Reading Partners

Program Manager - Minnesota READ Act
 

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community tutors in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy, and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are our heartbeat and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that truly works. Join our stellar, committed team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about the mission and core tutoring work of Reading Partners.

The high level:

The Program Manager (PM) is part of a team of leaders rallied together to eradicate the early literacy crisis. The Program Manager’s main role is to lead, develop, and mobilize a team of AmeriCorps Volunteers and community tutors to deliver high-quality, effective one-on-one instruction to our students that maximizes students’ literacy outcomes. 

Reporting directly to a Program Director, the Program Manager manages all aspects of program quality, delivery, and implementation in 4-6 schools. The Program Manager in Minnesota will take the lead on facilitating and developing critical tutor trainings required for the Minnesota READ Act throughout the fiscal year.

The Program Manager directs the day-to-day operations of our reading centers, internal and external relationships (e.g. principals, community-based organizations, etc.), leads and supports a team of 10-12 AmeriCorps Volunteers, trains, coaches and supports community tutors, drives processes and strategies to maximize literacy development in our students, and uses data to drive decision-making and progress. The Program Manager is an inspiring team leader, is savvy at the art of managing people and projects, is goal-oriented and is excited by both strategic and on-the-ground work. 

They will partner closely with the Program Director assigned to support their portfolio with program quality standards, problem-solving, student assessment, progress monitoring, program accountability, and related activities to program enhancements or program pilots. The PM will work closely with peers on the ground and across Reading Partners to ensure successful outcomes for over 600 students in the region.

What you’ll do:

Execute the Reading Partners program across 4-6 schools in Minnesota

• Ensure that our program is implemented and executed with fidelity in alignment with the program quality standards
• Ensure the program is implemented and executed to the highest quality to have the highest impact for an average of at least 60 students per reading center in your portfolio.
• Supervise program implementation so that students enrolled achieve their literacy goals:
  • Ensure each student is assessed, enrolled, and placed properly in the curriculum
  • Achieve 90% enrollment of students by the beginning of February each school year.
  • Achieve and maintain above 90% attendance for all students enrolled in the program
  • Ensure every student completes milestone assessments 
  • Provide support so that students will master grade-appropriate foundational literacy skills, as measured by a research-based, elementary literacy assessment:
    • 85% of all students will meet their individualized end-of-year literacy growth goal
• Create and manage systems to ensure student success (e.g. students are properly placed in the curriculum, every student is enrolled in 2 sessions per week)
• Design and supervise the implementation of individualized learning plans
• Manage execution of the Reading Partners program, so students are receiving the necessary academic intervention as it pertains to literacy through our program 
• Conduct regular observations of students/tutors to collect anecdotal data to monitor progress
• Analyze data and create action plans to improve student results
• Be present, in person, each reading center observing sessions and coaching at least 6 hours a week

Create and cultivate Reading Partners champions within each school and each community

• Start or maintain a principal relationship and ensure 90% principal or site supervisor satisfaction with the program
• Share student impact information with the school or community space throughout the year (notably with the Principal, a student’s teacher, and/or site administration)
• Coach AmeriCorps Volunteers on teacher and community tutor relationship-building
• Model customer service skills for all staff and AmeriCorps Volunteers by coaching and supporting volunteer tutors within our program
• Advocate for what Reading Partners needs to be successful within each school or reading center site at all times
• Support tutor community building efforts in portfolio with the support of AmeriCorps volunteers and the Executive Director to help recruit and retain volunteers
• Ensure 90% tutor satisfaction and retention so that we can retain ~30% of tutors year over year
• Ensure continued program partnership and support the regional program leadership team to collect the fee-for-service

Recruit, hire, coach, manage and train a team of up to 12 Reading Partners AmeriCorps volunteers toward successful program implementation across five schools:

• Retain 85% of AmeriCorps volunteers through the term of service 
• Build a strong, positive and productive culture across the AmeriCorps team
• Share best practices and work with the team to share vision, develop strategies to meet overall goals, and contribute to a growth mindset culture
• Coach AmeriCorps volunteers to use student data to make informed decisions that will improve student outcomes

Lead the Minnesota region’s compliance efforts with the Minnesota READ Act training requirements for AmeriCorps Volunteers and community tutors.

• Lead the development of RPAO schedule and trainings to incorporate required READ Act trainings for AmeriCorps Volunteers
• Support the scheduling and implementation of the 4-part READ Act training on behalf of the community tutors within the Minnesota region, with the goal that all tutors will complete the training by the end of the school year.
• Work closely with the Community Engagement Team to create systems of accountability for tracking tutor participants in READ Act trainings

Be a partner to the National Program and Regional Operations teams to support regional impact

• Partner with the National Program Director to regularly discuss student progress, program quality standards, programmatic solutions, curriculum, and student assessment
• Support overall community volunteer experience by attending volunteer recruitment and engagement events
• Be a partner to the Development team to support our fundraising goals by supporting local development events
• Support with any organizational operations goals

How you’ll do it:

Leadership & People Management:

• Demonstrate a genuine interest in coaching, inspiring, and developing emerging professionals toward goals. Demonstrate an ability to provide clear guidance and goals, delegate, and provide growth opportunities while supporting progress along the way. Be able to recruit, hire, onboard, and deliver high-quality training to AmeriCorps volunteers. Provide primarily on-site and/or virtual support to AmeriCorps Volunteers and community tutors weekly. Be able to provide management support for emerging professionals. Support our national network of Reading Partners Program Managers through biweekly calls, best practice sharing, etc.

