Managing Director of Special Populations - KIPP Texas Public Schools

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to 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.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

You can see all our job opportunities at https://kipptexas.org/join-our-team/.

As a leader on the Academic Programs team, the KIPP Texas Managing Director of Special Populations plays a crucial role in ensuring KIPP realizes its mission through supporting schools and regions by providing high quality and inclusive educational programs. The Managing Director will lead the strategic direction for KIPP Texas Special Populations and related services (special education, dyslexia, 504, MTSS) and lead initiating of new strategy as well as overseeing implementation and project timelines of the strategic plan. They will work cooperatively with regional and school leaders, as well as the KTX Academics team to ensure the delivery of high quality programs, services and improved results in student achievement in compliance with all state, federal, and local requirements.

• Strategy: Lead with a strategic vision and courage to ensure that all students achieve. Support school and regional teams to implement the Special Education Strategic Plan and provide comprehensive improvement of school performance using a collaborative approach to clear and specific performance targets aligned to the Special Education Strategic Plan and execute, monitor, edit  strategic plans, annual goals and quarterly benchmarking for school improvement.

• Instructional Leadership: Work with regional teams to build instructional leadership capacity of School Leaders and school leadership teams with particular focus on pedagogy, data analysis, intervention, and professional development of school teams.

• Team Leadership: Supervise and coach a core team of KTX state-level Directors, Managers, and Program Coordinators in the areas of Special Education, Section 504, MTSS, and Dyslexia.  They will be responsible for monitoring their performance, conducting evaluations and improvement plans to ensure full compliance with all requirements and deadlines. Responsible for the coaching and professional learning and overall development of regional Special Education leaders. 

• Communication: Ensures KTX state-level teams and regional teams provide excellent communication, customer service and well-coordinated support. 

• Legal Framework & Compliance: Experience and knowledge of IDEA and Texas State Education Law & Regulations, Section 504 Law & Regulations, and understanding of the essential elements of high performing MTSS  systems and structures. 

• Budget Management: Experience and knowledge of special education funding and accountability structures.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Leadership and Collaboration:

• Provide leadership in fostering a collaborative culture within the Special Population Department including direct reports and regional leaders..

• Collaborate with other KIPP Texas academic team directors to establish a professional learning framework for regional leaders, school teams, and teachers.

• Coordinate with the KTX state curriculum team to ensure that curriculum supports and special education considerations are appropriately integrated into all KIPP Texas curriculum.

2. Program Management and Development:

• Ensure the implementation of policies established by Federal and State law, State Board of Education rules, and local Board policy in the area of special education.

• Lead the analysis of Special Education data with school leadership, regional leadership, and the state academics team, resulting in school improvements.

• Coordinate and maintain quality Special Education programs, ensuring research-based instructional teaching and learning strategies for students with disabilities are evident and supported.

• Routinely evaluate the KIPP Texas Special Education program, Section 504 Program, Dyslexia Services, and Response to Intervention supports to ensure that objectives for student education are met.

3. Instructional Leadership and Support:

• Provide leadership in planning and implementing curriculum and instructional improvements for students with disabilities, resulting in improved student performance.

• Allocate campus staff to maintain appropriate staffing levels and ensure the provision of needed support and services for students with disabilities.

• Provide instructional resources and materials to support departmental staff in meeting district and departmental goals.

• Ensure parents and community members are fully engaged as community partners in the special education process and the education of their children.

4. Financial Management and Reporting:

•    Develop an annual budget including local and federal funds for assigned areas of responsibility.

•    Collaboration with Team Finance regarding grant designations and allocations.

•    Develop budget recommendations and maintain expenditure control on established budgets.

5. Professional Development and Compliance:

• Provide professional development opportunities to support special education staff in the instruction of students with disabilities.

• Work with the Deputy Chief of Academic Programs to plan professional development of all administrators, ensuring an understanding of special education, student support systems, and intervention strategies that benefit all students.

• Ensure compliance with, and prepare reports for, all state, federal, and local agencies.

6. Community Engagement and Communication:

• Promote positive community relations through effective communication and involvement of parents and community.

• Work to support school and regional teams by spending approximately 50% of his/her time in schools working directly with teams to improve student performance and close opportunity and achievement gaps.

• Provide high-quality annual reports and quarterly status reports that clearly communicate performance toward all annual targets and dynamic intervention strategies to ensure that annual goals and targets are met.

7. Other Duties:

   Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by the Deputy Chief of Academic Programs.

Education/experience

• Master’s Degree Required, Mid Management/Principal Certification preferred, Diagnostician Certification preferred

• Five (5) years of appropriate teaching experience (Special Education experience preferred)

• 3-5 years of leadership experience as an administrator with demonstrated results

• Proven success in leading district-wide efforts to transform the provision of services for students with disabilities in urban settings preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise.

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance,  fertility, and disability plans starting as low as $25/month.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.