Director of Humanities and Foundational Literacy

Position Overview

The Director of Humanities & Foundational Literacy is a key member of the academic leadership team, responsible for driving the vision, strategy, and execution of high-quality humanities instruction and foundational literacy development across all academies. Reporting to the Senior Director of Academics, this role ensures coherence across curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning systems in English Language Arts, Social Studies, and early literacy.

This leader brings deep expertise in literacy instruction—particularly foundational reading skills—and a proven track record of improving student outcomes through strong curriculum implementation and adult development. The Director builds the capacity of instructional coaches, school leaders, and teachers to deliver rigorous, standards-aligned, and culturally responsive humanities instruction while ensuring all students develop strong reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Core Responsibilities

Humanities & Literacy Vision & Leadership

• Define and execute a clear, compelling vision for humanities and foundational literacy aligned to organizational academic priorities.

• Serve as the primary content expert in literacy, ELA, and social studies for the academic leadership team.

• Lead and manage humanities and literacy-focused staff, including instructional coaches and curriculum specialists.

• Drive a culture of high expectations, strong literacy outcomes, and continuous improvement across academies.

• Partner with school leaders to ensure effective implementation of humanities and literacy priorities.

Instructional Leadership & Coaching

• Oversee and support a high-impact instructional coaching model focused on literacy and humanities instruction.

• Build the capacity of teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders through coaching, modeling, and professional learning.

• Ensure instruction reflects the science of reading, strong writing practices, and deep content knowledge.

• Promote effective practices such as text-based discussion, writing across content areas, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

• Support schools in implementing research-based literacy strategies that drive reading proficiency and comprehension.

Curriculum Strategy & Coherence

• Lead the development, adoption, and continuous improvement of high-quality humanities and literacy instructional materials.

• Ensure alignment with state standards, organizational priorities, and research-based literacy practices.

• Maintain strong vertical alignment across PK–12, with particular emphasis on early literacy foundations.

• Ensure curriculum is culturally responsive, inclusive, and accessible to all learners.

• Oversee continuous improvement cycles for curriculum based on student data and teacher feedback.

Scope, Sequence & Instructional Planning

• Oversee development and refinement of scope and sequence documents for ELA, social studies, and foundational literacy.

• Ensure strong vertical and horizontal alignment across grade levels and academies.

• Guide the creation of pacing guides and instructional planning tools that support literacy development.

• Ensure planning structures enable effective lesson execution and maximize instructional time for reading and writing.

Assessment & Data Strategy

• Oversee the design and implementation of a comprehensive literacy and humanities assessment system.

• Ensure alignment between curriculum, instruction, and assessments, particularly for foundational reading skills.

• Lead systems for analyzing and using student data to inform instruction and intervention.

• Support leaders and teachers in building strong data-driven instructional practices.

• Monitor literacy achievement trends and drive responsive action planning to close gaps.

Professional Learning & Adult Development

• Design and oversee a cohesive professional development strategy aligned to literacy and humanities priorities.

• Build teacher and leader capacity in foundational literacy instruction, text complexity, writing, and content knowledge.

• Partner with instructional coaches to ensure strong transfer of professional learning into classroom practice.

• Lead large-scale professional development initiatives and literacy-focused trainings.

Humanities Program Execution & Operations

• Oversee execution of key humanities and literacy initiatives with strong project management and follow-through.

• Monitor progress toward literacy goals and key performance indicators.

• Ensure effective implementation of curriculum, assessments, and instructional routines.

• Coordinate cross-functional work to support literacy development across all content areas.

Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with academic, school, and operations teams to ensure strong integration of literacy across disciplines.

• Partner with special populations teams to ensure equitable access to literacy instruction and interventions.

• Communicate humanities and literacy priorities, progress, and outcomes to stakeholders.

• Engage families and community partners to support student literacy development.

Program Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze humanities and literacy performance across academies to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities.

• Ensure consistent implementation of instructional expectations in literacy and humanities.

• Partner with school leaders to design and implement targeted improvement strategies.

• Drive continuous improvement cycles grounded in student data, classroom observations, and teacher feedback.

Collaboration

The Director of Humanities & Foundational Literacy works closely with:

• Senior Director of Academics

• Chief Academic Officer

• School Leaders

• Instructional Coaches

• Director of STEM

• Assessment Manager

• Special Populations Leadership

• Student Support Teams

to ensure alignment between curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student support systems.

Key Outcomes

Success in this role is measured by:

• Significant gains in student literacy achievement, especially in early reading proficiency

• Strong, consistent humanities instruction across academies

• High-quality implementation of literacy curriculum and assessment systems

• Increased effectiveness of teachers and instructional coaches

• Coherent, aligned literacy systems across the organization

Core Competencies

• Literacy Expertise: Deep knowledge of foundational literacy, reading development, and humanities instruction

• Instructional Leadership: Strong command of high-quality ELA and social studies teaching practices

• Coaching & Adult Development: Builds educator capacity through feedback, coaching, and systems

• Results Orientation: Drives measurable gains in student literacy achievement

• Strategic Systems Thinking: Aligns curriculum, instruction, assessment, and PD into a coherent model

• Execution Excellence: Translates strategy into strong implementation and outcomes

• Equity-Driven Mindset: Ensures all students develop strong literacy skills

• Collaboration & Influence: Aligns stakeholders around shared academic priorities

• Adaptive Leadership: Leads through complexity and continuous improvement

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred

• 5+ years of teaching experience with preferred  instructional leadership experience with a focus on literacy or humanities

• Proven track record of improving student literacy outcomes

• Deep experience in instructional coaching and adult development

• Experience leading and managing teams

Preferred:

• Strong background in foundational literacy / science of reading

• Experience at the network or district level

• Experience with curriculum implementation and literacy assessment systems

Skills and Competencies: 

• Commitment to KIPP KC’s mission and values

• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse environment

• Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Fosters an inclusive environment for students, staff, and families

• Works effectively with colleagues and stakeholders

• Builds strong relationships within the KIPP KC community

• Demonstrated success in leading a diverse team with a commitment to inclusivity and collaboration

• Strong problem-solving skills and data analysis capabilities to drive targeted outcomes

•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage families, students, and staff effectively

• In-depth knowledge of special education law, SEL, behavioral intervention strategies, and mental health practices

Physical Requirements: 

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. 

• The person in this position needs to be able to move about inside and outside the school or office throughout the workday.

• The candidate is expected to attend conferences, meetings and training sessions both virtually and in person within the Region. 

Work Environment

• Reports to work Monday-Friday.

• A typical school or office environment with frequent interruptions.

Travel Requirements:

• Ability to travel to work location. 

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation and Benefits:

Competitive salary, commensurate with experience, plus a comprehensive benefits package to support overall well-being.

As a full-time KIPP Kansas City employee, you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Kansas City benefit plans. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, as well as life insurance, fertility, and disability plans.

KIPP Kansas City is committed to the professional growth and development of our staff. We provide numerous opportunities for advancement, ongoing professional development, and leadership training to help you achieve your career goals.

KIPP Kansas City provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Selection Process:

Our application process is grounded in equity and fairness, ensuring a just and unbiased selection process. Below is our standard selection process for regional roles:

Selection Process 

Application Submission + Resume Review 

Phone or Video Interview 

If Applicable (Sample work or Performance Task) 

Committee Interview(s) 

1:1 Chat w/Hiring Manager 

Reference Check 

Offer Terms