ABOUT US

The Primary School is creating a new school model that brings together all of the adults in a child’s life, including parents, educators, and medical and mental health providers, starting from a very early age. We recognize the entrenched racism that exists within our public systems and the unjust impact this has had on families of color. Our aim is that children and families most impacted by systemic poverty and racism receive the multidisciplinary support they deserve to be well, learn, and thrive. 

Long-term, we hope to create a game-changing model that can be replicated across the country. As we continue to learn and grow, we plan to share what we’ve learned and pursue policy and systems change. We are supported by a growing coalition of philanthropic partners, building on the generous support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Our approach has three defining characteristics:

• We start early. We start working with children as young as 12 months and provide full-time school starting at age three to reach them at a critical stage in development. 
• We partner with parents. We believe that when parents thrive, children thrive, so we support the wellness and growth of parents alongside the growth of their children.
• We integrate services. Our unique model unites health care and education, building a multi-disciplinary team and holistic system of care around a child’s full needs.

In 2016, we opened our flagship school in East Palo Alto, California, with our first class of four year olds. We have grown to serve over 400 children and their families through our Early Family Foundations program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary/middle school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2021, we opened our second site in the East Bay.

ABOUT OUR EAST PALO ALTO SITE

We are continuing to grow our East Palo Alto site and are excited to launch 8th grade for our 2025-2026 school year. In our school program, we currently serve approximately 300 students across two preschool grades (3 and 4 year olds) and kindergarten through seventh grade. Integrated into our program are the other core components of our model including our parent program - partnering closely with parents throughout their child’s development and providing wellness programming for caregivers; our Early Family Foundations program - coordinating early developmental screenings and intervention services; and our medical home partnerships - working with existing health care providers in the community to coordinate care for children.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Primary School is seeking a skilled individual and leader to manage our parent wellness programming at our East Palo Alto site. We believe deeply in the power of all parents to drive positive academic and health outcomes for their children, and as such, our parent program is a cornerstone of the TPS model. We work closely with parents of all children to integrate support across early childhood, health, and school systems and leverage parent strengths to drive the highest possible return on investment for adults and children.

The Parent Wellness Coaching Manager will oversee the implementation of our parent coaching program. The Manager will report to the East Palo Alto Director of Parent and Early Family Foundations Programs, and will work closely with the Manager of Early Family Foundations and existing program teams to ensure successful implementation of the core The Primary School model. The manager will also manage several coaches.

The manager will have a strong track record of working with families and/or community members in social services, health, early childhood and/or parent supports; managing a talented and diverse team of staff; and developing and implementing programs.

This role reports to the Director of Parent Program & 2-Gen and will be a part of the Parent Program team. This position follows a year-round calendar.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: Hybrid 

*Only internal applications will be considered for this position

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program management

• Work with program leaders to refine and implement program as designed
• Project manage the operations and materials revision for programming 
• In consultation with program leadership, iterate on components of select programming to improve how that programming meet the  needs of 1) families receiving the programming and 2) staff tasked with implementing the program
• Identify ways to align content from one component of the program to others, to provide a more holistic and seamless experience for families that reinforce key messages
• Partner with parent wellness coaching program, health team, and, close to the point of preschool entry, school leadership to create alignment between programs
• Compile materials including descriptions of processes and structures for implementation into one Guide to Implementation
• Guide staff on the use of program materials for implementation
• Ensure smooth collaboration between Parent Wellness and 0-3 teams
• Attend relevant Parent Wellness Coaching Staff meetings, trainings and events, as well as hold regular 1:1 check ins with program leadership, to stay up-to-date on the parent program and to ensure alignment
• Work with the manager of new 0-3 parent coaches to co-design onboarding of new 0-3 coaches to 0-3 programming, outlining what training will happen within 0-3 program and what training will happen within coaching program
• Serve as the direct contact for Family Success Coaching work; plan and implement with FSC manager relevant staff training, family experiences, communications about resources, etc.
• Support Birth-to-Three senior manager in creating and managing communications to families
• Enrollment & welcome materials
• Weekly birth-to-three newsletter to families or other digital resources
• Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to ensure program quality and continuous improvement.
• Troubleshoot and problem solve cross-program issues as needed
• Ensure metrics of success are being consistently met.
• Other responsibilities as necessary

Direct program delivery

• Deliver group programming as a supportive facilitator as needed, potentially within Foundations, Attachment Vitamins and Bridge to Preschool 
• Deliver individual programming as needed, potentially including Welcome meetings, ASQs, and Children’s Circles

Team culture and management

• Provide clarity, alignment, groundedness and solutions to challenges of the program and the team
• Work with Director or Birth to  senior manager to identify opportunities for professional development, plan team building experiences and support leading team meetings and team retreats
• Manage and coach 1 direct report 

Administration and operations

• Work with the Senior Manager of Birth-to-Three and functional experts to ensure smooth day-to-day program operations, including scheduling, program assignments, space planning, and program budgeting and expense management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5-10 years of experience supporting adults and families who have experienced trauma and/or crises, in the mental health, public health, education, and/or social services fields.
• Experience working within 2-generation programs: leading program components in support of delivering direct service to caregivers
• Ability to lead and coach others to deliver group-based and individual programming.
• Team first mindset; experience collaborating across internal and external stakeholders.
• Embody empathy and embrace cultural differences, recognizing how to navigate groups and individuals representing a range of needs, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Ability to stay organized and manage time across multiple priorities.
• Highly self-aware and self motivated, and humble.
• Recognize that working with families often requires work on evenings and weekends.
• Successful record of developing and managing staff in a strengths-based approach to working with families.
• Ability to anticipate and address problems and navigate your team towards effective solutions.
• Adaptable and flexible; comfort with ambiguity and environments that change course as needed.
• Belief in the mission of The Primary School and that all children and families are capable of extraordinary things.
• Bilingual in Spanish speaking, and proficient in written Spanish 

A Plus If

• Experience working in the East Palo Alto community.
• Expertise in child development and/or adult wellness practices.

COMPENSATION

Annual salary range begins at $78,200; compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health benefits (medical, dental, and vision), 401k retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), dependent care FSA, and generous paid time off, including a competitive paid parental leave benefit. TPS will cover 93% of the total premium cost for individual team members in our HMO and PPO plans, and 95% for individual team members in our HDHP plan. TPS also covers 50% of enrolled partners and/or dependents' costs on all three of our medical plans (HMO,PPO, HDHP). Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to offer sponsorship. 

To ensure fair and equitable compensation for all of our employees, The Primary School has a no-negotiation policy on all offers extended. Final offers are determined using role descriptions, job market data, internal parity, and semi-annual benchmarking. Our goal is  that this policy, paired with ongoing transparency in our compensation process, will make TPS a more fair, inclusive, and diverse workplace. 

HOW TO APPLY

TPS values diversity (please see our commitment to DEI); people of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please complete the online application and submit your most recent resume. These short-answer questions are designed to replace a cover letter, so take your time with them and copy in your answers from a separate document. If you feel that the questions do not accurately capture what you have to offer The Primary School, you are also welcome to attach a cover letter. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit yours soon. We look forward to reading your application!

The Primary School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Primary School complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.