Relationship Development & Communication:

• Cultivate strong internal relationships with peers, direct reports, and managers. Possess a strong aptitude for effective communication, remotely and in person, with direct reports, school stakeholders, and other Reading Partners staff. Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively as an ambassador of Reading Partners externally, specifically with site leaders and staff. Be able to set up strong systems for communication and messaging, tailor communication to audiences, and contextualize messaging. Demonstrate an ability to break down complex topics for a variety of audiences.  Employ excellent written communication skills.

Educational expertise:

• Lead implementation of our organization’s assessment and curriculum and serve as a local subject matter expert on Reading Partners’ curriculum. Ensure high fidelity of the Reading Partners model at all reading center sites. Possess a high level of knowledge and competency in literacy strategies and behavior management. Demonstrate an ability to assess student performance using observations, analyze data, and create subsequent strategies aimed at increasing student achievement.  Analyze data and create action plans to improve student results.

Project Management & Problem Solving

• Demonstrate an ability to effectively manage time, balance multiple competing priorities at once, and, above all, remain adaptable, flexible, and positive while navigating challenges. Anticipate challenges and/or questions and proactively act to address them. Understand larger strategic priorities and make measurable progress against these larger goals. Show an ability to make quick, sound, and on-the-fly decisions that consider all stakeholders. See the bigger picture and be able to drill down to smaller details and connect the dots.

What we offer:

Reading Partners’ compensation and benefits programs are designed to attract, motivate, engage, and retain top talent to propel our mission forward. 

Compensation: This is a full-time, exempt, and salaried position. The pay range for this position is 

$75,162 - $88,426 per year. We aim to set salaries based on objective, external, high-quality market data. Our salaries are adjusted for candidates in different geographic regions. We do our very best to ensure that we’re bringing our best offer - therefore we do not engage in salary negotiations.

Our benefits:  We offer a comprehensive benefits program intentionally crafted to support employees and their families with physical, mental, and financial health:

• Health & Insurance Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance with substantial employer contributions toward both employee and family premiums; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Pre-Tax Medical Support: Significant pre-tax employer funding to help offset employees’ out-of-pocket medical expenses, including providing first dollar coverage for some plan options.
• Mental Health Support: Spring Health for easy access to therapy, coaching, and wellness resources, including six sessions provided at no cost to employees.
• Inclusive Health Support: Carrot for guidance and support related to hormonal health, fertility, family-building, and gender-affirming services.
• Retirement Benefits: 403(b) retirement plan with immediate eligibility to participate and to receive employer matching contributions.
• Paid Time Off: Flexible Paid Time Off (Unlimited PTO) and Paid Parental Leave for up to 8 weeks for birth and non-birth parents.
• Holidays & Office Closures: 14 paid holidays annually, plus one week of office closure in early July and two weeks in late December.
• Culture & Growth: A dynamic, mission-driven culture with a strong commitment to employee development and career growth.

The other things you need to know:

• This role is hybrid and requires in-person reporting to the Reading Partners Minnesota office, travel to schools and other locations within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Include a brief descriptor as necessary.
• Travel: This position travels regularly/or other amount throughout Minnesota and requires reliable access to transportation. This position may also involve occasional travel to Reading Partners’ National Headquarters in Oakland, CA. 

What’s Next?

If you’re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:

• A cover letter describing your interest in Reading Partners and how your past experience has prepared you for this role. 
• Resume

Reading Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Have 2-3 years working with elementary-aged students in a learning environment. Teaching, education, or education/afterschool program coordination experience is strongly preferred
• Have completed LETRS (preferred), CAREILL, or OL&LA certification programming
• Have direct management experience with volunteers, interns, and/or emerging professionals
• Have experience with literacy assessments, teaching strategies, translating data into action for students, and student data analysis or experience working with children in a formal capacity
• Have a passion for service to others and your broader community
• Have access to reliable transportation and/or the ability to navigate public transportation to travel within a defined geographic region daily
• Have some flexibility and adaptability in your work schedule, including some night and weekend time
• Have excellent computer skills, including MS Office and database management experience
• Demonstrate a commitment to fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment
• Display a deep belief in our mission and root your work in our core values
• Ability to prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S. and that you are at least 18 years of age

Bonus Points if you:

• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national service alum/alumna
• Have experience working in launch or growth phases of organizations