WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!
At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you’ll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.
In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You’ll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key—you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.
Together, we are Proving What’s Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
A TEACHING CAREER IN IPS OFFERS…
Purpose and Impact:
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Students First: Teaching for IPS is a rewarding opportunity to support bright, curious students as they shape their futures. We hold ourselves to the highest expectations of excellence, focusing on students’ holistic needs during their educational journey with us.
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Community: Working in a school means it is your home away from home, and you have a school family who supports you and leads with empathy and vision.
Professional and Personal Growth:
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Grow Your Career: We offer professional development and career advancement opportunities, including dedicated mentorship programs for early career teachers.
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Generous Compensation: We’re proud to offer the highest teacher starting pay in Indianapolis and one of the most competitive in the state, with teachers earning $53,460 - $94,000 depending on experience, plus a generous benefits package. Our teacher salaries are continually on the rise, as IPS regularly advocates for stronger teacher compensation.
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Access to Financial Benefits: Working in IPS makes it possible to benefit from federal programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF), helping reduce the financial burden of student loans.
Work-Life Balance and Well-being:
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Comprehensive Health Insurance: Access top-tier health plans covering medical, dental, and vision needs, plus IPS offers a private clinic for staff and their families through our partners at Ascension St. Vincent.
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Flexible Wellness Leave: Take the time you need to care for yourself and your family with our generous leave policies. Teachers receive 70 hours of sick leave in their first year (56 hours annually after) for illness, family, or mental health, plus three personal days, two floating holidays, and school breaks. Unlimited accumulated sick leave adds flexibility, supporting teachers’ health and work-life balance.
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Incentivized Discounts through IPS Wellness Program: Opportunities to earn hundreds of dollars off your medical premium by participating in proactive and simple health screenings, plus discounted group fitness classes, health and fitness assessments, personal training, and more.
Commitment to Excellence:
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High Standards: Strive for the very best in all you do, maintaining high standards for yourself, your students, and your colleagues. Embrace lifelong learning and adapt to new teaching methods and challenges.
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Educational Equity: IPS is deeply committed to breaking down systemic inequities. We do this by “walking the walk” on new policies and practices, building diverse and inclusive classrooms and staff teams, and ensuring our environments are grounded in our values of respect, inclusivity, and educational equity.
Resilience and Passion:
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Dedication to Students: Put students at the heart of your work. Be passionate about their success and well-being.
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Adaptability: Handle adversity with resilience and flexibility. Be prepared for a dynamic work environment.
Professional Integrity:
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Ethical Conduct: Uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. Act responsibly and respectfully toward all individuals, communicate with candor and care.
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Team Player: Be dependable, punctual, and collaborative, contributing positively to our supportive work environment.
Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it’s a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove What’s Possible – in your career and in your school. If you’re ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.
SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
The Senior Coordinator of Career Pathways serves as the strategic architect and operational manager of
Indianapolis Public Schools' comprehensive professional growth and internal talent pipelines. Reporting directly
to the Executive Director of Professional Learning Strategy, this role establishes required competencies,
designs rigorous learning plans, and creates high-impact application opportunities to bridge theoretical
knowledge with school-based practice.
The Senior Coordinator oversees a diverse portfolio of selective leadership academies, teacher apprenticeship
programs, and instructional cohorts designed to accelerate career progression, mitigate leadership turnover,
and build a resilient internal talent bench. By managing end-to-end recruitment, curriculum development,
facilitator selection, and data-driven program evaluation, this position directly ensures that the district's talent
development systems cultivate high-performing educators and leaders deeply aligned with community needs.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Education, Business
Administration, or a closely related field required. Master’s degree and/or valid Educator Licensure
strongly preferred.
- Experience: * Minimum of 3–5 years of increasing responsibility in designing, implementing, and scaling
organizational talent development or leadership pipeline strategies.
- Proven experience building comprehensive training curriculum, managing high-stakes cohorts,
and designing practice-based learning assignments.
