Associate Chief of Special Services

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

We are looking for a strategic and dynamic Associate Chief, Special Services to join our Special Services team.

Your Impact

The Associate Chief, Special Services sets the vision and strategy for how every Achievement First school serves students with disabilities and multilingual learners across New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. You will lead the regional Managing Directors of Special Services and the network leads for Multilingual Learner (MLL) and Specialized Workshop/Classroom (SW/C) programming, building a team that holds schools to both 100% legal compliance and real academic growth. You will partner closely with principals, regional superintendents, the Legal and Operations teams and local sending districts so that every scholar receives the services they are entitled to, delivered in a way that expands their opportunities. You will also own outcomes for a portfolio of schools, writing and facilitating professional development for school leaders and coaching your team to do the same. This role is for a proven special education leader who believes our students with IEPs, 504 plans and MLL needs deserve the same rigor, joy and high expectations as every other AF scholar, and who can build the systems that make that true at scale.

Reporting to the Chief of Academic Programs your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Set the Vision and Strategy for Special Services

Draft and refine a network-wide Special Services vision that connects legal compliance to strong academic outcomes for students with disabilities and MLLs

Set annual Special Services goals across three regions and monitor progress against them throughout the year

Align SW/C, MLL and inclusion programming with AF's curriculum and instructional priorities in partnership with the Chief of Academic Programs

Anticipate shifts in state and federal special education requirements and adjust strategy before they become compliance risks

Lead and Develop a Senior Team

Manage six direct reports, including regional Managing Directors and the MLL and SW/C program leads, with clear roles, measures of success and development goals

Build management structures such as regular check-ins, data reviews and school visit protocols that help your team grow and deliver for schools

Hold your team to high customer service standards with principals, families and district partners

Hire, evaluate, coach and, when needed, make hard personnel decisions with warmth and clarity

Drive Results and Compliance for Scholars

Hold a portfolio of schools accountable for defined outcomes for students with IEPs, 504 plans and MLL needs

Ensure IEPs and 504 plans are implemented with fidelity and that every school is in 100% legal compliance

Analyze achievement, service delivery and compliance data to surface school-level gaps and drive targeted action plans

Create and oversee systems for referrals, IEP meetings, triennials, MDRs, FBAs/BIPs and progress monitoring

Visit schools regularly to observe programming, support leaders and verify that services are reaching students

Build School Leader Capacity

Write and facilitate professional development for principals and school leadership teams on specialized instruction, intervention and compliance

Coach Managing Directors and program leads to plan and lead high-quality PD for school leaders

Equip school leaders to differentiate instruction, strengthen reading intervention and support students through de-escalation and behavior plans

Partner with Districts and Network Teams

Build deep knowledge of region- and district-specific special services requirements in NY, CT and RI

Oversee communication with sending districts so partnerships are collaborative, effective and compliant with the law

Collaborate with Legal, Operations and other Network Support teams to resolve complex cases, due process matters and systemic compliance issues

Represent AF's Special Services program with external partners and advocate for the resources our students need

Skills You’ll Have

All candidates for this position will support AF core values, lead innovation, and manage projects to ensure our team, like our schools, are setting a high bar in all areas and pursuing it relentlessly. Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience in a similarly, fast-paced work environment.

An ideal candidate will have the following experience and qualification:

12+ years of experience in education, including 5+ years of highly effective teaching with a strong track record of student performance gains for students with IEPs

7+ years of school or system leadership experience managing people (for example coach, dean, principal or district leader)

5+ years of managing managers, ideally leaders responsible for special education programs across multiple schools

Master's or professional degree (M.Ed., M.A.T., J.D. or similar), with coursework in special education

Special education certification in NY, CT or RI, and willingness to complete CPI training

Deep knowledge of special education law, 504 plans and core processes including initial referrals, IEP meetings, triennials, MDRs and due process

Significant experience differentiating and specializing curriculum, including reading intervention (guided reading and phonics) and FBA/BIP development, and strong data skills in Excel and Tableau

Deep commitment to AF's mission, our students with disabilities and multilingual learners, and leading for racial equity

In addition, the following characteristics are required to be successful on this team:

Strong ethics and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality

Confident in interacting with and influencing individuals at all levels within the organization

Ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed

Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, and a roll-up-my-sleeves attitude

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proactive communication style

Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model

Travel Expectations

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in the role would be able to come into Schools and the Network Support office (NYC, CT, or RI) at least 3 days a week. There may be additional travel to regions outside of your own on a monthly basis.

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experien