Middle School Academic Program Coordinator

Middle School Academic Program Coordinator

Reports to: Director of Education
Location: Hit the Books, 340 St. Nicholas Avenue, Harlem, NY
Employment Type: Part-Time
Pay: Starting at $25.00 per hour
Schedule: Afterschool Monday-Friday, with Saturdays required. Summer availability may also be required based on program needs.

About Hit the Books

Hit the Books (HTB) is a Harlem-based nonprofit learning center serving students in grades 2-8. Our mission is to expand educational opportunities in underserved communities by combining high-quality instruction, mentorship, and a sports-based youth development model, with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) serving as the foundation that engages students and inspires them to learn. We believe every student deserves meaningful relationships, engaging instruction, and caring adults who help them build confidence, character, and the skills to achieve any goal they set for themselves.

Position Overview

The Middle School Academic Program Coordinator supports the Director of Education by leading the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of academic programming for students in grades 7-8. This role serves as the instructional lead for middle school programming, ensuring students experience rigorous, engaging, and developmentally appropriate instruction while continuously strengthening curriculum, instructional practices, student engagement, and academic outcomes.

Working collaboratively with the Director of Education, Academic Program Coordinator, Academic Coaches, and Operations, the Middle School Academic Program Coordinator helps strengthen instructional systems, analyze academic data, and refine middle school programming. This role provides dedicated instructional leadership across literacy, mathematics, Advisory, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), enrichment, and i-Ready programming while preparing students for high school success.

Key Responsibilities

Academic Programming & Instructional Leadership

• Lead the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of literacy, mathematics, SEL, Advisory, enrichment, and i-Ready programming for grades 7-8.
• Collaborate with academic leadership to strengthen curriculum, lesson design, pacing, student groupings, and academic priorities.
• Monitor and strengthen implementation of HTB instructional frameworks and academic expectations.
• Design engaging learning experiences that promote academic rigor, critical thinking, student ownership, and meaningful participation.
• Analyze student work, assessment data, attendance, engagement, and instructional outcomes to inform academic decisions.
• Develop strategies that strengthen student achievement, leadership, executive functioning, engagement, and high school readiness.
• Support new academic initiatives, curriculum resources, and continuous program improvement.

Instructional Collaboration & Coaching

• Support Academic Coaches in strengthening lesson planning, instructional delivery, differentiation, and student engagement.
• Provide real-time instructional feedback and model effective instructional practices.
• Identify instructional priorities and professional learning needs in collaboration with the Director of Education.
• Serve as a thought partner in curriculum planning, instructional refinement, and long-term middle school program development.

Student Culture & Support

• Build strong relationships with middle school students while maintaining high expectations for behavior, effort, participation, leadership, and academic growth.
• Support restorative reflection, behavior interventions, family communication, and student accountability.
• Facilitate Advisory, Community Circles, leadership opportunities, and experiences that strengthen executive functioning, communication, self-regulation, responsible decision-making, and student voice.
• Maintain a safe, structured, inclusive, engaging, and academically focused learning environment.

Program Operations & Collaboration

• Collaborate with Academic Leadership, Coaches, Operations, families, and community partners to support successful middle school programming.
• Ensure lesson materials, technology, instructional resources, schedules, and student groupings are prepared for programming.
• Maintain accurate student data, instructional documentation, and program communication.
• Support special events, field trips, family engagement activities, and Learning Center operations as needed.

Qualifications

• Prior middle school teaching, instructional leadership, youth development, or academic program experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with lesson planning, curriculum development, and instructional facilitation.
• Strong understanding of adolescent learning and student engagement.
• Ability to analyze academic data and use it to inform instruction and intervention.
• Strong communication, collaboration, organization, facilitation, and classroom-management skills.
• Ability to coach and support other educators.
• Ability to build positive relationships with students, families, and colleagues.
• Passion for educational equity and youth development.
• Bachelor's degree or current enrollment in a related degree program preferred.
• Familiarity with i-Ready, literacy and mathematics instruction, restorative practices, Project-Based Learning, culturally responsive teaching, or trauma-informed practices is preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus.

Work Requirements

• Available during afterschool hours and Saturdays.
• Summer availability as needed based on program needs.
• Ability to work in person at our Harlem Learning Center.

Ideal Candidate

This position is ideal for an experienced middle school educator or instructional leader who understands adolescent learners, can turn academic data into instructional action, enjoys developing both students and educators, and is excited about helping build a rigorous, engaging, and responsive middle school academic program.

Pay: $25.00 per hour

Work Location: In person