hold meetings in different spaces. Traditionally, much of the day involves sitting. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment 1-20 lbs. Physical agility to move self in various positions in order to execute duties effectively, which may include kneeling, walking, pushing/pulling, squatting, twisting, turning, bending, stooping and reaching overhead

Mental: Stress of deadlines and normal work standards, ability to analyze problems and generate alternatives, work with interruptions, concentrate for long periods of time, read, calculate, perform routine math problems, memorize and recall objects and people.

Environmental: Office and/or classroom environment subject to constant interruptions and distractions. Frequent classroom/school environment and travel, 75%. KIPP adheres to health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, CDE, and public health agencies’ recommendations.

Classification

This is a full-time, exempt position based on a full year school calendar, based out of our Regional Support Office with frequent travel to schools and districts.

The KIPP Regional Support Office is currently operating in a hybrid fashion. Most positions can expect to work in person 2-3 days per week and remotely the remaining days, subject to change based on the needs of the role.

About KIPP Public Schools Northern California

We are a thriving nonprofit network of 22 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create 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.

Our student community consists of over 7,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Jose, Redwood City, and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 23% are multilingual learners, and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.

Compensation

KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and transportation benefits.

We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $122,000 and $150,000. Most candidates would be compensated at $130,000.