School Action Fund Grant Manager

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

This position is funded through September 30, 2022 under the federal CARES Act grant. Continuation of the position beyond that date is contingent on available funding.

POSITION OVERVIEW: In order to advance the mission of the TEA of improving outcomes for all public school students and to support districts in their response to COVID-19, the School Action Fund Grant Manager supports multiple school districts to plan and execute strategic, sustainable, and successful school actions to launch new, replicate successful, redesign existing schools, restart struggling schools, and reassign students to higher-performing schools. The School Action Fund Grant Manager leads the School Action Fund support team to build a pipeline of future SAF grantees, track and monitor SAF implementation progress, and ensure the success of high-quality school actions in conjunction with School Action Fund Technical Assistance Providers and other support providers. The School Action Fund Grant Manager reports directly to the Director of the Division of System Support and Innovation and oversees a team of two School Action Fund Grant Specialists to design and execute all components of the School Action Fund featuring a focus on high-quality curriculum delivered in blended and asynchronous methods, extended school day and/or year, high-dose tutoring, and mental health and social resiliency supports.

Please note that a resume and tailored cover letter are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Additionally, please be sure to respond to the short answer prompts found in the supplemental questions. These responses should be added in a separate Word or PDF document in the attachments section of the application.

Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Supports multiple school districts to plan and execute strategic, sustainable, successful school actions to launch new, replicate successful, redesign existing schools, restart struggling schools, and reassign students to higher-performing schools with a focus on COVID-19 response
• Oversees fidelity of implementation for School Action Fund grants and influences course corrections with appropriate support partners and technical assistance providers
• Builds and maintains connections with support and technical assistance providers to ensure districts are provided best-in-class resources and coaching
• Oversees the development of and execution of all components of the School Action Fund grant including but not limited to grant program applications and guidelines, Fidelity of Implementation Trackers, continuation funding applications and guidelines and the materials used to communicate this information to internal and external stakeholders
• Recruits, develops, and retains a high-performing team to reach ambitious goals

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university. Advanced degree or major course work in a field relevant to the assignment is generally preferred.

Experience: At least (6) years of experience in the education sector which must include one year of experience in a supervisory role.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• Documented experience in system level school reforms, particularly in school portfolio management, performance-based accountability, school choice programs, district charter partnerships, school autonomy and empowerment, new school creation or design, and school redesigns
• Knowledge of state (e.g. SB 1882) and federal laws (e.g. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) related to state agency actions in support of school districts and schools)
• Knowledge of blending learning models and other asynchronous education delivery models
• Ability to quickly comprehend complex information and break it into comprehensive parts
• Expertise in influencing and motivating others to a desired outcome
• Highly organized with ability to develop and execute project plans and progress monitoring tools
• Experience in developing and managing critical relationships that include but are not limited to internal TEA staff, district superintendent and leadership team-level partners, and external organizations (non-profits, foundations, consultants, etc.)
• Skill in qualitative and quantitative analysis; and creating MS PowerPoint, Excel, and Word-based toolkits, guides, and resources
• A desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback and continuously improve
• Demonstrates outstanding leadership and personal relations skills including excellent written and oral communication skills.
   

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the veteran’s preference.

Additional Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) information can be accessed here.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.