Program Manager, Academics

Job Description

The Program Manager, Academics supports the implementation and continuous improvement of K12's portfolio-wide academic strategy. Working closely with the Director, Academic Strategy, this role translates strategic priorities into effective processes, tools, resources, communications, and supports that help schools strengthen academic practice and student outcomes.
The Program Manager plays a key role in managing the K12 School Playbook process, analyzing implementation and performance information, identifying trends and effective practices across schools, and supporting the development and adoption of scalable academic solutions. This is an individual contributor role requiring strong academic knowledge, analytical thinking, project management, and the ability to coordinate complex work across teams and schools.

Essential Functions: Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Support implementation of K12's academic strategy by translating priorities into plans, processes, tools, resources, and school-facing supports.
• Manage key components of the annual K12 School Playbook process, including timelines, templates, guidance, communications, review workflows, documentation, and follow-up.
• Support review of school Playbooks to promote quality, coherence, and alignment with K12 expectations.
• Coordinate the Playbook review and feedback process, track required revisions and emerging themes, and support consistent application of established quality standards.
• Analyze Playbooks, implementation evidence, academic performance, engagement, graduation, and accountability data to identify common strengths, challenges, and opportunities across schools.
• Synthesize findings across schools and help identify, document, and share effective and evidence-informed practices that can be scaled across the portfolio.
• Develop and maintain academic frameworks, implementation guides, tools, exemplars, resources, and other materials that support strong Tier 1 academic practices and consistent execution.
• Support implementation and monitoring of academic initiatives, identify implementation barriers, and recommend adjustments based on data and school feedback.
• Partner with school and portfolio leaders to gather feedback, understand implementation needs, and support effective adoption of academic priorities and practices.
• Develop and coordinate professional learning, communications, and resources related to academic strategy, the School Playbook, and priority academic practices.
• Manage project plans, timelines, deliverables, documentation, and cross-functional coordination for assigned academic initiatives.
• Collaborate with Accountability, Assessment, Research, Curriculum and Instruction, School Services, Transformation, Special Programs, School Counseling, Career Readiness, and other teams to support aligned implementation.
• Prepare analyses, summaries, presentations, and recommendations for the Director, Academic Strategy and other leaders related to academic performance, Playbook implementation, emerging trends, and strategic initiatives.
• Support continuous improvement by monitoring implementation and outcomes, gathering stakeholder feedback, and recommending improvements to academic processes, tools, and supports.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in education, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Five (5) or more years of related experience in K–12 education, instructional leadership, academic programs, school support, project or program management, or a related field; OR
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex projects or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience using academic or student performance data to identify trends and support decision-making.

Certificates and Licenses: None required.

Other Required Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of effective K–12 instructional practices and systems supporting student academic success.
• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative information, identify patterns, and translate findings into clear recommendations and resources.
• Strong project and program management skills, including managing timelines, deliverables, dependencies, and multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to develop clear, practical tools, guidance, resources, and communications for school or instructional audiences.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to maintain quality and consistency across complex processes and deliverables.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and organizational levels and influence without direct authority.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Strong organizational skills, initiative, and results orientation in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master's degree in education, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Experience as a teacher, instructional coach, school leader, or district/network academic staff member.
• Experience in virtual education.
• Experience supporting schools across multiple locations or states.
• Experience with school academic planning, instructional frameworks, continuous improvement processes, or implementation monitoring.
• Knowledge of state accountability systems, academic performance measures, assessment, MTSS, and graduation outcomes.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position is virtual and open to residents of the 50 states, D.C.

  Compensation & Benefits: Stride, Inc. considers a person’s education, experience, and qualifications, as well as the position’s work location, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value when determining a new employee’s salary level. Salaries will differ based on these factors, the position’s level and expected contribution, and the employee’s benefits elections. Offers will typically be in the bottom half of the range.

  We anticipate the salary range to be $66,379.50 - $87,000.00 per year. The upper end of this range is not likely to be offered, as an individual’s compensation can vary based on several factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, geographic location, experience, training, education, and local market conditions. Eligible employees may receive a bonus. Stride offers a robust benefits package for eligible employees that can include health benefits, retirement contributions, and paid time off. The above job is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor. All employment is “at-will” as governed by the law of the state where the employee works. It is further understood that the “at-will” nature of employment is one aspect of employment that cannot be changed except in writing and signed by an authorized officer.

Job Type

Regular

The above job is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor. All employment is “at-will” as governed by the law of the state where the employee works. It is further understood that the “at-will” nature of employment is one aspect of employment that cannot be changed except in writing and signed by an authorized officer.

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you can request the appropriate accommodation by contacting .

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Stride, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants receive consideration for employment based on merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. complies with all legally required affirmative action obligations. Applicants will not be discriminated against because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

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