School Network Staff Chief of Student Pathways
Job Description
Job Title: Chief of Student Pathways, Pathways
Civil Service Title/License: Educational Management Associate
Grade/Level (if applicable): G7
Organization: Office of the First Deputy Chancellor (OFDC)
Office: Office of Student Pathways (Pathways)
Budget Accountability: $180M
Position #: 011540A
Position Summary: New York City Public Schools’ (NYCPS) mission is to ensure that each student graduates on a pathway to a rewarding career and long-term economic security, equipped to be a positive force for change. To deliver on this mission, the Office of Student Pathways (Pathways) seeks to ensure all students graduate with real-world skills and experience, a head start on life after high school, and a strong plan to put them on this path. The Chief of Student Pathways leads this office and is an innovative systems leader and change agent.
The Chief of Student Pathways is responsible for leading the district-wide strategy to achieve NYCPS’ bold mission and reimagine the student experience through career-connected learning to ensure that by 2030:
- All NYCPS students enter high school with skills in financial literacy and computational thinking and having explored careers of interest;
- All NYCPS graduates have foundational skills for career readiness, digital fluency, and financial literacy; a strong postsecondary plan; and early college credits/career credentials through the reimagining of the high school student experience. These skills and experiences will ensure students are prepared for economically secure and rewarding careers;
- At least 100,000 NYCPS high schoolers will be in high-quality, accelerated early college and career pathways; through these pathways students will get paid work experience in high-growth, high opportunity fields aligned to their career interests.
Within the context of these goals, the Chief of Student Pathways will be a champion for a reimagined educational experience that leads to more equitable, rewarding, and economically secure student outcomes. The Chief of Student Pathways oversees a portfolio of career-connected learning programs and systems including:
- FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) and Career Readiness & Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA) signature initiatives that put NYC at the cutting edge of career connected learning and innovation; these new and rapidly scaling programs which will serve tens of thousands of students this year; the initiatives ensure students participate in the early college and paid work experiences, aligned to high growth, high wage careers that will put them on a path to success;
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs across eight industry sectors in over 130 high schools serving more than 60,000 students;
- College and Career Advising and Awareness programs during the school day, after school, and during the summer to support students’ career navigation and critical postsecondary planning;
- 21st Century Skills programs to support digital fluency and Computer Science education, financial literacy, and career readiness and ensure all students graduate with the skills they need in college and career;
- Early College Credit and Credentialing programs to support students in attaining early college credits and credentials of value that provide momentum in high growth, high demand pathways.
The Chief of Student Pathways will also oversee central administrative functions that enable NYCPS’s mission, including 130+ staff and ~$180M in budget oversight. These include steering high-level strategic partnerships to reimagine the student experience with employers, higher education, community-based organizations, and philanthropy; oversight of citywide work-based learning systems; and financial stewardship of large scale school and district public and private grants. Performs related work
Reports to: First Deputy Chancellor
Direct Reports: Chief of Staff, Student Pathways; Executive Assistant; Senior Executive Director, Student Pathways; Senior Advisor, Strategy; Executive Director, Career-Connected Learning; Executive Director, Pathways Data; Executive Director, College and Career Planning.
Key Relationships: Chancellor’s Office; Chancellor’s Cabinet Members; Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development; Division of School Leadership; Intergovernmental Affairs; Employer Partners; UFT; CSA; City University of New York (CUNY), State University of New York (SUNY), and Higher Education Partners; the School Construction Authority (SCA); the Fund for Public Schools.
Responsibilities:
Strategic oversight of Signature Initiatives and Career-Connected Learning Portfolio
- Oversee strategic direction for NYC Public Schools’ signature initiatives FutureReadyNYC and Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship, both aimed at reimagining the student experience through authentic, high quality career-connected learning.
- Set quality standards and strategic plans to ensure the full career-connected learning programs prepares students for career pathways grounded in local and national research on the future of work; this includes ensuring NYCPS’s signature initiatives and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are high performing and aligned to labor market information.
- Drive strategic decision-making for the first ever program-aligned capital expansion and improvement plan to ensure schools and students have the physical spaces they need to engage in meaningful career-connected learning.
- Direct efforts to ensure students graduate with real skills, a strong plan and a head start including overseeing college & career planning, 21st century skills and early college credits & credentialing strategy.
- Participate in NYCPS Cabinet and serve as spokesperson for the Bold Futures agenda and support public relations and media opportunities to drive energy and excitement.
High-Level Partnerships with School Districts, Employers, Higher Education, and Philanthropy
- Set robust goals and pace for a portfolio of high performing, accountable external partners to drive the execution of the Bold Futures agenda, including employers, higher education institutions, philanthropy and community based organizations.
- Establish a structured, symbiotic relationship between the Office of Student Pathways and district leaders to support district oversight and capacity-building for schools that drive transformational student outcomes through career-connected learning.
- Represent NYCPS in building a focused citywide and interagency strategy (e.g. Workforce Development Council) to connect workforce development systems to support young New Yorkers’ launch into rewarding careers.
Driving Key Systems Change Levers & Innovation
- Oversee the Office of Student Pathways; teams include Career-Connected Learning; College and Career Planning; 21st Century Skills; Early College and High School Innovation; Strategy and Policy; Data; and Finance, Operations, and Human Resources.
- Steer the development data systems and progress monitoring tools connecting PreK-12 systems to long-term career success indicators.
- Ensure NYC remains at the forefront of innovation and outcomes in student pathways.
- Oversee and guide the development of a long term fiscal sustainability strategy for a budget of $180M to ensure the success of career connected learning initiatives for the long term; this includes collaboration with the Fund for Public Schools and philanthropic partners to ensure longevity of the work.
Qualification Requirements:
Minimum
- A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in public administration, business administration, education administration, personnel administration, management or a related field and four years of satisfactory, responsible, full-time experience in any of the above areas or in another area of specialization applicable to the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, consultative, managerial or executive capacity; or
- Education and/or experience equivalent to “1” above. However, all candidates must possess the 18 months of administrative, consultative, managerial or executive experience as described above.
Preferred
- Commitment to equitable outcomes for all students and a track record of advancing this goal through your professional work.
- Deep experience and expertise in education and workforce development.
- Wide experience working with education clients, including schools, districts, higher education, state and federal agencies, policymakers, colleges and universities, and businesses and community organizations.
- Expertise in career and technical education, postsecondary success, and/or workforce education.
- Experience in the private sector or building relationships with employers and higher education, particularly in the green economy sector.
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills; ability to organize facts and present information and figures in a clear, concise and logical manner, both spoken and in written.
- Excellent interpersonal skills in dealing with education and non-education personnel, internal and external to NYCPS.
- Ability to think strategically and translate insights into action.
- Ability to work under pressure and in a fast-paced environment.
- Creative problem-solver with the ability to perform independent, thoughtful analysis around important educational issues.
Salary: $234,000 – $254,546
(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)
