Program Manager (Part-Time) Jobs

At Literacy Trust, we believe education is a basic human right and access to high-quality literacy instruction is a cornerstone of our democracy. Our mission is to leverage existing resources in school communities to increase educational capacity and create fluent, motivated, self-confident readers. We strive to build sustainable intervention models that become a core component of the school’s literacy ecosystem.

To that end, and as part of our Intervention Services partnerships with schools and CBOs, we provide training, coaching, and data management for a program called Sound Partners (published by Voyager). Sound Partners is an ESSA-rated 1:1 or 1:2 intervention for K-3rd grade that builds foundational reading skills through a systematic scope and sequence of daily, 30-minute lessons. It was designed specifically to be easily implemented by adults who have limited pedagogical knowledge and/or experience. In the 2023-2024 school year, we will also start supporting a program called Quick Reads (published by Savvas). Quick Reads is a 2nd-6th grade program that can be used 1:1 or in small groups to support students in building fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Literacy Trust is looking for a part-time Program Manager for the 2022-2023 school year to support a portfolio of schools, no fewer than five, in implementing the programs outlined above. The primary role of the Program Manager is to support a team of school-based educators to deliver high-quality intervention to elementary-aged students. The part-time Program Manager oversees all aspects of program quality, delivery, and implementation, including providing coaching and virtual PD facilitation. School support will be offered both in-person and online, and there will be occasional 1/2 days for all staff to be in-person at the Literacy Trust office located in midtown Manhattan (approximately once / quarter). Note: the bulk of direct program management work for supporting our intervention services happens mid-September through May. Weeks where schools are closed or are focused on school-wide priorities (e.g. state testing) will likely be non-work weeks.

To learn more about Literacy Trust, please visit: www.literacytrust.org.

What you’ll do:

Build Relationships & Communicate with Stakeholders

With External Partners

• Act as a liaison to school sites, the New York City Department of Education, and external partners
• Foster positive relationships and work collaboratively as an ambassador of the program with school leaders and their selected instructor teams, including teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other school staff, as well as families and students when relevant
• Speak in a clear and compelling way as it relates to the best practices of Sound Partners & Quick Reads specifically, and to Reading Science more broadly
• Anticipate challenges and/or questions, and proactively act to address them.
• Establish and maintain strong systems for communication and messaging to ensure partners successfully launch, maintain, and close out their Sound Partners programs each year
• Break down complex topics in a clear and compelling way for a variety of audiences and employ excellent written communication skills

With Literacy Trust Teammates

• Build understanding of larger strategic priorities to support both independent and collective efforts of making measurable progress against larger goals
• Contribute to organizational projects, using key insights of on-the-ground needs of program partners

Cultivate Adult Learning through PD Facilitation (Online, Synchronous)

• Facilitate full-day PD sessions (usually 2-3x per week during selected weeks in fall/winter) both as a co-facilitator and/or independently, in alignment with Literacy Trust facilitator rubric.
• Prepare facilitator materials, activities, and technology prior to each scheduled facilitation day.
• Follow-up with PD participants to provide related information and answer outstanding questions from sessions
• With the support of Literacy Trust teammates, prepare to facilitate multiple Professional Development sessions about the Sound Partners program (and Quick Reads, if needed)

Provide Instructional Coaching

• Conduct observational coaching sessions for all assigned instructors to ensure they are delivering the Sound Partners intervention with fidelity.
• Ensure high fidelity to the Sound Partners & Quick Reads models at all school sites, utilizing various available resources (e.g. the Tutor Handbook, Sound Partners rubrics, etc.)
• Note: coaching and observations will happen both in-person and virtually during SY23-24. Each of your assigned partners will receive 1-2 site visits across the year. Literacy Trust works with school partners in all five boroughs.
• Familiarize self with and become knowledgeable in using Literacy Trust's observation rubrics to determine each instructor’s proficiency with implementing the intervention
• Using both qualitative and quantitative data, select the most high-leverage feedback and ideas to focus on for differentiating support and conducting other methods of coaching, such as lesson demonstrations, co-teaching to a student, lesson planning support, etc
• Prepare for observational coaching by using Literacy Trust’s recommended processes for observations and debrief sessions.

Utilize Organizational & Evaluative Systems for Program Management

• Maintain descriptive and timely logs of support sessions and send required follow up documentation using Salesforce
• Support schools in launching their intervention programs by scheduling initial meetings with school leaders and Program Coordinators and utilizing Literacy Trust’s resources and processes for the Launch period.
• Manage PD accountability systems including attendance, sending surveys, and CTLE forms.
• Use software (e.g., Calendly) to streamline the scheduling process for facilitating program reviews with school teams.
• Synthesize and summarize information to create interim reports that are sent out to each school partner, plus provide support in drafting reports for other stakeholders (funders, district-level leadership, etc.)

Core Competencies

• Relationship Building & Communication
• PD Facilitation
• Instructional Coaching
• Expertise in literacy
• Organizational Skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Fluency in Spanish or language other than English
• Knowledge of and connection to the New York City elementary education community
• Familiarity with current research in Reading Science
• Direct management or coaching experience of school-based staff or other related educational settings
• Deep knowledge of DIBELs/Acadience
• Deep knowledge of one or more Phonics or ELA curricula or familiarity with various programs

Requirements

• Anticipated start date range: August 28 - October 15
• Access to reliable internet
• Master's degree (or at minimum current enrollment in M.A. program) in education or related subject area
• 3+ years working with elementary-aged students in an educational setting; teaching experience is strongly preferred
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S
• Excellent computer skills, including Zoom and other video conferencing platforms, MS Office, Adobe, and Google Docs
• Experience with early literacy instruction, assessments, and student data analysis
• Ability to navigate and adapt to changes, both internally and externally
• Access to reliable transportation, including MTA, to travel throughout the five boroughs
• Flexibility and adaptability in your work schedule, including early mornings
• Deep belief in our mission
• Availability 8:00 - 3:00 for a minimum of one to two days per week (or equivalent hours of 1-2 days across the week) + 3 days per week for initial onboarding

Salary

• Starting salary is $40 per hour and commensurate with experience