NC Center for Resilience and Learning - Senior Program Manager of Professional Learning

After studying the impact of childhood trauma (known as Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs) on learning and student behavior, the Public School Forum of NC launched the NC Center for Resilience & Learning(formerly the NC Resilience & Learning Project) in 2017 to implement whole-school and district-wide strategies to improve the academic performance and social-emotional well-being of students impacted by trauma. The core model of the Center’s work includes school-wide educator training and ongoing coaching and technical assistance with school-based teams called Resilience Teams. The Center is seeking a new full-time Senior Program Manager of Professional Learning to be based anywhere in North Carolina, to create synchronous and asynchronous learning toolkits and resources around trauma-informed practices for schools, plan and lead an ongoing statewide webinar series, and build and implement a new coach-the-coach model designed to scale and expand more trauma-informed educator leaders across the state. Candidates should have an interest in working on systems change to promote the expansion of trauma-informed, safe and supportive learning environments that can improve educational and life outcomes for all students. 

Primary Job Responsibilities
This Senior Program Manager will work closely with Resilience & Learning school coaches and partner school districts across the state to develop and implement scalable professional learning, resources, and tangible guides on how to build Resilience Teams within schools and districts and implement trauma-informed practices to improve social and emotional learning (SEL) and access to mental health supports across NC. This will include statewide professional learning on ACEs and trauma-informed practices with synchronous and asynchronous experiences that will be designed for educators, school and district administrators, and other adults who work with students. This role will be responsible for three primary implementation areas: 

1. Trauma-informed Webinar Series: This will serve as an introduction to many of the critical topics involved with trauma-informed practices, including ACEs and the impact of trauma on the brain, learning, and behaviors. Educators and administrators will have access to a limited set of foundational resources to begin envisioning the shifts they would like to see in their schools.
2. Coach-the-Coach Communities of Practice for Educators and Administrators: The Communities of Practice will provide ongoing, job-embedded, and context-specific professional learning experiences for educators and school and district administrators. The peer-focused learning will be a coach-the-coach model to guide these educators and administrators to work with their school faculties and staff to prioritize goals, build an action plan, and begin implementation. 
3. Toolkits & Implementation Guides: Utilize existing frameworks, structures and evaluation outcomes to develop a set of user-friendly Trauma-Informed Toolkits with specific, practical recommendations for classroom, school, and district implementation and district- and state-level policy recommendations that can be disseminated to educators across the state. 

Additional Responsibilities

• Design and deliver professional learning programs, opportunities, and resources that foster reflection and growth while advancing trauma-informed practices and leadership capacity for partner educators across NC.
• Create regional communities of practice, structuring a cohort model for collaborative learning that will include both virtual and in-person opportunities, and directly leading training and coaching  with participating educator leaders. 
• Write and create content for professional resources, guides and toolkits that will be used for professional learning and for broader dissemination to educators in NC. 
• Build relationships and establish collaborative partnerships with school and district staff who are interested in and ready to engage in professional learning with the Center. 
• Collaborate across two regional Center teams/individual Center Coaches and work with Center Senior Director to develop, execute, and manage a professional learning plan that advances and scales trauma-informed leadership among educators and meets grant requirements for this project. 
• Share and include expertise on both trauma-informed practices and adult learning tactics through content creation, professional learning design, and with the broader team of Center Coaches. 
• Provide management, coordination, and overall creation of project implementation within the three main areas detailed above (statewide webinar series, coach-the-coach and communities of practice model, and resource and toolkit creation).  
• Marketing and partnership outreach with new webinar series, toolkits and resources, and coach-the-coach communities of practice model with new and already existing partner districts and schools for the Center.
• Utilize current technology and organizational systems (primarily Google Drive/Google Suite) and recommend new technology platforms to utilize for effective professional learning implementation. 
• Assist Center staff with creating and updating training resources and materials for schools.
• Assist Duke University evaluator with data collection and ongoing implementation monitoring of new professional learning model. 
• Generate reports and draft articles, narratives, and opinion pieces on the impact of scaling this new area of the Center’s work with funding partners and other educators across the state. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications
 

Qualifying Experience

• Professional Development: Experience creating and leading high-quality professional learning opportunities, demonstrating effective presentation and facilitation skills.

• Education Background: Prefer prior experience as an educator or in a school setting, with a strong understanding of the educational environment. Instructional coaching, curriculum development and/or administration experience preferred.
• Equity and Inclusion: Commitment to and experience in implementing equitable best practices to support traditionally underserved, under-resourced, and historically marginalized student populations.
• Collaborative Experience: Ability to work well with diverse groups, including teachers, parents, students, school/district staff, and partner organizations. Proven ability to collaborate closely with external partners and stakeholders.
• Adult Learning: Strong understanding of adult learning practices and tactics.
• Trauma and Resilience: Passion for trauma-related topics, with foundational knowledge of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), trauma-informed schools, and resilience-building research.

Technical Skills

• Technology Proficiency: Strong proficiency with Google Drive and its suite of applications (Docs, Sheets, Slides).

• Computer and Social Media: Competence with computer, web, and social media tools for communication and content dissemination.
• Proficiency with learning management systems and platforms such as Zoom, Canvas, etc.

Additional Requirements

• Writing and Content Creation: Strong writing skills and experience creating engaging content and slides.
• Communication and Relationship-Building: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for building strong relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational abilities, including being a self-starter, paying close attention to detail, and comfortably learning new things.
• Team Collaboration: Thrives in a team-driven, collaborative work environment.
• Remote Work: Comfortable and proficient in working remotely.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degrees preferred.

About the Public School Forum of NC:
For more than 35 years, the Public School Forum of North Carolina has worked to shape world-class public schools through research, policy work, programs, advocacy, and continuing education for educators and policymakers. We are a nonprofit partnership of leaders from business, education, and government that makes significant contributions to K-12 public education in North Carolina. 

In addition to research and analysis in the public policy arena, the Forum has created and run numerous programs, including the original NC Teaching Fellows Program, the NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP), the North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), the NC Institute for Educational Policymakers, and the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity. In the Fall of 2016, the Forum launched its weekly television program, Education Matters, which airs on WRAL-TV, FOX 50 and UNC-TV’s NC Channel.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
It is the policy of the Public School Forum to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.