Description

Higher Achievement, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit organization partnering with middle school scholars as they pursue their ambitions, is seeking a Learning Director at the DC Metro Affiliate. An ideal candidate is an engaging leader in an upbeat after school environment, can work extremely consistently and collaboratively with internal staff, school leadership, families, and external stakeholders, and is able to build connection and reliability through fun, safe and consistent structures for scholars!

• Supervisor: Director of Program Operations
• Directly Manages: Learning Coordinators, 1-3 Part Time Staff, and AmeriCorps Fellow (for DC applicants), Volunteers
• Indirectly Manages: n/a
• Works closely with: Manager of Program and Operations, Center Support Team (Managing Director of Program, Director of High School Placement, Senior Manager of Volunteers and Curriculum)

SUMMARY OF POSITION

• Position Status: Exempt, Regular
• Start Date: Spring 2024
• Duration: Indefinite

Summary: The Learning Director, reporting to the Director of Program Operations, ensures Higher Achievement scholars achieve academic and social emotional learning (SEL) goals and outcomes, working towards our anchor indicator of preparation for and placement in college preparatory programs. The Learning Director has the incredible opportunity and responsibility of ensuring that all of the components of our program model and all of the supporting staff and volunteers are effectively driving towards academic gains, social and emotional development and preparation for high school.

Program Model: Higher Achievement showers our scholars with academic opportunities through a proven year-round program model that includes afterschool programming from September-May and summer initiatives such as college trips and summer meetings with all Higher Achievement families. Afterschool Academy includes literacy mentoring, high school placement mentoring, community meeting, learning blocks. During learning blocks, scholars practice key SEL skills such as self-management and goal setting by identifying for themselves how to best use their prep block. For some scholars this might mean preparing for school by completing HW or doing additional work for HS applications. For others, this might mean exploring a passion through an external elective or community project. Scholars are supported by a caring adult alternating among 3-4 small groups.

The Organization and Our Mission

Higher Achievement, founded in 1975, closes the opportunity gap during the pivotal middle school years. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. By leveraging the power of communities, Higher Achievement’s proven model provides a rigorous year-round learning environment, caring role models, and a culture of high expectations, resulting in college-bound scholars with the character, confidence, and skills to succeed. Higher Achievement’s model delivers academic enrichment grounded in social justice principles. Our afterschool program for 5th-8th grade scholars in Washington, DC, Alexandria, VA, Baltimore, MD, Richmond, VA, and Prince George’s County, MD combines small-group, high-impact tutoring with social-emotional skill building, culminating in placement in college preparatory high schools. More information about Higher Achievement may be found at: http://www.higherachievement.org

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Higher Achievement made a concrete commitment to racial equity, diversity and inclusion following the murder of George Floyd: Higher Achievement aims to be an anti-racist and inclusive organization where we aggressively work to improve equity and inclusion in all aspects of our organizational culture and operations, as they are pivotal to the success of our mission. These efforts are outlined in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Plan which is renewed yearly, with oversight by our Director of DEI. The DEI Plan's Strategic Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are 1) to foster an inclusive and identity-affirming culture that reflects our Core Values; 2) demonstrate a prioritization of learning and develop inclusive training and tools that support, inspire, and engage staff; and 3) bring a DEI focus to policies and procedures – from Center tours to staff recruitment and promotion, and beyond. We truly believe that to be an organization that intentionally and sustainably centers DEI, all staff members and partners must embed DEI into their daily work.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Scholar and Family Support

• Ensure scholars are meeting academic and social and emotional learning (SEL) targets that prepare them for college-preparatory high school programs. This includes ensuring scholars maintain A/B’s; or improve their grades in core courses, make progress toward reading on grade level/literacy learning objectives, maintain or improve high SEL indicators, and successfully apply to college preparatory programs their eighth-grade year
• Use data to provide ongoing assessment of scholars’ performance, including in-depth academic evaluations and evaluations of scholar attendance, participation, and social development; make recommendations for programmatic changes based on data when appropriate
• Ensure the effective delivery of literacy mentoring sessions. This will include preparing and coaching volunteers and part time staff to do so, and could include leading actual sessions with scholars, depending on scholar and volunteer roster.
• Support scholar recruitment efforts led by the DPO and retain a pre-determined scholar roster
• Maintain consistent communication on scholars’ academic and SEL progress, and attendance with parents, host school staff and volunteers
• Facilitate orientations for scholars and parents
• Ensure scholar information such as attendance, grades, behavior, parent communication and contact information is stored accurately on Salesforce

