OVERVIEW OF TENACITY
Founded in 1999, Tenacity’s mission is to improve the scholastic, character, and physical development of urban youth through a combination of academic instruction and tennis instruction/competition with a focus on life skills. The Ace Academy is an intensive three-year program consisting of academic enrichment, homework help, study/life skills development, and tennis/fitness programming. Working in partnership with the Boston Public Schools, Ace Academy currently delivers an intensive three-year experience for middle school students at four partner schools the Curley K-8 School, Frederick Pilot Middle School, BCLA/McCormack Middle School, and East Boston High School. The ACE Academy currently serves approximately 150 middle school students.
The Ace Academy offers an Extended Learning Time model or embedded school day model (based on the partner school site) which integrates academic-based programming and supervised tennis and fitness activities in a structured, supportive environment. The activities focus not only on building academic and tennis skills but promoting resilience and 21st-century skills among young people facing challenges on the path to adulthood. Academic support is guided by Ace Site Directors, who work closely with the teachers at the partner schools to help identify the needs and strengths of each of the students. Ace Academy offers an academic curriculum closely aligned with state and city English Language Arts frameworks and aims to support Tenacity students with academic success.
Each Ace Academy student makes a three-year commitment to attend the program three or four afternoons per week for the school year, each of their sixth, seventh, and eighth grade school years.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ACADEMIC COORDINATORS:
The Academic Coordinator is uniquely responsible for all academic support at a given Ace Academy site. Specifically, this includes, but is not limited to:
- Demonstrated commitment to ensuring equity in the classroom in the areas of support, instruction, and behavior management
- Supervise the entire classroom and instructional experience for students, including management and direction of Tenacity associate coordinators, volunteers, and part-time staff
- Ensure effective implementation of Tenacity's academic curriculum
- Regularly submit weekly lesson plans to site team and/or management in an organized and timely manner, always remaining flexible to feedback
- Develop and regularly revisit instructional plans based on instructional goals and assessment data
- Manage student needs and behaviors during academic groups. When needed, ensure students are offered one-on-one support
- Support the integration and synergy of academic and tennis/fitness activities, especially in the area of life skills development
- In conjunction with supervisors, collect assessment and evaluation data (especially ANet and MCAS/PARCC), and use to improve program implementation
- Play a supportive role in the overall success of the site, which includes but is not limited to:
1. Recruitment, selection and registration of middle school students for the Ace Academy Program.
2. Maintenance of high student retention rates and site attendance
3. Meeting expected student achievement
- Co-plan and attend events, field trips, and other activities, including some evening and/or weekend events
- Build and manage highly effective relationships with the teachers and families to discuss individual student progress, assessment data, and ways to better meet the needs of the students and school
- Participate regularly in school meetings, including but not limited to weekly content or student support meetings, student-specific meetings such as IEP meetings, the Instructional Leadership Team, school wide assessment reflection sessions, and professional development sessions
- Exhibit a desire to collaborate and share best-practices with coordinators from all Ace Academy sites
- During the summer, work either in our Summer Tennis and Reading program or perform preparatory work for next year's Ace Academy program as deemed appropriate by the Chief of the Pathway to Post-Secondary Success
- Expectations for this position include assistance in other program areas such as Family Engagement
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCES:
- Commitment to ensuring equity in the academic program implementation to support students in overcoming systemic inequities
- Instructional and program management experience, preferably with urban, multi-cultural middle school age students including:
- Experience with successfully managing/overseeing a classroom or youth development group
- Behavior management experience
- Lesson planning/lesson design familiarity
- An ability to model a "Growth Mindset" toward students, other staff, and
- Strong interpersonal, team development, management, organizational and verbal/written communication
- Have considerable relationship management skills and experience - particularly working with families, as well as teachers and principals
- Master’s degree in education or youth development preferred, bachelor’s degree is acceptable
- Proficiency in Microsoft product suites
- Some tennis experience a plus
- Driver’s license desired
- Consistent access to a car desired
We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, sexuality, gender identification, or physical ability.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work setting:
- In-person
- Public school
- School
Ability to Relocate:
- Boston, MA: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person