Job title: Opportunity Academy Program Manager
Company: Holyoke Public Schools
Job description: Job Description:DISTRICT OVERVIEW Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 5,100 students, of whom 80 percent are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners. We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.Holyoke Public Schools’ strategic plan, “Moving Forward Together,” builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students’ well being.Our Equity Commitments are pledges we are making to address systemic equity challenges.
- We intentionally build a community that is anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally responsive.
- We ensure that students, families, and staff get the support they need to be successful.
- We seek out and incorporate the voices of those impacted, with a commitment to include those who have been excluded in the past.
- We promote access and inclusion for all students, staff, and families.
- We respect, embrace, and honor the diversity of our students, families, staff, and community.
- We reflect on our own behavior to minimize harm to others.
- We create a culture of acceptance and empathy so that everyone feels valued and is able to contribute to our community’s success.
Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us as well as some of our recent accomplishments.Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) is seeking passionate, student-centered program managers to join the team at Holyoke High School Opportunity Academy (HHSOA), an innovative alternative high school designed for students who have not found success on traditional campuses. We believe that schools are the unit of change, and that program managers are essential to a school’s success. At HHSOA, program managers play a central role in building strong relationships with students, delivering engaging instruction, and supporting each student’s individualized path to graduation. We are looking for educators who are committed to equity, flexibility, and helping every student thrive in a non-traditional setting.HPS has engaged in a high school redesign process starting in 2018, with the founding of HHSOA as one of the three main high school campuses as a critical piece of that redesign. Built upon choice, flexibility and access to diverse and challenging educational opportunities, HHSOA’s unique approach to the alternative model deepens student engagement and provides families and business and civic leaders explicit opportunities to partner with educators to help guide students’ career and college plans, as well as strengthen our local economy; while simultaneously addressing each student’s path to graduation and post-secondary readiness through an individualized approach.HPS Grades 7-10 Alternative ProgramThe HPS grades 7-10 Alternative Program is designed to provide a supportive, flexible, and individualized learning environment for students in grades 7 through 10 who are significantly struggling behaviorally, academically, socially, and/or emotionally. The program will begin as a gr 9 and gr 10 pilot, and will extend to grades 7 and 8 in a future year. Target enrollment for the pilot year would be 15-30 students. For the full 7the-10th grade span, the targeted enrollment would be 40-60 students. The program focuses on meeting the unique needs of each student, with an emphasis on overcoming challenges and fostering personal growth. The program’s mission is to create a positive, empowering environment that helps students who are struggling to overcome obstacles, gain confidence, and succeed in their education and beyond. Through a combination of supportive behavioral systems and structures, emotional guidance, rigorous academics, and life skills training, the program seeks to build student capacity to succeed in the classroom and beyond.Key Features
- Small Class Sizes: With a low student-to-teacher ratio, students receive more one-on-one attention, ensuring they are fully supported in their academic journey and have the opportunity to engage in meaningful interactions with instructors.
- Core Curriculum: The English language arts (ELA) and Math curriculum draw upon the HPS curricula used in middle and high schools, and are aligned to HPS course sequences. The science and history curricula draw upon the same standards as middle and high school courses, but are organized as 1 semester courses in order to make room for a robust SEL program, which includes opening and closing community and restorative circles, a year-long course centered around healthy adolescent development, and to ensure students have daily access to health, fitness and the arts.. We offer a variety of electives and project-based learning to keep students motivated and involved. Students will also, like their general education peers, engage in activities, events and opportunities that inform their preparation for opportunities and responsibilities beyond high school (athletics, clubs and college and career planning, and civic and family engagement,).
- Emotional and Social Support: In addition to academics, we focus on emotional well-being, self-regulation, and social skills. Our counselors and support staff work with students to develop coping strategies, self-confidence, and resilience, enabling them to build stronger relationships with peers and adults.
- Clear Expectations and Abundant Support: Program systems and structures, implemented by trained teachers and staff, are designed to create an environment in which students can intentionally and thoughtfully learn from experience to make choices that support their success within school and beyond.
- Scheduling: The school hours will be the same as Holyoke High School North and Dean Campus, and students will be eligible for full participation in athletics and extra-curriculars.
Description of Duties:(The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position)
- Assists district personnel with all aspects of planning and programming
- Disseminate referral information and provide professional development to teachers/administrators
- Communicates with parents, students, staff, community providers and agencies about school information
- Attend/participate in IEP meetings as needed
- Nurturing and building community partnerships
- Manages program staff with support from principal
- Daily logistical planning
- Supervising and coaching program teachers and support staff, on campus and at job sites and community placements
- Managing program budget
- Any other duties assigned by principal and/or designee
QualificationsEducation, Training and Experience
- Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university
Knowledge/Skills Required
- Foundations and implementation of referral services.
- Special Education Law and Regulations
- Effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
- Effective interpersonal and collaboration skills.
- Skills in the specific tasks entailed in assessing students’ transition needs and developing goals and objectives to meet those needs.
- Effective caseload management skills.
Expected salary: $70000 – 80000 per year
Location: Holyoke, MA
Job date: Sat, 10 May 2025 01:00:35 GMT
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