Job Opportunity at Tanzanian Children’s Fund, Education Director

We are looking for an education expert with experience in school leadership and teaching to help lead the secondary school we co-manage so the facility can become and remain a model institution.

As our Secondary School Education Director, you will be a member of our senior staff and act as the organization’s main contact for the secondary school that we co-manage with the District Government, Oldeani Secondary School (OSS). You will take the lead in managing this contract, with the goal of making OSS one of the top schools in the region, and ultimately assist the institution to be one of the top-performing schools in Tanzania. In this pursuit, you will fight to raise standards of education, ensure that all students in our community have the opportunity for a first-rate secondary education, and improve the school environment in order to attract the best teachers.

The Secondary School Education Director will work cohesively with the Tanzanian school leadership and teachers to establish a rapport with faculty and identify the school’s greatest needs. OSS is an impoverished, rural, government school, working in partnership with the Head Master, the Secondary School Education Director will coordinate, facilitate and/or create teacher trainings, curriculum supplementation, and administrative schedules to help address issues and concerns. You will spend most of your time at Oldeani Secondary School working closely with school leadership, in order to ensure the Oldeani Secondary School reaches its short-term and long-term goals.

The specifics of this job include but are not limited to:

Training and Personal Development

• Plan and deliver seminars (at least one each term) for teachers about relevant teaching pedagogies.
• Conduct regular classroom observations of teachers and give them prompt and accurate feedback about how to build their teaching practice.
• When needed carry out departmental or 1-1 meetings with teachers to discuss ways in which to improve teaching and learning strategies.
• Create personal development plans for teachers and provide regular coaching to ensure teachers reach their goals.
• When needed arrange study tours for teachers and school staff to other institutions for training purposes.
• When needed co-teach with OSS teachers in order to demonstrate new teaching and learning techniques.

Academic Planning and Delivery

• Spend the majority of your time at Oldeani Secondary School working closely with OSS school Leadership to ensure the school reaches its short-term and long-term goals.
• Together with OSS school leadership ensure the supervision and implementation of the school timetable at all times.
• Carry out daily school walks in order to gain a general observation of the school’s daily operations.
• Together with OSS school leadership make and constantly review academic plans and strategies for the academic year.
• Together with OSS school leadership track and monitor the progress of students (especially in examination classes) and come up with strategies to support the students in their studies (holiday programs, remedial classes, round-table discussions, etc).
• Support the academic office with planning and creating school schedules (whole school timetable, extracurricular activities, examination schedules, school calendar, etc).
• Advise and support OSS school leadership on key academic decisions and strategies that aim to bring about the best learning environment for students.
• Together with OSS school leadership plan and deliver key school events (school trips, graduation, awards ceremonies, teacher appreciation events, etc).

Resource and Curriculum Development

• Quickly master/study the Tanzanian curriculum and national examination structure and demands in order to create examination-taking strategies to improve student performance.
• Work with teachers to create teaching resources that can enhance students’ understanding of key learning objectives in Tanzania’s secondary education curriculums.
• Ensure that OSS has sufficient essential teaching and learning materials, whilst continually identifying and planning any potential future needs.
• Support teachers and OSS school leadership to come up with resources that can best prepare students for their national examinations (bank of questions, examinations).

Student Wellness

• Together with OSS school leadership come up with ways to motivate and award students who demonstrate good behavior or improved academic performance.
• Be a role model to the OSS community about using positive discipline and alternative punishments to corporal punishment.
• Run training sessions with OSS’s community about student wellness in relation to school needs.
• Together with OSS School leadership plan and implement effective extracurricular activities that focus on improving student’s well-being and awareness on key issues.
• Carry out daily school walks in order to gain a picture of the effectiveness of school guardianship.
• Support the Sports Department to ensure sports and games become an important part of school life and that sports facilities and materials are used effectively.
• Together with OSS school leadership plan and deliver regular sessions for students that focus on promoting awareness to students on key issues (guest speakers, short talks, trainings).
• Together with OSS school leadership identify students who may need counseling and guidance.
• Together with OSS teachers and RVCF social workers ensure OSS students under the care of RVCF are supported in their education both at school and at home.
• Together with OSS teachers and RVCF social workers ensure OSS students under the care of RVCF are supported in their education both at school and at home.