Staff and Volunteer Management

• Effectively manage the team of staff and volunteers that together meet the academic and SEL needs of all scholars
• Ensure high quality implementation of Higher Achievement’s rigorous curricula by providing instructional and SEL coaching to staff and volunteers. This includes conducting regular observations and sharing constructive feedback to volunteers and staff on a bi-weekly basis and ensuring volunteers and staff complete monthly training in literacy, SEL and cultural competency.
• Work with Senior Manager of Volunteers & Curriculum to ensure all volunteers complete clearance/ background check procedures
• Directly manage between one and two full-time employees' year- round, the Learning Coordinator(s) and an AmeriCorps Achievement Fellow (depending on the location), and implement Higher Achievement management practices
• Based on scholar rosters, manage part-time staff and volunteers, where applicable, including recruitment, hiring, training, coaching, performance management, and compliance

Center Management

• Ensure the center operates safely, smoothly, and follows Higher Achievement’s program model. This includes creating a center culture that develops a love of learning, builds on Higher Achievement’s social justice pillars, voice, freedom, justice, and solidarity, and is youth-focused
• Ensure center staff is following scholar safety risk management procedures, including behavior management, scholar transitions, arrival and dismissal
• Coordinate schedules and logistics between Higher Achievement, host school, and outside partners
• Maintain oversight of the achievement center’s supplemental budget as it relates to daily expenses and supplies

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to the mission and work of Higher Achievement
• Bachelor’s degree or post-secondary certification (related field) required
• Minimum of three years’ experience working directly with middle school youth in an educational setting required; teaching experience a plus
• Experience directly managing staff and/or volunteers required
• Experience in community building, mentoring and youth development strongly preferred
• Strong skills in planning, organizing, attention to detail, written and oral communication strongly preferred
• Experience building relationships and/or working with diverse community stakeholders, including families, schools/community partners, and corporate partners, including making public presentations and organizing community outreach efforts preferred
• Strong skills in technology such as Microsoft Office Suite and Salesforce and data analysis preferred
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred; candidates are fluent in English and strongly prefer applicants able to have conversations with families in Spanish

Higher Achievement Core Competencies: Higher Achievement values our core competencies, and as such, we expect that competitive applications will be able to demonstrate strengths in these areas:

• Proactively builds relationships to advance Higher Achievement's mission.
• Uses candid communication to express ideas and to listen to the thoughts and feedback of others.
• Persistently pursues excellence by holding oneself to high expectations and seeking the best.
• Possesses a growth mindset for learning new things and stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
• Maintains a solutions-oriented mindset during planning periods and when challenges arise.

Our Core Values are:

