Pathways Manager - Ascend Public Charter Schools

At Brooklyn Ascend High School (BAHS), we seek a dedicated and dynamic Pathways Manager who is passionate about guiding students through their postsecondary journey. The Pathways Manager will execute a comprehensive vision for the Pathways Program, ensuring students graduate and successfully matriculate into the postsecondary opportunity of their choice. This role is pivotal in keeping our current students on track for graduation and supporting our graduates during their first two years of college and beyond, reinforcing our commitment to their long-term success. Ascend staff hold high intellectual expectations and are driven by the academic achievement and personal growth of their students, fostering a culture of joyful academic discovery and intellectual curiosity.

About Ascend

Ascend is the largest Brooklyn-based public charter school serving nearly 6,000 K-12 students in 16 schools. We exist to serve every student – to help them embody their inherent excellence by providing rich, joyful learning experiences that unlock a life of boundless choice.
Access to education is a social justice issue. As educators, we center justice and live out our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (DEIA) by ensuring that our students have the skills, tools, and confidence they need to thrive today and in the future. We are proud to have a workforce that mirrors the diversity seen in our students. Working at Ascend provides a community focused on developing an environment of support and belonging. Educators collaborate closely and encourage each other to achieve great outcomes.
Our schools honor, nurture, and challenge the whole child. Ascend fosters critical thinking skills and a love of learning through an inquiry-based learning approach, Responsive Classroom model, and anti-racist education. We are deeply committed to advancing educational equity for all of our students. Students at Ascend benefit from a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures natural curiosity about the world and guides them to think critically and independently.
Ascend invests in employees by providing ongoing professional development, coaching, and career pathways in our schools. We are proud to provide a generous benefits package, which includes flexibility in our healthcare plan, and 403(b) matching starting at year one. At Ascend, we care about our workforce’s mental health and offer services covered by insurance and additional time off for our staff to utilize for their personal care.
For more information on Ascend Public Charter Schools’ model, approach, and core values, please visit our website.

Postsecondary Access and Preparedness Management

• Oversee and Manage Counseling Schedules: Manage and track the schedules and outcomes of Pathways Counselors, ensuring alignment with program goals. Regularly update the Director of Pathways and School Leadership Team on progress.
• Strategic Planning and Execution: Ensure counselors effectively plan and execute strategies to achieve Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through consistent maintenance of College and Career Information System and by organizing enriching experiences for students and families.
• School Profile Development: Develop and distribute the school profile to provide context about BAHS and the Pathways Team, aiding in the college application process.

Alumni Engagement and Support

• Maintain Alumni Relationships: Use various communication channels to maintain regular contact with alumni, fostering success in their postsecondary pathways.
• Alumni Database Management: Establish and maintain an alumni database to track postsecondary progress, ensuring accurate records of each graduate’s career.
• Ongoing Support and Counseling: Provide ongoing counseling to alumni, with bi-monthly meetings for students 1 year out of high school and quarterly meetings for those 2 years after graduation. Regularly visit graduates on their campuses to assess progress and provide necessary support.

Credit Recovery Program Oversight

• Program Management: Maintain online platforms and materials for the Credit Recovery Program, ensuring accessibility for all students and teachers.
• Enrollment and Tracking: Enroll students in Credit Recovery based on academic records and counselor inputs, maintaining accurate rosters and family communication to achieve high attendance and completion rates.
• Workshop Development: Collaborate with counselors to create and implement engaging workshops and lessons for Friday Advisory or WIN (What I Need) blocks, supporting students in credit recovery, academic growth, and postsecondary readiness.

Staff and Reporting Relationships

The Pathways Manager reports directly to the Director of Pathways and collaborates closely with the School Leadership Team. This position supervises the Pathways Counselors and works in partnership with the Operations team to ensure seamless program execution.

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required; Certification in counseling or Master’s degree in education, counseling, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience: At least 3-5 years of experience in college counseling, academic advising, or a related area. Proven success in guiding students through college admissions or other postsecondary planning processes is highly valued, including maximizing financial opportunities for students.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with college and career counseling platforms and student information systems. Proficient in data management and analysis to inform program improvements.

Skills and Traits

• Leadership and Vision: A strong leader with a clear vision for student success, capable of inspiring and developing a team to achieve ambitious goals.
• Communication and Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with students, families, staff, and external partners.
• Adaptability and Problem-Solving: Ability to navigate complex challenges with flexibility, creativity, and a commitment to finding effective solutions that benefit students.

Compensation
Initial salary offers for this position range from $70,000 - $80,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained education.

Diversity at Ascend

Ascend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities—opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.