About Achievement First

The mission of Achievement First is to close the achievement gap and deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all children, regardless of race or economic status. Achievement First currently educates more than 9,500 students in historically underserved and underserved neighborhoods, with over 90% of our students identifying as Black and Latino. Achievement First, is a non-profit 501(c)3 charter school management organization, operating 29 public charter schools in Brooklyn, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Beyond our students and schools, Achievement First is an engaged and prominent partner in the larger conversation about how to improve public education and student achievement in our country.

For more information about Achievement First’s mission, approach, schools and team, please visit our website at www.achievementfirst.org.

The Opportunity to Build the School of the Future

For 15 years Achievement First has built and operated great schools that prepare students for success in college and life. We now face a unique moment in time to imagine the schools of the future. With the north star of the Common Core and the availability of new technologies, as well as deeper insights into the science of learning and habits of success, we are redesigning school from the ground up. In 2015, Achievement First will open two new innovative schools that we are calling Greenfield schools. Our Greenfield schools will deliver four outcomes:

Accelerated Academics: Our students need to be among the best in the world
Habits of Success: Our students will truly thrive when they also develop the habits, mindsets and life skills that promote productive and joyful lives
Excellence in Enrichment: Our students need a taste of the joy that comes from passionately excellence outside of traditional academics
Student, Family and Staff Motivation: Our students, staff and families will exhibit an unstoppable level of shared commitment and drive

The Greenfield school will set an exceptionally high bar for academics, habits of success and enrichment. Supporting students in achieving excellence is an Awesomely Powerful Community, where students feel a deep sense of belonging that will make them feel supported, challenged and responsible for the success of others. Staff and families will feel personally invested in the success of the school and will see the critical role they play in students’ achievement. Students will feel ownership over their own learning and agency over their lives, building intrinsic motivation. Students will have individualized learning paths tailored to meet their needs, making learning more efficient and students more motivated.

Our Greenfield school embodies our best thinking about the school of future. We’re looking for entrepreneurial teachers, leaders and team members who want to help us deliver accelerated outcomes for students and build a school that looks like no other. Our work will culminate in opening of two Greenfield schools in the fall of 2015 (one elementary school starting with K and one middle school starting with grade 5 and 6) in New Haven, CT.

Working at Achievement First Greenfield:

Achievement First invites passionate educators to apply for the position of Lead Designer, Lower Elementary for the 2015-2016 school year. Achievement First Greenfield is an ideal workplace for an individual with deep passion for education and innovation, who is eager to chart the course for our new school model. Ideal candidates will also exemplify the values we want to instill in our students: personal growth, drive, curiosity, empathy, gratitude and teamwork.

In order to feel successful at Achievement First Greenfield candidates should embrace the following mindsets:

Enjoys innovating and thinking creatively about how to best maximize learning for kids
Believes that ALL students have the ability to achieve at high levels.
Understands our ultimate outcome is for students to own their own learning and lead their paths.
Embraces change, is flexible and adaptive
Believes that kids could be learning much faster and deeper than traditional school models allow
Hungers for their own continuous learning and desires feedback
Considers our school community (parents, families) to be part of their extended family
Enjoys working with data to surface insights and drive outcomes
Desires to be surrounded by others who will help them be the best version of themselves
Exhibits humility, understands the limits of their own perspective
Embodies a “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude
Embraces working at the vision level and in the weeds

Responsibilities of This Role Include but Are Not Limited to:

Co-lead the vision setting process for new elements and grade-levels in the Greenfield model, with a focus on Grades K-2.
Help evolve existing designs based on real time feedback from our first two schools
Develop concrete, top quality design products that range from staff training to student facing curriculum.
Research best practices by leveraging internal (Achievement First) and external organizations to inform vision setting and design products.
Engage in user-centered design by prototyping, testing and iterating design products with students.
Help codify best practices to aid in scaling of the Greenfield model.
Manage part-time curriculum contractors and/or associate designers towards top quality design products while also doing design and curriculum development on other work-streams.
Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams and external partners who can aid our work.
Work collaboratively with the Greenfield design team, Achievement First Network Support staff and Greenfield school staff to ensure all visions and design products are mission and Greenfield vision aligned.
Travel 2-3 times a month to Greenfield team meetings or to visit our Greenfield schools to observe, prototype, or work with small groups of students to learn about the strengths and weaknesses in our model.

Educational Background and Work Experience

7-10 years of relevant work experience.
Strong instructional background, preferably as a designer, school leader, program designer, or design consultant.
Experience teaching or designing for Lower Elementary (Grades K to 2).
Experience with design and execution of adult professional development and student facing curriculum required.
Proven record of results for dramatically improving outcomes for students and leading adults.
Demonstrated success leading and managing a team preferred.
Proven track record of success in an innovative, all hands on deck, start-up environment or a hunger to work in that environment.

How to apply

Email a cover letter and resume to Greenfield@achievementfirst.org AND NetworkSupportRecruit@achievementfirst.org.