Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness - Managerial (Tier C) (One Year Only) (SY25-26)

Boston Public Schools•Boston, MA

27d

About The Position

The Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness is responsible for the oversight and implementation of program goals and initiatives. The person will be responsible for establishing working relationships with community-based partners and providing assistance to students and families in making educational, occupational and life and life plans. Community Academy (CA) is committed to a vision that seeks to increase access and opportunities for postsecondary education and careers in the trade. CA aims to close gaps between traditionally underrepresented students and their peers in higher education and the workforce by promoting equity, inclusiveness, and college and career readiness opportunities for CA Students. The Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness is responsible for cultivating and fostering positive and working relationships between higher education partners, industry partners, and other intermediaries so as to build rigorous and developmentally appropriate programs and activities that will result in successful and positive program experiences for students, and post-secondary success. Working collaboratively with school staff, college staff (through dual enrollment), and coordinating with community partners, the Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness will provide the leadership necessary for creating, monitoring, and facilitating an effective and sustainable College and career program at CA. Working together with college, high school staff, and outside partners, the Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness seeks to maintain and develop collaborations that serve to better prepare students for college and careers while fostering mutual learning among the faculty, staff, and students at the partnering institutions. The Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness is instrumental in facilitating students’ progress and success by ensuring that appropriate collaborative mechanisms and structures are in place to support students in attaining their high school diploma and their pursuit of their post-secondary goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or a Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience in student support and working in an urban setting
Strong commitment to Community Academy's mission, values, and educational model
Desire to be part of a multilingual community and to meet the challenges this poses
Working in urban and diverse school environments
Ability to collaborate, work well under pressure, and maintain a sense of humor and humility
Impeccable ethics
Demonstrated leadership qualities, interpersonal skills, and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with diverse students, faculty, partners, and families
Demonstrated ability to thrive and lead in a multicultural atmosphere where respect and ethical behavior are pervasive
Excellent written and oral communication skills
City of Boston residency
Current authorization to work in the United States - must have authorization by the first day of employment
KNOWLEDGE OF: Career technical education, Dual Enrollment and Early College policies and frameworks locally and nationally.
Understanding of industry outlooks with regards to Early College pathway focus (IT & Business).
Familiarity with a variety of age-appropriate guidance, counseling, and behavior management strategies that reflect current research on best practices and understanding of human growth and development patterns and learning theory
Diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and educational backgrounds of District students
Record-keeping techniques
Interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy
Computer software, hardware, and related technology
ABILITIES TO: Write proficiently and create basic graphics for one-pagers, brochures, and posters
Present program information to various business and community groups in a professional manner to elicit support for increasing work-based learning within linked learning priorities.
Effectively manage complex projects, and manage and direct volunteers and/or partners, and students.
Establish and maintain positive relationships with Community Academy teachers and faculty, district personnel, and community-based organizations.
Work effectively with employers, youth, teachers, school administrators, and program partners,
Communicate with students and adults of diverse backgrounds, and ability to build relationships with students and families.
Work collaboratively and think creatively within a team
Strong communication and written skills are required
Understand how to use various career programs: Ex: Naviance, College Board, MassCIS
Demonstrates knowledge of students’ developmental levels by providing differentiated learning experiences and support that enable all students to progress toward intended outcomes
Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected.
Regularly reflects on practice, seeks and responds to feedback, and demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development.

Nice To Haves

Masters in Education, Business, or a related field
5 years or more as an urban student support provider and a minimum of 3 years as a student support manager

Responsibilities

Work with Dual Enrollment/Early College students to create schedules and increase participation
Work with local trades and agencies to provide experiences where students are exploring and learning about the trades
Construct grade level survey to collect data necessary to assist students in developing postsecondary strategies.
Plan and coordinate community events for CA’s Guest Speaker Series
Create and maintain student files, which include updated contact information, registration materials, assessment results, and signed copies of student contracts.
Perform administrative tasks such as collecting, organizing, and disseminating statistical data.
Negotiating new partnerships with potential partners in order to establish mutually beneficial relationships
Evaluating the performance of existing partnerships in order to identify opportunities for improvement
Establishing effective communication channels with partners in order to foster productive working relationships
Coordinate all activities related to college course-taking by high school students, including, but not limited to registration, assessment, course withdrawal, and the submission of final course grades and their dissemination to students, their parents, and to high school and state administrators in a timely fashion.
Collaborate with college partners to facilitate in a timely manner the purchase and distribution of course materials.
Develop and keep up-to-date online and print marketing and promotion strategies intended to raise awareness and understanding of the Early College program among staff, students, families, and community members.
Plan and organize related recruitment, outreach, and informational sessions for prospective students and families.
Collaborate with Family Engagement Coordinators to design multiple opportunities for family outreach and create a community environment where students are acknowledged, and celebrated.
Act as the second point-person with the proposed EC partner Fisher college.
Create a strong marketing plan to increase public awareness and highlight student accomplishments.
Collaborate with the current Dual Enrollment teacher and in-house partners (HERC, Gear UP, PIC) to create a sequence of career exploration and learning opportunities that include - but are not limited to - job shadows, internships, field trips, workshops, and participation in district-level platforms such as Naviance.
Create and maintain student files, which include updated contact information, registration materials, assessment results, and signed copies of student contracts.
Perform administrative tasks such as collecting, organizing, and disseminating statistical data.
Responsible for ensuring students in Early College Program students are coded for SIMS and other state or local reporting.
The Director of Partnerships & College and Career Readiness will assess student and program performance by collecting, analyzing, and reporting student academic performance and employment data and make recommendations to improve student achievement in order to fulfill the program’s mission
Coordinate with college faculty and staff to develop and implement programs that support early college goals and connection to college partners (e.g. college course experiences for high school students, college speakers, trips to college offices, non-academic events connected to the college).
Meet bi-weekly with the current Dual Enrollment teacher to discuss student enrollment, recruitment strategies, data/tracking, and deliverables.
Participate and attend workshops and training sessions with College partners, DESE, and other stakeholders.
Attend meetings and events, and serve on committees as needed.
Maintain a working knowledge of Early College, Dual Enrollment, and Career Pathway initiatives across the state and nationally.
Plan and facilitate weekly Early College team meetings and bi-annual retreats, and support and provide feedback to Early College staff on an ongoing basis.
Meet regularly with Family Liaison to outline and assess goals, vision, and deliverables and address program needs and supports.
Assist with the communication and support of alumni as needed.
Dual-Enrollment Liaison
Plan, implement and coordinate a comprehensive dual enrollment program with multiple post-secondary partners
Synchronize the planning for dual enrollment so that high school calendars are developed to fit into college cycles, and work out details to ensure that the lines of communication are open and that operations run smoothly.
Develop and remain responsible for an effective tracking system
Collaborate with Instructional Leadership T (ILT)regarding curriculum alignment