Director of Personalized Learning

Director of Personalized Learning
Matchbook Learning & The Match High School - Indianapolis, IN

Our Vision

We believe every child, regardless of status or condition, can be deeply known, loved, and
flourishing. We are turning around what was once the lowest-performing school in the city and
state. Our mission is to personalize learning within a restorative community, fostering resilience
and excellence, while preparing students for real-world opportunities. We believe that by
supporting each student’s unique growth and passions, we can reverse cycles of generational
poverty and replace them with cycles of generational affluence—starting from Kindergarten and
continuing through high school.

Who We Are

Matchbook Learning is a non-profit organization with two charter schools:

• Matchbook – a K-8 charter restart of the former Wendell Phillips School 63 on the near Westside of Indianapolis, serving over 750 students in partnership with IPS and authorized by the City of Indianapolis.
• The Match – a brand new high school opened in 2024, designed as a full career and technical academy with dynamic vocational tracks including welding, construction, electrical and plumbing, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and more. Students apprentice in these fields while still in school through partnerships with industry leaders like ABC Construction, Gaylor Electric, Ivy Tech, and Conexus.

Our schools are bridging the systemic barriers to post-secondary success while creating a
pipeline of opportunity and possibility for our community.

Our Opportunity

Matchbook Learning and The Match are building a K-12 ecosystem that prioritizes
personalized learning as the foundation for student success. In a community where schools
have long been labeled as “failing,” we are setting a new standard—one where every learner’s
unique needs, passions, and strengths are at the center of their educational journey.

By combining the science of learning and development with technology and real-world
experiences, we are trailblazing a model that adapts to each child’s story while ensuring
mastery of critical knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to thrive.

The Director of Personalized Learning and the Director of Workforce Development will jointly
coordinate areas of overlap, including career readiness, real-world project integration, and
reflective assessments of student progress. They will participate in weekly and quarterly joint
planning meetings to align on student data, career pathways, and personalized learning
experiences.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Personalized Learning to join our
leadership team. This role will serve both our K-8 and high school programs, leading the
development, implementation, and continuous improvement of our personalized learning
model. The Director will ensure that personalized, student-centered experiences are woven into
every classroom, while working with staff and community partners to bring this vision to life.

The Director of Personalized Learning will collaborate closely with the Director of Workforce
Development, K-8 and High School Principals, and their leadership teams to ensure that every
student’s path from Kindergarten through 12th grade is built around their strengths and
interests, with clear markers of growth and success along the way.

Key Responsibilities

Personalized Learning Leadership

• In consultation with K-8 and HS leadership teams, and in partnership with the Director of Workforce Development, spearhead a collaborative process that engages diverse stakeholders in the schools (students, teachers, and staff), parents, and business and community leaders to define a set of workforce-ready graduation competencies (aligned but not limited to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development Employability Skills) to be codified in a Profile of a Matchbook Graduate (PMG).
• In partnership with the Director of Workforce Development, and in consultation with K-8 and HS leadership teams, work collaboratively with K-8 and HS educators to back-map the Profile of a Matchbook Graduate competencies into key benchmarks at each grade level or grade span.
• In partnership with K-8 and HS leadership and instructional support teams, collaborate with K-8 and HS educators to develop performance assessments – such as capstone projects, exhibitions of learning, or portfolio defenses – through which students can demonstrate PMG competency development in each grade or grade span.
• Collaborate with K-8 and HS leadership teams to embed personalized learning principles into every classroom, aligned to Indiana standards and each school’s needs.
• Create and maintain an online system for student profiles and portfolios that tracks learning (both academic achievement and PMG competencies), interests, and growth from K-12. Ensure seamless integration between this system and a system for monitoring internships for which the Director of Workforce Development is responsible.
• Identify and integrate appropriate technology, resources, and blended learning strategies to support personalized learning.
• Jointly participate in quarterly reviews and shared planning with the Director of Workforce Development to ensure personalized learning experiences complement workforce development goals and career pathway data.

