Senior Improvement Partner - San Jose CA at Partners In School Innovation – Mercer Island, Washington

Internal Job Opportunity – Senior Improvement Partner (Evergreen ESD)
Posting Period: 6/25/2025 - 72/2025
Location: Primarily On-Site at Evergreen Elementary School District (San Jose, CA)

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY

Senior Improvement Partner at Partners in School Innovation (Partners) plays a key role in supporting implementation in our partner districts. It’s an exciting opportunity to collaborate with our super-smart and kind Bay Area team, thought partner in critical areas with district partners, and have a significant impact on serving teachers and students at schools. You will design and deliver services that meet client needs while ensuring coherence and alignment with the Partners Approach.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure Quality Implementation of our School Transformation Approach

• Ensure quality and effective service delivery in our partner schools, while working closely with the colleagues to ensure fidelity of the program and services, including the design and delivery of professional learning grounded in equity-driven improvement cycles

• Work with your colleagues to establish a vision and design the core strategy for supporting Results-Oriented Leadership, Teacher Professional Learning and a Strong Core Instructional Program for each school.

• Monitor our implementation and progress across schools, in terms of their capacity for adult practices, systems, and structure development, as well as student achievement.

• Develop and manage relationships with school and district leaders, ensuring they receive regular feedback and data on their progress to engage them in systematic, continuous improvement processes.

Catalyze and Support District Transformation

• Develop and manage relationships with school district leaders who provide principal leadership, support, and accountability:

  • Supporting them to develop an in-depth understanding of our School Transformation Approach

  • Providing them with regular feedback and data on the progress of our work and the lessons learned from our partnerships with their schools

  • Working with them to identify ways that district leaders and district systems can better support school transformation

  • Co-design and facilitate leadership networks and/or professional learning communities to accelerate the implementation of our Approach.

Engage in Organizational Stewardship

• Participate in continuous learning and strengthening of Partner’s Approach and services by capturing and sharing best practices from the work in the schools and district.

• Participate in personal and organization-wide professional development.

• Manage relationships with funders who provide specific resources to the district or schools, working with your Partners colleagues to provide regular progress updates on our implementation and results to our funders

YOU’LL COME WITH...

• A strong commitment to our mission of achieving educational equity for low-income students of color, an understanding of the role of racism in the inequities of the public school system, and demonstrated effectiveness in working through these inequities

• A deep understanding of the bodies of research on which our work is based, especially as it might pertain to schools – literacy and language development, equity-focused professional learning in schools and districts, continuous improvement, organizational change, and leadership – combined with a strong desire to apply that knowledge to generate impact across grade levels

• Excellent presentation skills; able to project competence and knowledge, and to articulate both mission and solutions

• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, experience leading highly effective teams, and the ability to manage relationships with a range of stakeholders

• Experience designing, developing, and delivering effective professional development for adults

• Ability to think systematically with an eye for continuous learning and improvement

• Experience and interest in analyzing and acting on data

• A high degree of initiative, tenacity, and flexibility; willingness and drive to see a complex or ambiguous situation through to a satisfactory outcome

• The ability to work efficiently with attention to detail in a fast-paced environment

Preferred qualifications include:

• A record of managing others to achieve ambitious goals

• A valid Administrative Services Credential, a track record of results, and established credibility as a school or district leader

• A valid Teaching Credential and experience teaching in public elementary schools

• Specific knowledge of or experience leading data-driven continuous improvement processes

• Specific knowledge of the Common Core State Standards and assessments, comprehensive literacy programs and an intimate understanding of the research base supporting these programs

• Program development experience in the field of education reform

• Advanced degree in education or related field

YOUR PROFILE:

• Deeply aware and committed to equity. You understand how race, class, culture, and power play out in systemic inequities; you are skilled at communicating and bridge-building across these lines, and you’re deeply committed to the work of systemic equity in our public schools.

• Confident and empowered. You know your stuff, but more importantly, you are secure in you. You remain unshaken when you don't know the answer, driven by intellectual curiosity and a sense of agency.

• Emotionally mature. You have a thick skin and don’t get ruffled by debate, pushback, and others’ work style hangups.

• Grounded in perspective. You put the interest of the org first, and don’t get caught up in politics or noise - yet you also understand that tending to the human nature of the work can make or break results.

• A great communicator and coach. You actively listen and ask thoughtful questions. You are an articulate speaker. You know how to be candid and kind at the same time, and bravely tackle conflicts with a solution-based approach built on facts, empathy, and win/win outcomes. You can hold people accountable while also being supportive. You get the most out of “what is” while keeping a constant eye on “what can be,” and put impact above being liked.

• A natural problem solver. You love challenges and aren't easily discouraged. You are a resilient, proactive strategist; you see roadblocks before you hit them and look for creative solutions to get the job done. You rely on logic and facts while honoring the behavioral and emotional dynamics of problems.

• An awesome team member. A natural at collaborating with a variety of personalities, you get the interrelatedness of what we all do. You enlist your problem solving and communications skills – sprinkling in your high EQ and fun personality – to build strong relationships. You know the importance of leveraging divergent viewpoints for the betterment of the work, and also know when it is time to graciously move on. You show up strong when your team members need you. You hold your colleagues accountable, and you are receptive and humble when they hold you accountable.

• Caring. Your moral compass is active, and you are highly ethical. Your intentions are transparent, and you are well-grounded in integrity and empathy. You are kind to others, even when it involves intense disagreement.

• An active, lifelong learner with a Growth Mindset. You pick things up quickly and think critically; you are intellectually curious and deeply committed to learning and growing, even when it is tough-going – you persevere through mistakes and failure.
  
  

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and equity, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment. We are committed to building an organization with raised consciousness in order to impact how we work with school leaders as well as how we work together as a team. We hope you will join us as we continue to build a diverse organization that fosters a work environment where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary commensurate with experience. We offer a generous benefits package that includes medical/dental/vision insurance, vacation and sick leave as well as a 401(k) retirement plan.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Partners in School Innovation is committed to equal employment opportunity in its hiring and employment practices and policies for all staff members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical ability, marital status or veteran status.