Early Literacy Instructional Lead
About the job
- Pass the Texas Reading Academies Cohort Leader screener before starting employment.
- Possess expert literacy knowledge in the early primary grades from Pre-K through 3rd Grade and strong knowledge of the full literacy continuum through 12th Grade.
- Understand balanced literacy, particularly foundational literacy including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
- Have a strong background in literacy assessments, especially reading growth assessments.
- Demonstrate master-teacher-level literacy expertise, curriculum internalization, and lesson modeling skills.
- Demonstrate expertise in observing teachers and providing instructional feedback.
- Create work plans and project plans across multiple priorities and fast-paced deadlines.
- Present summaries and updates succinctly across virtual and in-person communication modes.
- Have advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite.
- Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders across organizational levels.
- Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills and adapt messages to the audience, context, and communication mode.
- Build consensus, resolve conflicts, and navigate difficult conversations.
- Navigate systems and structures across levels of a large school district.
- Use data to make decisions, solve problems, and build stakeholder support.
- Adapt to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines using analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Identify mission-critical issues, prioritize them, and develop innovative solutions.
- Establish clear metrics for success and maintain focus on goals and results.
- Build coalitions and collaborate with regional leaders, School Leaders, coaches, teachers, and students.
- Move throughout school buildings and attend conferences, meetings, and training sessions virtually and in person.
- Maintain reliable transportation for travel between campuses.
- Maintain emotional control under stress and work with frequent interruptions.
- Implement the KIPP Texas Early Literacy Strategy through strategic, region-specific support for PreK through 3rd grade early literacy initiatives across the state, including Texas Reading Academies.
- Lead Reading Academies module learning and facilitate coaching cycles in alignment with School Leader development of literacy instruction and achievement.
- Coach and support PreK instructional leaders, Reading Academies participants, Assistant Principals of Instruction, and teachers to achieve literacy goals aligned with the statewide implementation plan.
- Analyze student-, teacher-, school-, and regional-level data to identify strengths, growth opportunities, and curricular and implementation implications aligned to the Science of Teaching Reading.
- Manage the success of Reading Academies implementation for assigned cohorts.
- Lead implementation of state literacy priorities, including reading growth assessments and foundational literacy for PreK through 3rd grade.
- Develop, manage, and lead literacy pilots across the state; collect weekly implementation data and artifacts; and make statewide programmatic recommendations for future years.
- Model intellectual preparation, instructional coaching, and data-driven instruction while coaching regional Early Literacy Leads, Assistant Principals, School Leaders, and regional academic team members.
- Conduct Texas statewide and region-specific data analysis to guide regions in intentional data-driven instructional responses.
- Work with the Director of Foundational Literacy and the Instructional Excellence team to maintain curriculum and implementation feedback cycles, vertical alignment, and streamlined literacy support across grades.
- Support KIPP Texas regions in developing literacy-specific professional learning scopes and sequences and professional learning plans.
- Plan and lead virtual and in-person literacy professional development for Reading Academies participants in grades K through 3, including lesson internalization, module internalization, and responding to data.
- Strong coaching of leaders, including the ability to model effective coaching and school leadership.
About the company
KIPP is a network of public charter schools that operates 279 schools across the United States, serving more than 210,000 students and alumni and supported by over 16,000 educators. The organization runs college-preparatory programs focused on long-term student growth and success. Its programs provide rigorous K-12 instruction, with an emphasis on building strong academic skills, character development, and college access. Rather than a single product, KIPP’s value comes from its school network, shared curriculum, professional development for teachers, and a commitment to expanding public education in underserved communities. The goal is to provide high-quality education, improve student outcomes, and expand access to public charter schools for more students.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
2000
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- KIPP Miami gains cheap facility control at Poinciana Park and expands in Liberty City.
- KIPP DuBois' Howard dual-enrollment boosts graduation credibility and HBCU recruiting in Philadelphia.