Instructional Leadership

• In partnership with K-8 and HS leadership, articulate a vision for personalized learning at Matchbook.
• Champion the pedagogical, structural, and mindset shifts required for successful implementation of personalized learning.
• Continuously support all staff – teachers and leadership alike – to see the vision, understand the importance and efficacy of personalized learning and student agency, and to identify next steps that they can take (build on what they already know) to strengthen personalized learning opportunities for students.
• Support teachers in adapting instructional practices, pacing, and materials to personalize learning experiences and ensure student voice and choice are central to learning.
• Support teachers in creating learning experiences that integrate standards acquisition and PMG competency development.
• Support teachers in designing and administering performance assessments of standards and PMG competencies.
• In partnership with K-8 and HS leadership and instructional support teams, conduct regular classroom observations and provide actionable feedback to support teachers in implementing personalized learning and expanding student agency.
• In collaboration with K-8 and HS instructional support teams, create a professional development plan to build teachers’ capacity in personalized learning, competency-based learning, student agency, performance assessments, and effective use of technology.
• Lead or co-lead professional development sessions, personalizing the professional development experience for each teacher based on their proximal zone of development.
• Work with leadership to ensure personalized learning is connected to school-wide goals and culture.
• Co-host student exhibitions and portfolio reviews that highlight students’ PMG competencies

Program Development & Management

• Create a system for regularly reviewing and adjusting personalized learning plans and practices.
• Use data to refine and adapt instruction and supports.
• Work in partnership with the Director of Workforce Development to ensure personalized learning experiences are connected to real-world applications and career pathways.

AI Integration

• Promote a culture of innovation and curiosity, modeling responsible and creative AI usage for instructional staff.
• Collaborate with teachers to develop AI-enhanced unit plans and learning materials that meet the needs of diverse learners.
• Use AI to analyze student performance data and design responsive academic interventions tailored to individual needs.
• Leverage AI-powered tools (e.g., Claude, Perplexity, NotionAI, ChatGPT) to accelerate instructional planning, generate student-facing content, and personalize learning pathways.

Key Outcomes for Year One

1. Co-create a Profile of a Matchbook Graduate this is aligned to the aligned but not limited to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development Employability Skills, and that shares broad ownership and approval from Matchbook K-12 staff, students, parents, and business and community partners.
2. Co-Create benchmarks for the PMG competencies in each grade level or grade span.
3. Co-Create a vision for personalized learning at Matchbook, and work with the Director of Workforce Development to ensure personalized learning seamlessly connects to real-world experiences and pathways.
4. Create an online system for student profiles and portfolios that tracks learning (both academic achievement and PMG competencies), interests, and growth from K-12. Ensure seamless integration between this system and a system for monitoring internships for which the Director of Workforce Development is responsible.
5. Collaborate with K-8 and HS teachers to design a system of performance assessments at each grade level through which students can demonstrate PMG competencies, to be piloted next year.
6. Conduct a landscape analysis of teachers’ current understanding and capabilities related to personalized learning, competency-based education, learner agency, and performance assessments. Use this knowledge to create a strategic 3-year plan for professional development to meet highest-priority needs this year, next year, and in the next 3 years.
7. Establish a data-driven system to review progress and refine the model each semester, including student and family voice.

Participate in quarterly reviews with the Director of Workforce Development to ensure
shared success metrics and support continuous refinement of student experiences.
 

Qualifications

Education & Certification

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, or Educational Leadership preferred.
• Indiana administrator license preferred, but not required.

Experience

• 5–7 years of instructional leadership, curriculum design, or personalized learning.
• Demonstrated success implementing competency-based or personalized education models.
• Experience supporting diverse student populations and expanding access.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Strategic thinker capable of leading system-wide instructional shifts.
• Skilled in coaching teachers, leading PL communities, and facilitating adult learning.
• Ability to integrate academic, SEL, and vocational learning across departments.

Technical & Data Systems

• Proficient in AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, NotionAI) for planning and data analysis.
• Experience developing digital portfolios and tracking systems.
• Strong data literacy for refining personalized learning models.

Instructional Design & Pedagogy

• Expertise in competency-based learning, UDL, and student agency.
• Ability to support staff in implementing exhibitions, performance tasks, and student-centered curriculum.

Communication & Culture Building

• Excellent communication and ability to build culture around innovation and reflection.
• Experience hosting portfolio reviews and engaging families and communities in learning.

Mission Fit

• Strong alignment with Matchbook’s mission of personalized, career-connected learning.
• Deep commitment to equity and student-centered transformation across K–12.

• Competitive Pay Range: $80,000-$90,000 based on verified years of experience and licensure
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) with employer contribution.
• Paid Time Off: Personal and sick days.
• $2,500 in tuition reimbursement for staff pursuing education-related degrees or certifications
• A $500 referral bonus for employees who refer candidates who remain employed through Winter break
• Professional Development: Opportunities for growth through workshops and training sessions.
• Collaborative Environment: Work within a supportive, dynamic team of educators dedicated to fostering academic and social growth for all students.