East Central

Position Title: Regional Centers of Excellence-School Advocate: Minnesota’s Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs) develop partnerships with education systems, leaders and staff to promote equity-focused school transformation, through meaningful engagement and ongoing improvement to sustain change. We provide on-the-ground assistance and coaching that is guided by the foundational belief that each and every learner graduates life-ready from culturally sustaining school systems.

Guiding Principles: RCE team members value relationships and collaboration. To advance equity-focused school transformation, we are empathetic, curious, and committed. We use critical thinking and embrace partnerships with schools, communities, families and students.

Program Goals: Through its partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education and six Minnesota Service Cooperatives, the Regional Centers of Excellence (RCE) provide a broad range of support for schools and districts across the entire state. The work of the RCE’s is aligned with the outcomes outlined in Minnesota’s Due North Education Plan, along with the state’s federally legislated Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, designed to improve reading and mathematics proficiency, attendance and graduation rates and progress in English language proficiency. Our service model also includes support for principal and district leadership, school climate and support for American Indian Education.

What will I be doing?

• Providing on site and virtual coaching focused on achieving equitable outcomes: Advocates work with building and district leaders, leadership teams, and staff to support the development of sustainable plans for improvement and implement evidence-based practices within the Minnesota Multi-tiered System of Supports framework. Our coaching is context based and responsive to the unique needs of the education system.
• Supporting education systems to implement the following high-leverage approaches that may include:
  • Anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable practices, policies, and cultures
  • Multiple and flexible pathways that promote deep learning as well as student voice and choice
  • Shared, data-informed decision-making amongst educators, students, families, and community members
  • Standards-based and standards-aligned in curriculum design, instruction, and assessment
  • Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) using a systemic, continuous improvement framework in which data-based problem solving and decision-making is practiced across all levels of the educational system to support students
  • Trusting relationships between and among students, families, and educators
  • Professional learning communities
• Engaging in focused conversations with district and school leaders to build capacity for equity-focused school transformation: Advocates build trusting and respectful relationships with system stakeholders to collaboratively identify and address inequities within the system. They actively advocate for meaningful family, student and community engagement in the school transformation process, that includes a variety of diverse perspectives and is inclusive of voices not traditionally prioritized.
• Collecting data and reflecting on practice in cycles of learning and improvement: Advocates partner with school leaders and teams to identify and implement evidence based practices using the Active Implementation Framework.
• Learning and reflecting together with colleagues: Advocates continually develop their own professional capacity in addition to learning collaboratively with a team.
• Designing and facilitating relevant and interactive professional development experiences and resources: Advocates work in partnership with stakeholders to co-create learning experiences and resources that are contextualized and tailored to needs of the setting.

What qualities do I need to succeed in this role?

• A commitment to equity and equitable practices:  RCE advocates share a commitment to equitable education for EVERY student. They have the commitment and the desire to improve the quality of education for students across the state of Minnesota. An RCE advocate should demonstrate bravery to challenge inequities in our educational systems and the strategic acumen to get results.
• A consistent use of evidence based best practices:  RCE advocates have the belief that using high leverage, evidence based practices to meet the individual needs of the partner schools and districts will provide meaningful and sustainable outcomes for students and families. Advocates are skilled at adapting best practices and have the courage of conviction to support educators in adopting these practices for the benefit of students.
• A familiarity with using data and research to make decisions:  RCE advocates are familiar with identifying and using multiple data sources available to schools and districts. Advocates are comfortable reviewing, discussing and using this data to identify areas for growth and then making recommendations and plans for next steps based on the data.
• A lifelong love of learning:  RCE advocates enjoy developing themselves personally and professionally by acquiring new skills and learning. Advocates enjoy learning with and from their colleagues, schools, and the communities in which they work to stay informed of evolving best practices in education, implementation science, data analysis, and equitable practices.
• The ability to be self-motivated:  RCE advocates are self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a diverse team to work towards positive results. Advocates are able to prioritize among competing demands to manage multiple projects, identify strategic priorities, and navigate challenges that arise to push through to positive solutions.
• A passion for working collaboratively:  RCE advocates are dependable with colleagues, supportive of others, and able to tackle a challenge as part of a group. Advocates value diversity, respect different ideas, and openly address concerns with colleagues. Advocates collaborate easily with a variety of stakeholders through active listening strategies, soliciting feedback through a variety of methods, providing access to data, and setting clear shared goals.

Our Commitment to Diversity: The RCEs serve diverse communities across Minnesota. We strive to be a team that reflects the communities in which we partner. We encourage candidates who speak multiple languages to join us as we recognize that many of the communities we work with have significant language diversity. Speaking a language in addition to English is not required, but is a beneficial additional skill.

Position Location: While the Central Lakes Regional Center of Excellence is part of the Resource Training & Solutions Service Cooperative, located in Sartell, Minnesota, our team members serve schools across Central Minnesota, including within Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding suburbs. You will be traveling to schools on a frequent basis from your home or service cooperative office, including periodic overnight travel. Travel costs (mileage, meals, hotel) are reimbursed and home office equipment and cellular service is provided. Your weekly schedule is designed to be flexible in order to accommodate the needs of the schools in your region and may vary from day-to-day.