K-8 Literacy Curriculum Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Company Description

Position Overview 

The Curriculum Manager provides instructional leadership in curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and instructional systems across KIPP St. Louis schools. Reporting to the Vice President of Academics & Instruction, this role is responsible for ensuring high-quality implementation of curriculum and instructional priorities across campuses through strong systems, aligned professional learning, and coaching support for school leaders and teachers.

The Curriculum Manager serves as the content and instructional lead for their assigned grade band and content area and plays a critical role in building coherent systems that improve teacher practice and student outcomes. This includes developing curriculum access systems, aligned assessments, pacing guidance, assessment blueprints, data-driven instruction cycles, calibration systems, and progress monitoring structures aligned to the region’s instructional framework and academic priorities.

The Curriculum Manager partners closely with School Leaders, Assistant School Leaders, Instructional Coaches, and teachers to strengthen lesson internalization, instructional rigor, data analysis, and responsive teaching practices. Through walkthroughs, professional development, coaching, and assessment analysis, this leader ensures students consistently experience grade-level rigorous instruction aligned to KIPP St. Louis instructional expectations.

The Curriculum Manager also plays a critical role in helping the region continuously improve its instructional systems by analyzing student achievement data, leader and teacher feedback, walkthrough trends, and assessment outcomes to recommend and implement strategic shifts across schools.

Who we are:

KIPP St. Louis is a part of a national network of free, open-enrollment, public charter schools offering a choice to families and children in St. Louis city. As the largest charter school system in the city, we are driven and committed to our mission and vision.

Mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.

KIPP St. Louis currently educates over 2,000 students and boasts hundreds of alumni. Today, our St. Louis network consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. 

What makes KIPP St. Louis unique?

We believe that our educators are proving what's possible in urban education each and every day, by inspiring students, and helping them discover the joy of learning. KIPP schools support our educators to help students achieve academic excellence, building the skills and confidence they need to succeed.  

Together, we are raising the bar for every student, every day.

Job Description

Position type: Full time, exempt, 12 Month

Reporting & Collaboration​:

• Direct Manager: Vice President of Academics

• Direct Reports: N/A

• Key Collaborators: 

  • School Leaders

  • Assistant School Leaders

  • Instructional Coaches

  • Teacher Leaders

  • Director of Professional Learning

  • Director of Special Populations

  • Data Team

  • Operations Team

Autonomy & Decision Making: ​

• Leads instructional decision-making within assigned content area and grade span

• Develops regional guidance for curriculum implementation, assessment practices, and instructional priorities

• Recommends shifts to curriculum, assessment, intervention, and instructional systems based on data and walkthrough trends

• Determines content-specific professional learning priorities and implementation supports

• Collaborates with school leadership teams to ensure aligned execution across campuses

What will I be doing in my day to day work?

Curriculum Strategy, Alignment, & Implementation:

• Develop and maintain curriculum access systems including unit resources, lesson materials, and intellectual prep supports

• Create and revise pacing guidance aligned to standards, instructional priorities, and assessment timelines

• Support schools in executing curriculum with fidelity while maintaining rigor and grade-level alignment

• Develop and maintain schedules of assessed standards aligned to regional assessment blueprints

• Ensure vertical alignment of standards, instructional practices, and assessment expectations across grade levels

• Support leaders and teachers with lesson internalization, unit unpacking, and student work analysis protocols

Assessment & Data-Driven Instruction Systems- Develop and maintain aligned assessment systems, including:

• Interim assessments

• Curriculum-embedded assessments

• Progress monitoring systems

• Assessment blueprints

• Design and support network-wide Data Driven Instruction (DDI) cycles aligned to student outcomes and priority standards

• Facilitate collaborative scoring and calibration processes to ensure consistent understanding of rigor and proficiency

• Analyze student performance trends and support schools in identifying high-leverage instructional responses

• Ensure assessment systems are implemented with fidelity and aligned to regional timelines and expectations

• Partner with leaders to ensure assessment data translates into actionable instructional planning and intervention

Professional Development & Leader Capacity:

• Design and facilitate professional learning aligned to regional instructional priorities and content-specific best practices

• Train School Leaders, Assistant School Leaders, instructional coaches, and teachers on curriculum implementation, assessment practices, and instructional strategies

• Support leaders in conducting effective walkthroughs, coaching conversations, and observation feedback cycles

• Build leader and teacher capacity around:

  • Lesson internalization

  • Data analysis

  • Academic discourse

  • Student engagement

  • Grade-level rigor and access

• Support the development of school-based systems that reinforce instructional consistency and strong Tier 1 instruction

Walkthroughs, Coaching, & Continuous Improvement:

• Conduct regular classroom walkthroughs to monitor instructional implementation and identify trends across schools

• Provide actionable feedback to school leadership teams tied to our regional core elements for Tier I instruction

• Support schools in developing targeted action plans in response to walkthrough and student data trends

• Analyze implementation gaps and recommend strategic adjustments to curriculum, PD, intervention, and coaching systems

• Collect and synthesize feedback from leaders and teachers to improve curriculum resources, assessment systems, and instructional supports 

What will I be evaluated on?

