Assistant School Leader

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 255 KIPP schools across the nation and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating at 3x the national average for low-income students.

Founded in 2008 with 50 students in 5th grade, KIPP Columbus currently serves nearly 2,000 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth. The mission of KIPP Columbus is to create a system of schools where students develop the intellectual, academic, and social skills needed to understand and take action on issues they encounter in everyday life.

KIPP Columbus continues to rank as one of the top five schools for academic growth of any school in the state of Ohio, and is a top performing urban school in the state for academic growth. In our second class of graduating high school seniors in the spring of 2021, 100% of students were accepted to college with over $20 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities awarded.

In addition to academic excellence, KIPP Columbus also partners with more than 100 community organizations to provide extracurricular activities, programming, health and wellness services, meals, and more to KIPP students, families, and the broader community. KIPP is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, offering more than 10 varsity sports.

The KIPP Columbus learning campus will continue to advance student learning, expand partnerships, enable superior programming, and serve as a teaching and leadership lab for schools nationwide, reimagining education through a deeper lens of antiracism, excellence, and joy.

Interested in learning more about our school? Please check out our website:

Job Description

The Opportunity

At KIPP Columbus, we believe every student deserves a joyful, academically excellent education that prepares them to pursue the future they choose. The Assistant School Leader is a key member of the KIPP Columbus High School leadership team and partners closely with the School Leader to turn that belief into a strong daily experience for students, staff, and families.

The Assistant School Leader helps lead an inclusive culture of high expectations, continuous learning, and shared accountability. This leader serves as a model educator and coach, develops individuals and teams, supports strong schoolwide systems, and builds trusting relationships across the school community. The role also helps ensure that students graduate ready for college, career, workforce, or military opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Instructional Leadership and Staff Development

• Serve as a model educator by demonstrating and sharing effective instructional and leadership practices.

• Lead staff members through goal setting, observation, actionable feedback, coaching, and evaluation to strengthen performance and student outcomes.

• Design and facilitate professional learning aligned to school priorities, student needs, and staff development goals.

• Use academic, culture, attendance, and other school performance data to identify trends, monitor progress, and recommend improvements.

• Partner with the School Leader and instructional leaders to ensure consistent expectations for rigorous, engaging, and inclusive instruction.

Student Culture and Family Partnership

• Help lead a safe, joyful, and inclusive school culture grounded in high expectations, belonging, and strong relationships.

• Manage and continuously improve student culture and behavior systems in partnership with the School Leader.

• Coach staff to build strong relationships with students, promote character development, and respond effectively when students need additional support.

• Plan and lead schoolwide events, celebrations, and community-building experiences.

• Model and coach timely, respectful communication with families, engaging them as partners in student success.

College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness

• Partner with the School Leader, KIPP Forward, counselors, and instructional teams to embed postsecondary readiness into the student experience.

• Monitor leading indicators connected to Ohio’s College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness component and help teams respond when students are off track.

• Support equitable student access to and successful participation in advanced coursework, college credit opportunities, career-focused pathways, industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning, and military readiness opportunities, as applicable.

• Help strengthen systems that connect student goals, academic planning, family engagement, and postsecondary transitions.

School Leadership and Operations

• Serve as a visible, solutions-oriented member of the school leadership team and help translate school priorities into clear, consistent action.

• In partnership with the School Leader, ensure alignment of school practices, adult culture, and resource decisions to schoolwide goals.

• Support day-to-day school operations and assume leadership responsibilities as designated by the School Leader.

• Advance KIPP Columbus’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

• Represent KIPP Columbus High School with students, staff, families, community partners, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

• Minimum of three years of successful, full-time lead teaching experience; high school experience strongly preferred.

• Experience in a teacher-leadership or school-leadership role, such as Dean or Instructional Coach, strongly preferred.

• Strong track record of student results and adult leadership in a school setting.

• Experience analyzing student and school performance data and translating findings into action.

• Demonstrated skill in coaching adults, building teams, managing change, and following through on priorities.

• Strong judgment, problem-solving ability, organization, and written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment while driving toward clarity and solutions.

• Commitment to learning, collaboration, and the belief that all students can achieve excellent outcomes.

• Ability to model the KIPP Columbus values of Imagine, Navigate, Seek, Persevere, Integrity, Responsibility, and Empathy.

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits

KIPP Columbus offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefit plan including medical and dental insurance, as well as group term life insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.

Statement of Non-Disclosure

KIPP Columbus is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school for consideration of any position (admission, employment, etc.). KIPP Columbus does not discriminate on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 4112.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.