Director of Academics
KIPP Atlanta Schools, Atlanta, GA, United States
Director of Academics
KIPP Atlanta Schools is part of the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) national network of free, open enrollment, college-preparatory schools dedicated to ensuring that every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. KIPP Atlanta currently operates 11 schools serving scholars across primary, middle, and high school grades, as well as KIPP Forward which supports scholars on their journey to a choice-filled life. We are a social justice organization and our vision and mission require the work of dedicated, bold, and skilled leaders, educators, and support staff who are committed to serving as the catalyst for joyful, academically excellent schools and the foundation for building a more just and equitable world for our scholars. What We Value: Good Decision-Making: "I make thoughtful decisions in alignment with my school's and organization's values." Peer Accountability: "I hold all Big KIPPsters accountable to our schools' and organization's values, standards, and expectations." Excellence Always: "I do all aspects of my work with excellence - the big and the little things, the parts being monitored as well as those not monitored." Communication is Key: "I communicate with both honesty and love. How I communicate nurtures courage, belonging, partnership, and progress toward our promise to KIPPsters and families." Scholars Over Everything: "I put our scholars first, 100% of the time, without fail. I quickly resolve any and all adult-centered concerns and qualms to reserve my individual and our collective time and attention for our KIPPsters." Walk Trumps Talk: "I chose this social justice career. And so, I behave in alignment with my choice. My behaviors match our promise to our scholars and families." "Us" Only: "I belong to every member of our organization, and every member of our organization belongs to me. I choose unity always - in both the good times and hard times." Job Summary: The Director of Academics leads and executes a bold, coherent, research-based academic strategy across core content areas (Literacy/ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies/Humanities) within an assigned grade band. The Director is accountable for ensuring instructional coherence and measurable gains in achievement and growth by: Driving high-quality curriculum implementation aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and local requirements relevant to Metro Atlanta authorizer/district contexts, Leading an integrated assessment and progress monitoring system that supports strong outcomes on Georgia's CCRPI accountability indicators, and Building school leader and coach capacity to deliver consistent Tier 1 instruction and aligned interventionespecially in schools engaged in improvement work. This role serves as both strategist and executortranslating regional priorities into clear expectations, high-quality professional learning, and high-fidelity implementation support across campuses. Job Responsibilities: Academic Strategy & Curriculum Leadership 35%: Lead implementation of a rigorous, standards-aligned academic program within the assigned grade band. Ensure curriculum quality, coherence, and alignment to Georgia Standards of Excellence, including unit internalization expectations, task/text complexity, and standards mastery progressions. Maintain a vertically aligned K12 scope and sequence in collaboration with cross-band academic leaders; protect "transition years" (5?6; 8?9) with clear readiness expectations and on-track indicators. Develop clear academic expectations and implementation guardrails for school leaders (e.g., core minutes protected, Tier 1 non-negotiables, lesson internalization, small-group model expectations). Partner with content leads and instructional leaders to ensure high-quality instructional materials are implemented with fidelity, including look-fors, observation calibration, and artifact-based checks for implementation. Monitor alignment between Tier 1 instruction and intervention systems in partnership with MTSS and Special Education (ensuring intervention is coherent with core and does not replace core access). Translate CCRPI implications into instructional focus: identify which priority standards, instructional routines, and grade-level outcomes must move to drive CCRPI performance, and ensure leaders can articulate the "why" and the "how" to staff. Instructional Coaching Enablement & Professional Learning 25%: Design and deliver high-impact professional learning for principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders, tied to priority content and the highest-leverage instructional actions. Enable and strengthen school-based coaching systems aligned to instructional priorities (coaching cycle quality, frequency, evidence quality, action step clarity, practice/role-play, and follow-up). Model high-leverage instructional practices and facilitate calibration across campuses to improve observation accuracy and feedback quality. Build leadership capacity in analyzing instructional quality and driving teacher development through strong planning expectations, data-informed reteach plans, and high-quality in-the-moment coaching. Support new leader onboarding and academic leadership pipelines by providing role clarity, exemplars, and coaching for first-year APs/coaches. Ensure school leaders can run tight academic routines (collaborative planning, coaching cycles, data protocols) that result in measurable instructional improvementbeyond compliance. Data, Assessment & Continuous Improvement 25%: Lead assessment strategy across the grade band, including interim assessments, progress monitoring, and state testing preparation aligned to Georgia's assessment calendar and testing ethics expectations. Establish a grade-band assessment governance approach: clear expectations for common assessments/CFAs, quality review for items/tasks, analysis protocols, reteach/enrichment expectations, and monitoring of implementation. Analyze