• Curriculum & Instructional Coherence

  • Schools consistently implement curriculum and instructional priorities with fidelity across classrooms and grade levels

  • Teachers demonstrate strong lesson internalization and alignment to standards, pacing, and instructional expectations

  • Students consistently engage in grade-level rigorous work aligned to the instructional framework

• Assessment & Data Systems

  • Assessment systems are aligned, predictable, and effectively used across campuses

  • Leaders and teachers execute strong DDI cycles resulting in targeted instructional adjustments

  • Progress monitoring systems lead to timely intervention and measurable student growth

• Leader & Teacher Capacity

  • School Leaders and instructional coaches effectively lead coaching cycles, walkthroughs, and instructional PD

  • Teachers demonstrate improved instructional practice aligned to the core elements for Tier I instruction

  • Cross-campus calibration and instructional consistency improve over time 

• Student Outcomes-Increased student proficiency and growth on:

  • MAP/EOC State assessments

  • iReady

  • Interim assessments

  • Course-aligned performance tasks

What skills should I already bring, i.e., what should I already have a track record around?

• Science of Reading and foundational literacy development

• Reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and writing instruction

• Text complexity and knowledge-building practices

• Literacy intervention systems and progress monitoring

• CKLA, Fishtank,, or similar literacy curricula 

• Strong project management and organizational skills

• Ability to coach and develop leaders and teachers

• Strong facilitation and professional development skills

What should I know a lot about already, i.e., what should I have expertise in?

• Standards-aligned curriculum and instruction

• Assessment design and progress monitoring systems

• Data Driven Instruction cycles and instructional response planning

• Adult learning and instructional coaching practices

• High-quality Tier 1 instruction and rigorous classroom practices

• Lesson internalization and student work analysis protocols 

KIPP uses Indicators of Excellence (IOE) to codify what great looks like in daily work.  For this role, the IOEs include:

1. Planning: Progress Monitoring

2. Planning: Questioning for Cognitive Lift

3. Execution: Diagnosis

4. Execution: Response

Qualifications

What you bring to the table:

Required

• 5+ years of successful classroom teaching experience with strong student outcomes

• Experience leading curriculum implementation or instructional improvement initiatives

• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating professional learning for adults

• Experience using student achievement data to drive instructional decisions

• Strong understanding of instructional coaching and leader development

• Ability to manage cross-functional projects and systems

• Bachelor’s degree required

• Valid teaching certification                                              

Preferred

• Experience as an instructional coach, assistant principal, or academic dean

• Experience in high-performing schools or networks

• Advanced degree in education, curriculum, leadership, or related field

• Experience leading work across multiple schools or grade bands                         

Additional Information

What we bring to the table:

KIPP St. Louis is committed to pay equity and to ensuring that we do not unintentionally perpetuate historic wage gaps that persist due to individual negotiations.  As a result, salaries are not negotiated.  We are transparent about salaries in our job postings so that candidates can make an informed decision before beginning the hiring process.  The salary range is $70-$95,000. This role is performance bonus eligible. 

We are a fast paced, energetic team and family with passionate people who are leading a movement and to cultivate their best working environment we provide the following:

• $0 deductible healthcare plan option, including medical, vision and dental. 

• Employer Paid Short Term Disability. 

• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee. 

• Retirement plan through PSSRSSL with an employer match up to 14% and an optional 403b as a supplement to our pension program

• Employee Recognition: When we succeed together, we celebrate together with our annual gala award ceremony, holiday party, and more!

• Public Service student loan forgiveness program qualified employer. 

• Ongoing professional development.

Generous time off:

• Paid leave for illness, personal days, bereavement, jury duty, and military-related leave

• Paid parental leave for new families

• Paid holidays, as well as a one week Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, a week-long spring break

• Wellness days provided throughout the year

Hiring Timeline and Steps

The anticipated start date for the role is July 6, 2026. 

If you are interested in working at KIPP St. Louis, please visit our website to find out how to apply! 

Check out our KIPP St. Louis video to learn more about KIPP St. Louis Public Schools!

KIPP St. Louis is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all our students, families, teachers, staff and community members. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.