Senior Associate

About the Great Schools Partnership

We are a dedicated and dynamic group of individuals who have joined together to create a high quality, more equitable, and just education system in the United States. Working with educators, administrators, state agencies, community members, parents, and business leaders, we partner with schools to create learning environments where students own their learning, engage in deep work, and prepare themselves for their chosen futures. We believe that each of us needs to be empowered to be creative, take initiative, think outside the box, work collaboratively, and assume leadership roles in our organization.

Our mission is to support, challenge, and collaborate with educators and communities to achieve educational excellence and equity. We envision thriving schools & communities where every student develops the skills and habits necessary to engage in deep learning, pursue their aspirations, and contribute actively toward an equitable society.

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

At the Great Schools Partnership (GSP), we're not just committed to diversity—we're actively building an anti-racist, equitable organization reflective of the intersecting identities of the communities we serve. We believe that every voice, background, and identity enriches our work and strengthens our collective impact. That's why we celebrate the unique tapestry of race, ethnicity, language, ability, gender, and all the other ways we define ourselves.

This is the bedrock of everything we do. We actively advocate for and support schools, districts, and communities on their journeys toward educational equity. We also invest our time and resources in ongoing internal efforts to dismantle racism and bias, and foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Our goal is to collectively create a space where every member of our staff feels welcomed, valued, empowered, and equipped to contribute their full brilliance.

What’s the big plan for this job?

Our Senior Associates work alongside educators to transform practices, policies, and organizational models to ensure equitable outcomes for all students. This job involves coaching educators and leaders virtually and in person, while also interacting and collaborating with your GSP colleagues on a regular basis. In this role, you’ll be facilitating professional development in organizational design, leadership, teaching and learning, and community engagement. We work in teams as often as we can to share our expertise and problem solve, but our Senior Associates also have solo assignments and develop tools and resources as needed.

What will you be doing?

On site and virtual school coaching focused on achieving equitable outcomes. The bulk of your days will be assigned to contract work in schools and districts both in New England and across the country. You’ll be working with building and district leaders, leadership teams, staff, and, in some cases, school board and community members to support the development of sustainable plans for improvement. While we do have numerous tools and structures to support our work, each assignment is unique and our coaching is context-based and responsive to the unique needs of our partners.

Supporting schools to implement the following high-leverage approaches: a. Anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable practices, policies, and cultures; b. Proficiency-based teaching and learning; c. Multiple and flexible pathways that promote deep learning as well as student voice and choice; d. Shared, data-informed decision-making amongst educators, students, families, and community members; e. Trusting relationships between and among students, families, and educators; f. Professional learning groups

Convening and facilitating conversations among educators, students, families and members of the broader school community. Our Senior Associates are nimble facilitators, practiced in the use of protocols to lead conversations about practice, policy, and systems. A substantial part of our work is about bringing people together and ensuring all stakeholders have a voice in the conversation. In this role, you’ll work with school communities to structure and facilitate these important conversations.

Collecting data and reflecting on practice in cycles of learning and improvement. Senior Associates are supported by our Co-Directors of Coaching and our Director of Research and Evaluation in creating work plans for each school contract. You’ll develop credible theories of action, collect appropriate progress monitoring data, and determine how your work contributes to positive outcomes for the schools you coach.

Facilitating workshops and conference sessions. While coaching is the primary focus of this role, we also host and present at conferences throughout the year. Many of these presentations will be a team effort.

Developing and implementing tools for school improvement. Our staff are incredibly talented and creative people who routinely create new processes and resources for use in schools and communities. You’ll work collaboratively to develop tools and resources for use with schools and in workshops. Many of these will also be featured in toolkits on our website.

Learning and reflecting together with colleagues. You will participate in monthly all-staff learning and planning days and monthly coaching retreats for Senior Associates to learn, plan, and develop new skills and resources. In addition, you will frequently work as part of a team on many contracts which will provide the opportunity for you to learn from your colleagues and for them to learn from you.

What qualities do you need to succeed in this role?