- Experience directly managing or heavily supporting teacher development programs,
apprenticeships, or academic leadership initiatives is highly desirable.
- Systems & Tools: Proficiency with Learning Management Systems (LMS), HR software data entry,
evaluation platforms, and virtual presentation software
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Talent Pipeline Strategy & Instructional Design
- Competency Framework Development: Define core competencies, skills, and success profiles across
various instructional and leadership tiers to proactively address district skill gaps.
- Learning Plan Architecture: Conceptualize, structure, and refine specialized professional learning paths,
ensuring adult learning experiences incorporate job-embedded simulations, case studies, and concrete
application checkpoints.
- Cohort Recruitment & Selection: Lead the strategic marketing, application review, recruitment, and
rigorous selection processes for all centralized leadership and teacher pathways.
- Facilitator & Vendor Cultivation: Source, recruit, and onboard highly effective internal facilitators,
external consultants, and subject matter experts to deliver impactful, industry-standard training content.
2. Leadership Academy Portfolio Management
- Aspiring Leaders Academy (ALA): Direct the programming and execution for rising district personnel
seeking central office leadership or initial school building administrator roles (e.g., Deans, Assistant
Principals).
- Aspiring Principals Academy (APA): Oversee the executive pipeline for sitting Assistant Principals
transitioning into the principalship. Manage the programmatic integration of practice-based learning
strands, external systems training, executive coaching, and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)
360-degree assessment process.
3. Registered & Pre-Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathways
- Registered Apprenticeship Delivery: Establish robust on-the-job learning plans that translate university
theoretical content into practical classroom applications. Coordinate and facilitate recurring monthly
learning sessions to build apprentices' professional toolkits.
- Apprentice Coach Development: Architect a comprehensive learning and support sequence for
Apprenticeship Coaches. Equip coaches with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively model best
practices, provide high-quality feedback, and evaluate apprentice competency attainment for formal
sign-offs.
- Pre-Registered Apprenticeship Support: Coordinate baseline professional exposure opportunities and
serve as the central touchpoint for the pre-apprenticeship cohort completing preliminary coursework.
4. Instructional Literacy & Specialty Cohorts
- LETRS Cohort Oversight: Manage all operational and academic logistics for the district’s LETRS
(Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) cohorts. Schedule formal training sessions,
track online module completion compliance, and design "Bridge to Practice" application assignments to
monitor real-world instructional impact.
- Teacher Leadership Centralization: Collaborate across cross-functional district teams to centralize, align,
and publicize scattered teacher leadership opportunities. Coach external department leads on effective
instructional design to ensure their localized programs maintain rigorous learning plans.
5. Data Analytics, ROI, & Support Systems
- Impact & Evaluation Metrics: Formulate, collect, and analyze comprehensive data sets for all managed
pathways—tracking participant satisfaction, competency benchmarks, on-the-job knowledge application,
and long-term placement velocity.
- Strategic Reporting: Regularly evaluate and report on talent pipeline KPIs, retention numbers, and
program ROI to senior leadership to justify and continuously refine talent development strategies.
- Cohort Support & Field Presence: Spend 2–3 days per week visiting cohort members and educators at
their school locations to perform developmental walkthroughs, provide personalized coaching, and
evaluate program health on-site.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Thinking & Pathway Architecture: An innovative planner capable of synthesizing long-term
workforce needs into clear, sequential competency-building pathways.
- Leadership Development Expertise: Deep expertise in executive coaching methodologies, 360-degree
leadership assessments (e.g., LPI), and building strong leadership pipelines.
- Program Evaluation & Data Literacy: Strong capability in establishing data collection frameworks,
utilizing spreadsheets and LMS tools, and analyzing participant growth to report clear program impacts.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Exceptional interpersonal skills to manage diverse stakeholders, align
multiple central office departments, and mentor school-based staff effectively
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None.
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to find, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee is required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and humid conditions and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
DISCLAIMER:
The above job description is designed to denote the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of employees assigned to this job.
