Director of Student Support, Primary

Job Description

Job Description

Director of Student Support - Primary

Job Summary
The Director of Student Support role is an integral part of the Student Support Academic team, ensuring students with disabilities are provided specially designed instruction in the least restrictive environment. The starting salary range for this role is $103,491-$114,384. This is a HDQ-School based, fully onsite role based at KIPP DC Public Schools with an anticipated start date of September 2026

About KIPP DC

For 25 years, KIPP DC has partnered with students, families, and the community to create joyful, academically excellent schools across the nation’s capital. Today, our network of 22 schools educate more than 7,500 students in grades PreK3-12, supported by 1,500 dedicated teachers, leaders, and staff.

Our work is grounded in five pillars–Academic Excellence, Joy & Sense of Belonging, Highly Effective Teachers and Leaders, Safe, Structured, and Nurturing Learning Environments, and Commitment to College Readiness–which ensure every student is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue success in college, careers, and beyond. Our schools combine high expectations with joyful, affirming environments that nurture academic success and personal growth for students and staff alike.

As part of the national KIPP network, we share best practices and innovations while maintaining deep roots in Washington, D.C. Together, we strive toward a future without limits for our students, alumni, and community.

About the Role
KIPP DC is looking for a dynamic, committed, and flexible Director of the Student Support Team to lead, collaborate, coach, and support school leaders, school leadership, compliance managers, and related service providers with all aspects of Special Education and Student Support. This position is fully in-person and is designed to increase student achievement.

As a director, this position must also ensure adherence to established internal control policies and procedures and maintain compliance within the organization.

Location and Type of Work
This is an exempt position and will report to the Managing Director of Student Support - Primary. As a headquarters team that is focused on being responsive to our schools and meeting the needs of our students and families, we approach our work in a way that reflects these priorities. Schools operate in person and our students and families rely on us for in-person support which requires this position to be fully onsite. This role is currently required to be onsite or in schools during regular work hours.

Responsibilities
The percentages for each key responsibility are estimates, and other duties may be assigned. Flexibility and responsiveness are encouraged to accommodate organizational needs.

Coaching and Development  (40%)

• Promote rigorous use of data to ensure that programming and curriculum meet the needs of students with individualized education programs (IEP) and 504 accommodation plans across assigned grade bands and schools.
• Set and model expectations for specially designed instruction for the assigned grade bands and schools.
• Directly manage 6-8 Student Support team members who have their own body of work. 
• Supervise related service providers at the campus level to ensure service delivery, collaboration with key stakeholders, and timely evaluations.
• Ensure that high quality instruction, through a continuum of services, is delivered for students with IEPs through lesson observation and feedback.
• Conduct and model high quality observations and feedback sessions develop plans to support special educators. 
• Model data review and planning for specific students to train school teams on using available dashboards.
• Collaborate with school administrations to identify classroom support and development needs for special educators.
• Support implementation of a continuum of services at each school and regularly review student data to ensure schools are utilizing the full continuum of services through individualized decisions for students. 
• Manage the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) review process at the campus level. 
• Coaches and holds others accountable for implementing best practices in special education.

Training & Development (30%)

• Collaborate with the school-based team to progress monitoring systems to ensure students with IEPs are making academic progress toward annual goals. 
• Conduct and present file reviews for students who need additional academic and/or behavioral support. 
• Conduct regular check-ins with school administration regarding special education priorities, review data from the students with IEPs and create plans to address student needs.
• Support school teams in appropriate implementation of dedicated aides as a supplemental support.

School Leader Support  (30%)

• Collaborate with school administrations to identify classroom support and development needs for special educators.
• Collaborate with school teams to create special education priorities. 
• Support implementation of a continuum of services at each school and regularly review student data to ensure schools are utilizing the full continuum of services through individualized decisions for students. 
• Provide support to school leaders on best practices and implementation of curriculum, pedagogy and data driven instruction
• Update school leader on set compliance metrics for the school.
• Manage, collaborate and hire related service providers for schools at assigned campus
• Conduct learning walks with the school leader designee and coach
• Manage logistics and implementation of transitions between schools (i.e. elementary to middle) to ensure Network alignment (vertical alignment). 
• Facilitate all key stakeholders' collaboration to solve individual student cases as needed.
• Provide professional development to campus teams on various aspects of special education and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). 
• Ensure school teams implement 504 processes (referral, eligibility, plan implementation) with fidelity. 
• Ensure school teams implement English Language Learners (ELL)  processes (identification, instructional support) with fidelity.

Requirements & Preferences

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• District-level or school leadership experience of special education programming
• Teaching experience for at least 5 years (general education or Special Education)
• Understanding of IDEA and DC Eligibility Criteria
• Experience managing 504 plans
• Demonstrates growth mindset about children and adults
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Direct leadership experience
• Instructional knowledge
• Ability to influence mindsets
• Organizational skills to build effective school-based systems
• Flexible thinking when in the face of ambiguity

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified in special education.  
• Masters in special education

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