• You share our commitment to equitable education for every student. This is a job, but it is more than just filling in your time. You need to be committed to public education and believe that by improving the quality of learning we can improve the life-long outcomes of our students and fundamentally and positively impact the lives of everyone in our communities. You have the bravery to challenge inequities in our educational systems and the strategic acumen to get results.
• You bring expertise and experience in teaching, learning, and leading in K-12 schools, and are able to adapt best practices to meet the specific needs of schools and districts where we work. You believe in the high-leverage approaches listed above and are committed to demonstrating the moral courage necessary to support educators in implementing these ideas. You have the ability to quickly assess the most pressing needs of a school, district, or community and craft a plan and set of recommendations for a path toward improvement.
• You have experience using data and research to help guide decision making. You are familiar with different types of data sources available to schools and districts and are comfortable reviewing data to identify areas for growth and improvement.
• You have public confidence and conviction. You enjoy exploring and developing ideas extemporaneously, in collaboration with others and in public settings. You view disagreements as opportunities to explore new ideas and develop better results where success is the development and implementation of great ideas that are shared between everyone involved.
• You get energized when engaged in new personal growth opportunities. You enjoy developing new skills, are not afraid of ambiguity, and are willing to demonstrate learning in a public situation. You find power in learning with others even when you are in a position of leading work.
• You get stuff done. You are self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a close-knit team. You are able to prioritize among competing demands to manage multiple projects, identify strategic priorities, and differentiate between work that you need to take the time to get perfect versus activities that just need to get finished. When problems arise, you figure out ways to push through to solutions.
• You believe teammates matter. Certainly, you can work on your own to see projects through to fruition, but you know that collective efforts and insight can create better outcomes. You are dependable with colleagues, supportive of others, and able to tackle a challenge as part of a group. You value diversity, respect different ideas, and openly address concerns with your colleagues.

Our process strives to screen in rather than out. We welcome your application even if you feel you are not strong in every qualification outlined above.

An additional consideration

We are especially interested in candidates who speak multiple languages recognizing that many of the communities we work with have significant language diversity. Speaking a language in addition to English is not required but is a beneficial additional skill.

Location

Senior Associates may work virtually from a home office. This job requires work on site in schools predominantly in New England and consistent virtual collaboration with educators in the field and other GSP staff. Applicants should expect regular travel with some overnights. We prefer that employees live in one of the six New England states (the core of our work) and will consider candidates who live in eastern New York or northern New Jersey.

Compensation & Benefits

Each role at Great Schools Partnership is placed in a compensation band with 7 levels. This role sits within band 4. The midpoint of this band is $100,000. Starting salary range for this position is $85,000 - $100,000. The actual level of the successful candidate (and corresponding salary) will be based on compensable factors such as job-relevant education, job-relevant experience, training, licensure, demonstrated competencies, and other factors. Great Schools Partnership does not negotiate the offered salary during the offer conversation. Throughout the interview process, we will evaluate your alignment with the compensable factors listed in the job description. From there, we will determine your starting salary on a level within the job band.

GSP covers full cost of health insurance for each staff member, 50% of costs of family health insurance, an additional 2.5% of salary contributed to a 403(b) retirement plan, an additional 4.5% of salary into a flex fund for health care or retirement, four weeks of vacation, five personal days, six sick days, nine holidays, tuition reimbursement, and eight weeks of paid parental leave.

GSP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against candidates on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, and local laws. Women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Once in the application form, you will be asked to provide information regarding your application, upload your resume, and answer three questions (250 words or less for each response):

• How has a commitment to educational equity driven your thinking, your commitment, and your actions over the last five years?
• What insights, experiences, or commitments—professionally or in your personal life—will you bring to the GSP team that will either enhance or challenge our understanding of our work?
• After reading our description of what you would be doing in this job, what experiences have you had that make you interested in submitting your application?

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Review date starting April 5, 2024.

Start Date: As soon as possible although no later than July 1, 2024.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work setting:

• Remote

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Location:

• Portland, ME (Required)

Work Location: Remote