regional and school-level data to identify trends, gaps, and priority actionsincluding subgroup performance and the highest-impact "next moves." Establish tight progress monitoring cycles to ensure accountability for academic outcomesclarifying what success looks like weekly/biweekly and how leaders will respond when results are off track. Partner with school leaders to create, execute, and monitor academic improvement plans (including CSI/TSI-aligned priorities where applicable), grounded in adult actions and verified through evidence. Lead CCRPI-aligned improvement analysis: help leaders understand how outcomes connect to CCRPI indicators and what instructional/system levers must move (Tier 1 quality, acceleration, attendance-linked learning recovery strategies, and subgroup supports). Build and maintain a "single source of truth" for academic health: progress-monitoring dashboards, APM/data meeting outputs, and action-step tracking. Cross-Functional & Vertical Alignment 15%: Partner with MTSS, Special Education, Talent, and Operations to ensure cohesive academic systems and aligned priorities. Collaborate across grade bands to ensure seamless K12 progression and coherence in expectations, materials, and scholar readiness. Support academic scheduling decisions to maximize instructional minutes, intervention effectiveness, and protection of grade-band non-negotiables (core minutes, intervention blocks, acceleration time). Communicate academic priorities clearly to internal stakeholders and, as needed, external stakeholders in the Metro Atlanta environment (authorizer/district-aligned timelines, reporting rhythms, and family-facing clarity). Partner with Operations and school leadership to ensure academic plans are embedded in the master schedule and resourcedrather than layered onespecially for intervention and acceleration models. Qualifications
Candidate Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required in Education or related field. Minimum 710 years of successful instructional experience with demonstrated scholar achievement gains. Minimum 5-7 years of instructional leadership experience (e.g., Assistant Principal, Dean of Instruction, Academic Coach, Principal, or regional academic role). Minimum of 3 years impacting and influencing the work of instructional leadership across schools. Deep knowledge of curriculum alignment, standards-based instruction, and assessment strategy. Demonstrated success leading adult professional development and coaching leaders (principals/APs/coaches). Strong data analysis skills with the ability to translate insights into strategic action and measurable adult behavior change. Experience driving measurable academic improvement across multiple classrooms or campuses. Ability to manage complexity, competing priorities, and ambiguity in a fast-paced environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Commitment to equity, excellence, and scholar-centered leadership. Demonstrated ability to interpret CCRPI- and state assessment-aligned data, identify root causes, and translate implications into
KIPP Atlanta Schools is part of the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) national network of free, open enrollment, college-preparatory schools dedicated to ensuring that every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. KIPP Atlanta currently operates 11 schools serving scholars across primary, middle, and high school grades, as well as KIPP Forward which supports scholars on their journey to a choice-filled life. We are a social justice organization and our vision and mission require the work of dedicated, bold, and skilled leaders, educators, and support staff who are committed to serving as the catalyst for joyful, academically excellent schools and the foundation for building a more just and equitable world for our scholars. What We Value: Good Decision-Making: "I make thoughtful decisions in alignment with my school's and organization's values." Peer Accountability: "I hold all Big KIPPsters accountable to our schools' and organization's values, standards, and expectations." Excellence Always: "I do all aspects of my work with excellence - the big and the little things, the parts being monitored as well as those not monitored." Communication is Key: "I communicate with both honesty and love. How I communicate nurtures courage, belonging, partnership, and progress toward our promise to KIPPsters and families." Scholars Over Everything: "I put our scholars first, 100% of the time, without fail. I quickly resolve any and all adult-centered concerns and qualms to reserve my individual and our collective time and attention for our KIPPsters." Walk Trumps Talk: "I chose this social justice career. And so, I behave in alignment with my choice. My behaviors match our promise to our scholars and families." "Us" Only: "I belong to every member of our organization, and every member of our organization belongs to me. I choose unity always - in both the good times and hard times." Job Summary: The Director of Academics leads and executes a bold, coherent, research-based academic strategy across core content areas (Literacy/ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies/Humanities) within an assigned grade band. The Director is accountable for ensuring instructional coherence and measurable gains in achievement and growth by: Driving high-quality curriculum implementation aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and local requirements relevant to Metro Atlanta authorizer/district contexts, Leading an integrated assessment and progress monitoring system that supports strong outcomes on Georgia's CCRPI accountability indicators, and Building school leader and coach capacity to deliver consistent Tier 1 instruction and aligned interventionespecially in schools engaged in improvement work. This role serves as both strategist and executortranslating regional priorities into clear expectations, high-quality professional learning, and high-fidelity implementation support across campuses. Job Responsibilities: Academic