Reports to: RISE Executive Director
Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience
Location: New Haven, CT with significant in-state travel
Overview:
The Connecticut RISE Network (RISE) is a Connecticut-based non-profit organization with a mission to empower educators to achieve breakthrough results, helping all students realize and achieve their full potential. Leveraging its innovative partnership model, RISE facilitates networked improvement communities by bringing together exceptional educators working in different contexts to advance shared goals. By empowering school communities to improve, we invest in a cycle of lasting and scalable impact.
RISE districts and schools commit to sharing resources and expertise, pursuing innovative solutions, strengthening school and district systems, and empowering educators and leaders through continuous improvement. Currently, RISE represents a multi-year partnership between nine school districts across Connecticut, serving 14,000 students across ten high schools to support educators striving to ensure every RISE high school student graduates college and career ready.
Position Summary and Essential Job Functions:
The Chief of Programs and Network Success will serve as a senior leader overseeing RISE’s school support strategy, program model, and program staff, with responsibility for achieving positive student outcomes in close partnership with RISE districts and high schools. RISE is seeking a talented and highly motivated individual who is excited about delivering transformative results for students through the advancement of network-wide strategies, including strong college and career readiness practices. This is an exciting opportunity for an educational leader who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment, and is passionate about collaborating with high schools to develop the potential of all students regardless of life circumstance.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Team Leadership
Serve on RISE’s leadership team, advancing organizational goals to improve student outcomes in partner high schools, achieve catalytic impact through best practice and tool dissemination, and position RISE for long-term success.
Lead RISE’s high performing 17-person program team who coach and support RISE high schools in designing and implementing strategies to advance on-track achievement and college and career readiness.
Partner with the Executive Director to lead RISE’s growth to new partner high schools, leading relationship management with existing school partners.
Collaborate with RISE’s operations lead to effectively grow organizational talent and manage organizational resources, and collaborate with RISE’s data lead to ensure RISE staff and partners use data to drive continuous learning and improvement.
Program Strategy
Take RISE’s programming to the next level through continuous strengthening of existing programming and the development and communication of new strategies for school support, and student and educator programming.
Refine and implement a framework and methodology for school support that is responsive to individual school needs and contexts, and conducive to scale and fidelity.
Partner with our Freshman Success Team, College and Career Readiness Team, and Student Success Team to advance and refine our programmatic efforts.
Support the implementation of the “RISE by 5” network-wide strategies designed in collaboration with educators to strengthen the middle to high school transition; increase college and career readiness, access, and success; and improve data systems and practices.
Build and maintain relationships with leaders in partner high schools and districts, as well as external partners and community stakeholders.
Design and deliver professional development for program staff with an emphasis on program design, delivery, and consultative coaching practices.
Coordinate with RISE’s data team to deepen RISE’s understanding of how RISE strategies impact specific student outcomes and their efficacy.
Network Advancement
Continue to build and advance the RISE Network as a vibrant, results-driven learning community of educators working across Connecticut to shift and shape local conditions and policies to improve student outcomes and close opportunity gaps.
Collaborate with district leaders to secure optimal local policies and conditions to support student and educator success.
Support the network learning agenda, including by co-designing and co-facilitating professional learning opportunities for teachers, counselors, and leaders in the RISE Network.
Maintain a pulse on local needs, and stay current on research, best practices, and new ideas from around the nation.
Design and lead collaborative opportunities for school administrators across the RISE Network.
Oversee a robust communication and knowledge management strategy among network partners to promote ongoing learning and collaboration.
Lead internal efforts to collect, codify, and disseminate resources aligned to the RISE by 5 strategies and school and district needs.
Required Knowledge and Skills:
A strong understanding of, connection to and alignment with the mission oriented work of RISE
A seasoned leader and manager of a multi-level team with the proven ability to empathize with, guide and lead a team to high performance.
Substantial knowledge and/or experience working and leading with or in urban districts and schools; (understanding of the Connecticut education landscape preferred)
Demonstrable experience building and maintaining relationships among senior school, district and civic leaders to set and meet ambitious and shared student outcome goals
Strong critical thinking skills with a track record of synthesizing quantitative and qualitative of data, and assessing and applying promising practices at scale to drive results
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience successfully facilitating groups
Strong organizational and project management skills, with an ability to work effectively under pressure, actively solve problems and meet competing demands
Desire to work in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, results-oriented environment
Sense of humor, positive attitude, and highly collaborative working style
Ability to interact professionally and earn and sustain credibility with a diverse range of stakeholders
Strong sense of accountability and responsibility for results
Required Education and Experience:
Minimum of ten years of professional experience, and five years managerial experience, in a K-12 education context with deep experience facilitating school improvement at the school or district level
Proven track record of designing and implementing strategies that have significantly improved outcomes
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required; master’s degree in a relevant field preferred
The Connecticut RISE Network is an equal opportunity employer.