People Management

• Oversee OSS staff performance-related pay initiatives (money bonus program).
• Together with OSS school leadership monitor OSS staff performance and behavior, ensuring they are following the Tanzanian Ministry of Education’s policies (punctuality, carrying out teaching and other assigned duties, not using corporal punishment, etc).
• Together with OSS school leadership promptly correct any OSS staff discipline issues and follow the relevant disciplinary procedures as required.
• Together with RVCF Director of Education and OSS school leadership plan and conduct the hiring process for OSS-RVCF staff (teachers, cooks, security guards, etc).
• Supervise the RVCF Oldeani Secondary School Project Coordinator in quickly handling OSS employee requests with RVCF main office (payments, insurance, health care, and other policies).
• Supervise the RVCF Oldeani Secondary School Project Coordinator in all of their responsibilities (project operations, human resources, record keeping, and monitoring and evaluation) to ensure they carry out their duties properly.
• Liaise with RVCV Director of Education on a regular basis giving updates on OSS’s development.

Boarding Programme and Hostel Management

• Together with OSS and RVCF Leadership ensure effective supervision, care, and support for all students living at OSS’s Boarding Program and RVCF’s Hostel for Secondary school students.
• Together with OSS and RVCF Leadership ensure students in OSS’s Boarding Program and RVCF’s Hostel are provided with additional support when needed in their studies.
• Supervise the RVCF Oldeani Secondary School Project Coordinator in ensuring key operations for OSS’s Boarding Program and RVCF’s Hostel run efficiently.
• Work closely with RVCF’s Director of Education and OSS school Leadership in developing and implementing strategic plans for OSS’s transition to becoming a full boarding school.

Partnership Management

• Build and upkeep a strong relationship between the government, OSS staff members, the wider school community and RVCF.
• Together with the OSS Head Master ensure both Karatu District Council and RVCF are honoring the agreements made in the joint management contract of Oldeani Secondary School.

Other Responsibilities

• Review semester and year-long school performance of the RVCV children who attend OSS and identify areas of needed growth and foci for tutoring during evenings and school vacations.
• Manage the selection process for post-secondary school scholarship opportunities.
• Act as supervisor of Student Teachers or other such positions in all work related to OSS.
• Work closely with RVCF Leadership to ensure evening study hall and extra tuition classes for secondary school students living at RVCV are running smoothly and effectively.
• Work closely with RVCF Social Workers to ensure all secondary school students living at RVCV have all equipment and materials necessary for secondary education.
• Attend RVCF Senior Staff morning meetings twice a week at RVCV in order to provide regular updates about progress at OSS.
• Attend a weekly Student-Teacher dinner at RVCV Volunteer House.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum of two years school or teacher management experience
• ESOL/TOEFL certificate preferred
• Valid teacher’s or administrator’s license/certificate preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Ability to engage children, faculty, and volunteers
• Ability to live in a rural, remote area
• Strong team-building skills and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to service
• School leadership or curriculum development experience
• Overseas working/volunteering experience helpful
• Native English speaking ability
• Knowledge of Swahili helpful
• 2-year commitment

November 2021 start date

Benefits:

• $1,000 monthly stipend
• $2,000 airfare allowance/year
• Room and Board including private apartment, all meals, internet, local phone, and housekeeping support; transport to town as needed. Please note that our Room and Board package only accommodates the individual candidate
• Health insurance for the term of service
• Required visas and permits for employment
• Paid off-days and paid annual leave during the week(s) and/or month(s) that correspond directly with school breaks. (Minimum of 28 days per year of commitment)

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