Strategy & Curriculum Leadership 35%: Lead implementation of a rigorous, standards-aligned academic program within the assigned grade band. Ensure curriculum quality, coherence, and alignment to Georgia Standards of Excellence, including unit internalization expectations, task/text complexity, and standards mastery progressions. Maintain a vertically aligned K12 scope and sequence in collaboration with cross-band academic leaders; protect "transition years" (5?6; 8?9) with clear readiness expectations and on-track indicators. Develop clear academic expectations and implementation guardrails for school leaders (e.g., core minutes protected, Tier 1 non-negotiables, lesson internalization, small-group model expectations). Partner with content leads and instructional leaders to ensure high-quality instructional materials are implemented with fidelity, including look-fors, observation calibration, and artifact-based checks for implementation. Monitor alignment between Tier 1 instruction and intervention systems in partnership with MTSS and Special Education (ensuring intervention is coherent with core and does not replace core access). Translate CCRPI implications into instructional focus: identify which priority standards, instructional routines, and grade-level outcomes must move to drive CCRPI performance, and ensure leaders can articulate the "why" and the "how" to staff. Instructional Coaching Enablement & Professional Learning 25%: Design and deliver high-impact professional learning for principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders, tied to priority content and the highest-leverage instructional actions. Enable and strengthen school-based coaching systems aligned to instructional priorities (coaching cycle quality, frequency, evidence quality, action step clarity, practice/role-play, and follow-up). Model high-leverage instructional practices and facilitate calibration across campuses to improve observation accuracy and feedback quality. Build leadership capacity in analyzing instructional quality and driving teacher development through strong planning expectations, data-informed reteach plans, and high-quality in-the-moment coaching. Support new leader onboarding and academic leadership pipelines by providing role clarity, exemplars, and coaching for first-year APs/coaches. Ensure school leaders can run tight academic routines (collaborative planning, coaching cycles, data protocols) that result in measurable instructional improvementbeyond compliance. Data, Assessment & Continuous Improvement 25%: Lead assessment strategy across the grade band, including interim assessments, progress monitoring, and state testing preparation aligned to Georgia's assessment calendar and testing ethics expectations. Establish a grade-band assessment governance approach: clear expectations for common assessments/CFAs, quality review for items/tasks, analysis protocols, reteach/enrichment expectations, and monitoring of implementation. Analyze regional and school-level data to identify trends, gaps, and priority actionsincluding subgroup performance and the highest-impact "next moves." Establish tight progress monitoring cycles to ensure accountability for academic outcomesclarifying what success looks like weekly/biweekly and how leaders will respond when results are off track. Partner with school leaders to create, execute, and monitor academic improvement plans (including CSI/TSI-aligned priorities where applicable), grounded in adult actions and verified through evidence. Lead CCRPI-aligned improvement analysis: help leaders understand how outcomes connect to CCRPI indicators and what instructional/system levers must move (Tier 1 quality, acceleration, attendance-linked learning recovery strategies, and subgroup supports). Build and maintain a "single source of truth" for academic health: progress-monitoring dashboards, APM/data meeting outputs, and action-step tracking. Cross-Functional & Vertical Alignment 15%: Partner with MTSS, Special Education, Talent, and Operations to ensure cohesive academic systems and aligned priorities. Collaborate across grade bands to ensure seamless K12 progression and coherence in expectations, materials, and scholar readiness. Support academic scheduling decisions to maximize instructional minutes, intervention effectiveness, and protection of grade-band non-negotiables (core minutes, intervention blocks, acceleration time). Communicate academic priorities clearly to internal stakeholders and, as needed, external stakeholders in the Metro Atlanta environment (authorizer/district-aligned timelines, reporting rhythms, and family-facing clarity). Partner with Operations and school leadership to ensure academic plans are embedded in the master schedule and resourcedrather than layered onespecially for intervention and acceleration models. Qualifications
Candidate Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required in Education or related field. Minimum 710 years of successful instructional experience with demonstrated scholar achievement gains. Minimum 5-7 years of instructional leadership experience (e.g., Assistant Principal, Dean of Instruction, Academic Coach, Principal, or regional academic role). Minimum of 3 years impacting and influencing the work of instructional leadership across schools. Deep knowledge of curriculum alignment, standards-based instruction, and assessment strategy. Demonstrated success leading adult professional development and coaching leaders (principals/APs/coaches). Strong data analysis skills with the ability to translate insights into strategic action and measurable adult behavior change. Experience driving measurable academic improvement across multiple classrooms or campuses. Ability to manage complexity, competing priorities, and ambiguity in a fast-paced environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Commitment to equity, excellence, and scholar-centered leadership. Demonstrated ability to interpret CCRPI- and state assessment-aligned data, identify root causes, and translate implications into
