ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS

Launched in 2007, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools’ mission is to transform schools to revolutionize school systems, empowering all students with a high-quality education. The Partnership is a non-profit, in-district partner to LA Unified, not a charter network. As an independent nonprofit organization, the Partnership serves 13,550 students across 20 LA Unified schools in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, and Watts. The Partnership works within the LA Unified School District context, which includes honoring all collective bargaining agreements for its teachers and school staff. To learn more about the Partnership, our mission, and how we approach our goals, please visit our website.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Partnership is hiring for an inaugural Director of Black & Emergent Bilingual (EB) Student Success. The Director is responsible for building the capacity of home office and school-based leaders to implement culturally responsive and linguistically sustaining practices for Black and EB students. As a key member of the Teaching & Learning team, this new position works across the team to ensure that instructional approaches in the Partnership network are identity-affirming, language-rich, and responsive to the cultural, linguistic, and academic needs of Black and EB students. The Director leads equity-centered data practices and continuous improvement cycles that surface barriers and identify successful practices for Black and EB students, and ensures the lived experiences of Black and EB students are at the center of improvement efforts and that school and system partners reflect this commitment.

The Director of Black & EB Student Success has a direct impact on the 2030 strategic plan through their work of creating high-quality instruction and learning experiences for Black and EB students, curating and streamlining supplemental tools and resources teachers need in order to provide the desired daily learning experiences for Black and EB students, and advocating for policies and practices that ensure Black students and EB learners thrive.

The Partnership is committed to continuously building an anti-racist culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in classrooms and in our home office. The Director of Black & EB Student Success will be someone who is committed to implementing these values in creative ways when executing day-to-day tasks and responsibilities.

As this is a new role, the job description is a representation of our current and best thinking. The team member in this role will help shape what the role looks like in practice, and while the priorities may evolve over time, the position will remain at the director job level.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Position responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Instructional Strategy & Cross-Functional Implementation

• Develop and implement an equity-centered instructional strategy for the Partnership, grounded in research-based best practices (as a starting point, anchored in Zaretta Hammond’s Ready for Rigor framework and the Four Core Strategies for Emergent Bilingual Students)
• Collaborate with members of the Teaching & Learning Team and across cohorts, guiding and supporting team members to embed Black and EB student strategies across content areas, grade levels, and in HQIM, coaching cycles, and PLCs
• Align academic and non-academic (SEL, attendance, etc.) student supports for Black and EB student groups in the Partnership network and ensure that strategies are consistent, modeled, practices, and continually improved, in partnership with Teaching & Learning, School Transformation & Culture, and other team members, as necessary

• Design and lead professional learning and coaching cycles in partnership with the Instructional Coaching & Teacher Leadership team that include the Four Core Strategies and the Ready for Rigor framework
• Collaborate with the VP of Teaching & Learning and VP of Curriculum Systems Advising to ensure systems-level supports are established and consistently implemented to enable strong classroom practice for Black and EB students
• Collaborate with school leaders to integrate strategies for Black and Emergent Bilingual students into ILT priorities, MTSS, and school improvement plans
• Continuously identify and integrate evidence-based practices, including research on dual language acquisition, culturally responsive pedagogy, and anti-racist instructional strategies

Progress Monitoring & Systems Improvement

• Partner with Data & Impact team to track impact of the Four Core EB Strategies at school and network levels through observation data, student work, and outcomes, sharing bright spots and adjusting course based on feedback
• Track impact and progress monitor for Black and EB students relating to network goals, including percentage meeting and exceeding standard, DFS growth, reclassification rate improvement, and Student Experience Survey results improving
• Facilitate reflection spaces with content and school teams to review data, identify trends, and adjust support and strategy based on impact
• Support PDSA cycles at school and network levels that prioritize equity-focused questions and focus areas

Systems Change Work

• Partner with school, family engagement, and school transformation and culture teams to gather input and build trust with families of Black and EB students
• Collaborate with the Policy & Advocacy team to inform advocacy work focused on language access, resource equity, and culturally responsive policies, and elevate student voice to inform broader instructional practices and school culture shifts
• Represent the Partnership in regional and national spaces dedicated to advancing linguistic supports, racial equity, and culturally responsive instruction
• Cultivate external partnerships with research and practitioner organizations to strengthen internal capacity

POSITION FIRST-YEAR PRIORITIES

A successful first year in this role will look like:

• Develop equity-centered progress monitoring tools to track implementation and impact for both Black and EB student strategies.
• Build intentional collaboration structures across teams to ensure efforts are coherent and aligned to instructional priorities.
• Design and launch a cross-functional Black Student Success Working Group that includes Partnership staff across academics, school culture, and leadership teams.
• Collaborate with instructional leaders and TNTP to develop a clear multi-year scope and sequence for the rollout of the Core 4 strategies for emergent bilingual students.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• 7-10 years of relevant experience
• Familiarity with Zaretta Hammond’s Ready for Rigor Framework and the Four Core Strategies to Support Emergent Bilingual Students is a plus
• Proven track record of successfully implementing supports for Black and EB students that have led to equitable student outcomes
• Excellent organization and coordination skills with high attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible way
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to assess and utilize quantitative and qualitative analysis to support decision-making
• Adaptable to shifting priorities and competing demands while keeping organizational and team goals in mind
• Ability to work collaboratively across differences in work styles and skill sets
• Experience leading and managing multiple complex projects in a fast-paced and innovative setting while remaining positive and solutions-oriented
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with administrative staff, instructional staff, and support staff
• Ability to cast clear and mission-aligned strategy and vision, and collaborate with others to pursue that strategy and vision
• Experience leading change management with key stakeholders
• Excellent critical- and systems-thinking skills with the ability to identify potential gaps, and equity gaps in particular
• Ability to build authentic relationships and cultivate trust with key stakeholders and team members
• Ability to travel between school sites and Partnership Home Office
• A deep belief in the power of our communities, the Partnership’s mission, approach, and core values
• A commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for all team members
• A willingness to learn, grow, and model the Partnership competencies: Anti-racism, root cause analysis, long-term thinking, teaming and collaboration, psychological safety, and learning and growth

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The starting salary range for internal candidates is $115,833-$140,655. The Partnership’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends to our compensation practices. Our goal is to ensure that salaries are fair for all staff members who hold many intersectional identities, and we set salaries based on a robust compensation model grounded in consistency and transparency. The exact salary for this position is set through the Partnership’s compensation policy and is dependent on the candidate’s relevant skills, experiences, and organizational tenure. In support of our vision for pay equity, candidate salaries are determined by a formula and we do not negotiate. 

The Partnership also offers a robust benefits package including employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents; a 403(b) retirement program with employee match and vesting; parental and sabbatical leaves; a professional development allowance; and generous paid time off.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

To be considered for this role, please submit your resume via this link by September 4th. For technical assistance or support for applying with a disability, please contact the Home Office Talent Team.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to – and actively pursues – diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The Partnership prohibits discrimination based on race (including traits historically associated with race such as hairstyle), creed, color, religion, registered domestic partner status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship status, age, military and veteran status, medical condition, genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy or childbirth, physical disability or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. The Partnership also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of these characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, training, transfer, wages, benefits, termination, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.