- KIPP's May 2026 rebrand sharpens employer identity and supports centralized recruiting across the network.
What critics are saying
- KIPP Texas closed seven schools in December 2025, signaling enrollment strain across campuses.
- KIPP Kansas City received a 2026 'does not meet' rating and a letter of concern.
- Broward's 2026 Schools of Hope fight threatens district relationships and facility access across Florida.
What makes KIPP unique
- KIPP Foundation launched The KIPP Five on May 14, 2026, standardizing network behavior.
- KIPP Miami opened KIPP Legacy schools at Poinciana Park under Florida Schools of Hope.
- KIPP DuBois partnered with Howard University for dual-enrollment, adding a clear college pipeline.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Parental Leave
Sabbatical Leave
Childcare Support
Elder Care Support
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Professional Development Budget
Tuition Reimbursement
Paid Vacation
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Hybrid Work Options
Company News
Broward is closing schools to save money. 'Schools of Hope' could complicate that. By Amanda Rosa August 26, 2026 4:30 AM Gift Article As the Broward School Board debates closing more schools in the effort to right-size the shrinking district, they face another challenge - Schools of Hope charters moving into their facilities. Superintendent Howard Hepburn proposed the board to close 10 schools at a workshop on Tuesday, including William Dandy Middle in Fort Lauderdale, a school where a Schools of Hope charter school plans to move in. KIPP Legacy School, a charter school, will begin operating in a portion of Dandy Middle starting in the 2027-28 school year under Florida's newly expanded "Schools of Hope" law, board member Jeff Holness said in the meeting. The law, which was established to allow approved charter operators, like KIPP, to open schools near underperforming district schools, now allows charter school operators to run their own school programs in vacant or underutilized district school buildings at nearly no cost. In Miami-Dade, KIPP has already taken over the old Poinciana Park Elementary school building, which the district is leasing to them for one dollar. Broward County Public Schools is in dire financial straits after years of declining student enrollment - this year alone they lost 11,000 students - resulting in over 60,000 empty seats district wide. The school board closed and consolidated six schools last school year to save money. But amid the discussion about school closures, the board members also had to grapple with the potential financial strain that Schools of Hope operators setting up shop inside district-owned properties could cause the already cost-burdened district. 'A very nice way to kick us out of all our buildings' Dandy Middle has the capacity for 1,133 students, but only has 665 enrolled. KIPP plans to occupy about 25 percent of the available seats at the school, said Valerie Wanza, the BCPS Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer. "They are looking to eventually occupy whatever capacity is available that the actual Dandy Middle School does not occupy," Wanza said. Holness expressed concerns that the school district may still be liable to pay for certain costs if it closes Dandy Middle and allows KIPP to "take over" the vacant building. He suggested delaying any decision on closing Dandy for now. Instead, he said the school board should consider closing the middle school portion of Dillard 6-12 and move those middle schoolers to Parkway Middle. "If we close William Dandy as it is, we're basically giving that school over," Holness said. The school board directed the Superintendent to determine what the district's financial obligations would be if a Schools of Hope charter occupied a closed school. That information will be available later this week, a district spokesperson said. BCPS General Counsel Kathy Dupuy-Bruno said in the meeting that if a district-run school colocates with a School of Hope, the district is financially responsible for the building's maintenance costs, but it can negotiate for the charter school to pay for its portion of the utilities it uses, like electricity. KIPP's contract with Miami-Dade County Public Schools for Poinciana Park Elementary placed most of the operating expenses on the charter company. KIPP even invested about $2.4 million for improvements to facility over the summer before opening. Schools of Hope supporters say the program offers parents in districts with low-performing schools more options, while critics say the program siphons resources from district-run public schools. Broward school board members are among the latter. "This seems like a very nice way to kick us out of all of our buildings," said board member Maura Bulman. School board member Adam Cervera shared his concerns over how