• Scholar-Centricity: The organization’s work is focused on empowering the scholars we serve. We make every decision with them in mind. We foster authentic relationships with scholars and their families, where we create opportunities with them, not for them.
• Striving for Excellence: We set high expectations for ourselves and our scholars. This begins by recognizing the talents that people bring to the organization and utilizing them. We continually learn and improve through the use of a range of qualitative and quantitative data sources and thoughtful reflection in order to help our scholars, staff, and organization achieve their goals.
• Power of Community: We collaborate with our communities to develop and cultivate mutually beneficial and authentic relationships. We embrace learning, celebrate the uniqueness of each community, infuse joy within each of the communities we serve.
• Voice and Inclusion: We recognize the power of voice in an inclusive environment. We create spaces where everyone feels respected, valued, and has a sense of belonging. We acknowledge the power that is held in the voices of all of our stakeholders: staff, board, supporters, volunteers, partners, scholars and their families and elevate those that have been marginalized. We invite all voices into the conversation, authentically incorporate them into the decision-making process, and foster spaces for mutual listening and learning within our communities.
• Racial Equity: We address and acknowledge the systems of oppression that impact our scholars and families, and we work to provide them with tools to advocate for themselves to combat racial inequities. As an organization, we constantly confront our own biases and work to eliminate practices, policies, and messages that perpetuate inequalities. With an ongoing commitment to closing the opportunity gap, we seek justice and commit to taking action at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and systemic levels.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: Work is regularly performed in an office environment and a school setting, with occasional trips off-site to parks, museums, etc. Employee may spend long periods of time sitting, standing, and walking. Must be able to walk from one part of the worksite to another and climb stairs. Employees regularly lift, carry, and positions objects weighing up to 20 pounds. Position involves regular use of a computer and keyboard, telephone, and face-to-face communication in small and large group settings with youth and adults; employee must be able to communicate clearly and professionally in all of these situations. Employees must have visual, auditory, and physical ability to respond quickly to critical incidents involving students and act in an emergency situation.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Compensation and Benefits: The starting salary for this regular, full-time, exempt position is $64,274.87 for the DC Metro position. Higher Achievement offers competitive benefits, including:

• 100% company paid medical, dental, life, long and short term disability insurances, CALM and Healthiest You, 50% coverage for dependents

• Vision, critical illness and accident insurances- employee paid

• Twelve (12) official paid holidays each calendar year

• Six weeks (240 hours) of paid annual leave per fiscal year that can be used for vacation, sick, or personal days, accruing at the rate of 9.23 hours per bi-weekly pay period.

• One month off (160 hours) awarded at 5-year anniversary.

• 2 weeks parental leave, 100% company paid

• 403 (b) retirement plan with company match

• Tuition Advancement funds and Professional Development funds

Additional Information:

Office Status: Higher Achievement is a hybrid work environment organization. All staff are able to work within a hybrid arrangement with in-person time focused on mission critical activities and relationship building rather than an expected amount of time in the office. The in-person office time required for this position is two times per week.

Location: This position must be within commuting distance of our Higher Achievement office in the DC Metro area.

Schedule/Travel: Learning Directors work Monday through Friday. Occasional weekend availability is required, as well as availability for one annual three-day overnight college trip each summer.

• During Programing: Each Center runs programming approximately 4 days per week. On center days during the school year, the Learning Director works (on average), an 11 am to 7 pm schedule, with the second half of the day on-site at the school where the Center is based. On non-center days, the Learning Director works a standard business schedule, 9:00-5:00 pm, with early office closure at 3:00 pm on Fridays. As a salaried employee, the Learning Director may have to work outside of their scheduled hours to meet time sensitive needs that fall within their overall duties.
• During the summer: work occurs primarily during standard business hours. The standard schedule is Monday-Thursday, 9 am- 5:00 pm and Friday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
• Travel: Candidate must have the ability to travel in between main office and Achievement Center(s) on a daily basis via reliable transportation.

Background Check & Clearance Requirements: This position requires a criminal background check prior to hire, and the candidate must be able to pass all additional clearance requirements as mandated by school districts and state/local municipalities. Higher Achievement pays for all clearance steps for its employees.

Covid-19 Vaccinations: While Higher Achievement does not require proof, we are a proud supporter of the Covid-19 vaccination. You will be able to optionally confirm vaccination status and provide documentation of vaccination at the point of offer.

To Apply: Please submit your resume through the job posting for the specific affiliate they would like to be considered by (Baltimore, DC Metro, Richmond) by going to our website, http://www.higherachievement.org/careers and then selecting "Job Board" to see the current listing by city. Instead of a cover letter, applicants are asked to answer specific questions about their qualifications and interest in working with Higher Achievement directly in the application in addition to uploading a resume. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, with a priority deadline of February 11, 2024, 12 midnight. The position will remain open until all spots are filled. Please, no phone calls, emails or recruiters.

Higher Achievement provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, age, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, caregiver or family status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.