Director of English Learner Programming & Partnerships

NOLA Public Schools Vision

The vision of the NOLA Public Schools is that every student receives a high-quality education that fosters their individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive, achieve physical and mental wellness, and are prepared for civic, social, and economic success.

NOLA Public Schools Vision

The vision of the NOLA Public Schools is that every student receives a high-quality education that fosters his or her individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive and are prepared for civic, social, and economic success.

Position Summary

NOLA Public Schools (NOLA PS) is seeking an experienced leader and educator to serve as the Director of English Learner (EL) Programming. The Director will be responsible for supporting the design, implementation, and execution of specialized programming opportunities and the development of key partnerships needed to address the academic, language, and social-emotional needs specific to the immigrant experience. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in secondary education, leadership, and a deep commitment to supporting immigrant students in their academic endeavors, language acquisition, high school graduation, and improved post-secondary outcomes.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Executive Director of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum, manage development of programming options to align with district goals and a focus on outcomes for immigrant and EL students
• In collaboration with the Executive Director of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum and CMO leaders, identify secondary goals for ELs, and design and implement strategies to support in meeting the goals to improve the high school experience for EL students, tailored to the adolescent immigrant experience;
• In collaboration with the Executive Director of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum and CMO leaders, facilitate efforts to collect and analyze data on student performance and EL programming success metrics, monitor progress, and inform continuous program evaluation and improvement;
• Identify enrollment trends and needs to align with the district’s portfolio strategy and identified programmatic needs;
• Establish ongoing collaboration with internal teams, CMO Leaders, existing programs, and external stakeholders that includes students and families by facilitating convenings to support in the development of EL specialized programming goals, with a focus on partnership development and improving the high school experience for EL students;
• In coordination with the designated division procurement lead, manage the procurement of services and manage relationships with external vendors, service providers, and community-based organizations to enhance the student experience and fulfill contractual compliance and ancillary programmatic support needs;
• Prepare reports for district leadership and stakeholders outlining program achievements and challenges to forecast and strategize continued programming needs;
• Assist the Executive Director of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum in preparing for participation in designated district, city, and community meetings. Build partnerships and share program successes, highlighting best practices that can be replicated;
• Collaborate with vendors, community-based organizations, local agencies, and internal district teams to analyze data and determine wraparound support needs as identified in partnership with stakeholders that may include assistance with immigration services and work authorization, post-secondary counseling, public assistance, and community navigation;
• In collaboration with the Executive Director of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum and CMO Leaders, create a specialized programming implementation plan;
• Develop and maintain Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with partner high schools, ensuring clear communication and roles;
• Foster strong partnerships with partner high schools, ensuring that students receive coordinated support as identified through internal and external stakeholder engagement;
• Develop and follow a meeting cadence with CMO leaders and participating team leads from partner schools to continue refining goals and implementation strategies;
  
  
  

Other Knowledge, Skills Or Abilities Required

• Ability to convene and communicate with multiple stakeholders, including community organizations, school staff, and families, to drive decision-making for the benefit of English Learner and immigrant students and their families
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire, manage, and communicate programming and partnership strategy, goals, and tactics;
• Ability to monitor, preserve, and execute standardized processes across a system with fidelity while using student performance data to inform and constantly evaluate programming and partnership needs;
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to develop creative solutions to address barriers to student success;
• Cultural competency in the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of English Learners and immigrant students and their families;
• Ability to travel to multiple sites across the District;
• Oral and written Spanish proficiency preferred
  
  
  

Educational Background

• Master’s degree in Education or a related field;
• A minimum of 5 years experience in educational leadership or related field;
• Experience working in secondary education of English Learners and/or with adolescent immigrant students, particularly those with interrupted education or who are over-age and under-credited;
• Proven track record of program development, management, and improving educational outcomes
  
  
  

Salaries are determined by educational background and/or relevant years of experience.

Work Environment

Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and the work environment of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation, etc.) part of the workday;
• Required to exert physical effort in handling objects more than 30 pounds rarely;
• Required to be exposed to physical occupational risks (such as cuts, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals) rarely;
• Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements rarely;
• Normal setting for this job is an office/school setting
  
  
  

Performance Evaluation

The employee will be evaluated based on the above position using either two methods: via COMPASS or a NOLA-PS evaluating instrument. If the employee holds an Educational Leadership certification, he/she will be evaluated via COMPASS to ensure renewal of certification.

EEOC Statement

NOLA Public Schools is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, genetic information, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful alien status, national origin, age, marital status, and non-job related physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.