Schools of Hope may impact the already cash-strapped school district as it closes schools to save money. "This board needs to know essentially what our options are to protect those facilities," Cervera said. "Because it doesn't make a lick of sense to me for us to be doing this to potentially save taxpayer money... and then Schools of Hope comes in, and then we have to fund the majority of their operations, pursuant to the statute." This certainly won't be the last discussion the Broward School Board has on Schools of Hope. Four out of the 10 schools recommended for closure, including Dandy, fit the criteria to become a space for Schools of Hope, Wanza said. But so far, only Dandy Middle has been tapped for Schools of Hope. Holness told Hepburn he'd like the district to have a plan in place for what it intends to do after it closes a school that is eligible for Schools of Hope, like lease or sell it. "Yep, you got our commitment on that," Hepburn said. 'Why are we rushing this?' Along with Dandy Middle, Hepburn proposed the board close the following schools and send those students to other schools: Banyan Elementary in Sunrise, Coral Springs Elementary in Coral Springs, Silver Lakes Elementary in Miramar, Dolphin Bay Elementary in Miramar, Hollywood Park Elementary in Hollywood, Lloyd Estates Elementary in Oakland Park, Oakridge Elementary in Hollywood, Forest Glen Middle in Coral Springs, Walter C. Young Middle in Pembroke Pines. For about seven hours, board members pored over the details of Hepburn's proposal, asking questions, pitching ideas and ditching their ideas. Board member Allen Zeman suggested closing 26 schools, including the 10 Hepburn recommended, then revisiting school closures on a two-year cycle. "I don't think that's bold," he said. "I think that's right." Board member Lori Alhadeff expressed caution. "You are stirring the pot and making people very upset," she said about Zeman's proposal to target so many schools at once. Other board members showed interest in adding three or more schools to the proverbial chopping block, but ultimately decided not to by the end of the meeting. Cervera said he wanted to see data on the financial benefit of closing the schools and criticized the district "shuffling" employees from building to building, which Hepburn pushed back on. He also said the district is moving too fast to close schools before the calendar year ends and not allowing enough time for community feedback. "Why are we rushing this?" Cervera said. "Why is the lack of community involvement so apparent this go around that I'm starting to hear phrases from colleagues such as, 'We just need to rip the Band-Aid off and we just have to go go go.'"
Why college readiness isn't enough with KIPP Foundation's Shavar Jeffries. By Jim McCann At the iConnections Global Conference, Shavar Jeffries, CEO of the KIPP Foundation, joins Jim McCann of Worth to discuss the future of public education - and what it truly takes to create opportunity at scale. The conversation explores education as a lever for economic mobility, the importance of long-term investment in students, and why systemic change requires both public commitment and private support.
KIPP DuBois seniors earn college credits through Howard University dual-enrollment program. By6abc Digital Staff A group of seniors at KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy is finishing high school while beginning their college careers, thanks to a dual-enrollment partnership with Howard University that is reshaping access to higher education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program allows eligible students to take Howard University courses online while still enrolled in high school, giving them a direct pipeline to an HBCU experience and the opportunity to earn college credits before graduation. "It's inspired me to get ready for the rigorous work that colleges to hold, because high school is very different than college," senior Tysean White said. Senior Karmella Grant said the experience has helped her envision the next step in her education. "I think it's really cool because we get to step into, like, how college is going to be, in a way. Even though it's online, I feel like I'm still getting that experience. And it's like, it's Howard." Tysean and Karmella are among a cohort of KIPP DuBois students now entering their second semester of dual enrollment. School leaders in Parkside say the program has helped boost graduation rates and expand students' understanding of what is possible after high school, particularly when it comes to attending an HBCU.
KIPP Antioch Global High School opens in former Macy's store at Global Mall.
WeCode KC is partnering with Kipp Legacy High School in Kansas city for the new program WeCodeThaBloKC, which aims to help youth from underserved communities break into the high-paying, in-demand tech industry.