Instructional Support Director of Instruction
Job Description
Our schools will be operating in-person for all staff and students for the current school year. Our schools are co-located in DOE buildings and will be following NYC protocols, which include mandated vaccinations. Our protocols will be updated as necessary based on changes in NYC protocols or additional CDC directives.
New Visions Charter High Schools (NVCHS) provide all students, regardless of their previous academic history, the highest quality education in an atmosphere of respect, responsibility and rigor. We ensure that our students have the skills and knowledge to graduate ready for college, pursue a career, and engage with the 21st century economy. We develop learning experiences that allow risk-taking, cultivate students’ imaginative and creative abilities, and celebrate achievement.
The Director of Instruction shall serve as the instructional leader and resource person for assigned content areas, promoting rigorous curriculum alignment, inquiry, and coaching and evaluation support to assigned teachers. The DI provides leadership in the school staff development activities, common assessments, and use of highly effective instructional strategies that most appropriately meets the needs of all students. The DI supports the Assistant Principal and Principal in ensuring the school provides students with the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to succeed academically and socially.
Responsibilities:
- Demonstrates expert knowledge of content area and approved curriculum
- Observes teachers in the assigned departments around classroom management, development of lessons, pacing, and other areas related to instructional practice
- Conferences with teachers to provide constructive feedback and developmental goals
- Serves as the formal supervisor of teachers in the assigned departments, responsible for performing informal and formal observations and conducting performance evaluations in accordance with the teacher rubric
- Responsible for testing, assessment design, Mock Regents and Regents administrations, grading and data review for the department and utilizes New Visions data tools, including the Data Portal, to monitor student progress
- Development and implementation of common assessments and challenge-based and project-based learning for the assigned content areas
- Manages the department in a manner that promotes positive and productive relationships between colleagues, students, parents and community
- Demonstrates a willingness to examine and implement change necessary to produce efficient and effective systems and increase student achievement
- Follows and facilitates compliance with New Visions, federal and state policies and administrative rules and regulations
- Teaches one to two classes and with an open classroom to serve as a model for other teachers
- Prepares and manages the departmental development plans in alignment with the School Plan
- Selects, uses, and interprets evaluation data, through inquiry to drive decisions and actions in support of student needs and school goals
- Cultivates and forges strong relations with students, families and key constituents
- Communicates with families regarding student progress and performance
- Is available to parents, students, administration, and colleagues outside the school day as needed
- Develops and utilizes community and professional resources to perform on-going Professional Development for team members including attending New Visions Professional Development with teachers and stays up to date on NV instructional supports for teachers
- Provides leadership to department committees for new text adoptions, and recommends supplementary materials for content tean
- Recommends outside training programs as appropriate for content team
- Serves as a coach and mentor to assigned teachers
- Monitors the curriculum-unit plans that is being taught in the classroom by the department members and utilizes New Visions core curriculum
- Creates a safe and inclusive learning environment
- Ensure a safe, supportive and productive environment for students, staff and families.
- Model effective instructional practices in staff meetings, professional development sessions and team meetings.
Secondary Job Functions:
- Stays knowledgeable and up to date on latest trends and developments within departmental content area, and recommends pilot or experimental programs for consideration
- Assists new teachers in methodology, techniques, materials, or any other function needed to enhance the new teacher’s ability to be successful
- Selects team members for any advisory committees necessary for department; makes sure that the advisory committees meet when necessary, if applicable
- Completes or assists with all surveys, forms, and state reports that are required of department by administrators or New Visions
- Makes recommendations for master schedule
Supervisory Reports:
Multiple content area teachers including one in area of expertise
Interacts with:
Entire school staff, New Visions network staff, student families and key school partners and constituents
Required Education and Experience:
- Master’s degree
- NY State or equivalent teacher certification in one of content areas being supervised
- At least 5 years as a teacher of at least one of the content areas being supervised, preferably at an urban high school, with a history of improving student achievement
- School leadership training, certification, and/or experience that is consistent with the core concepts of the New Visions Charter School Model
- Have served as a Lead Teacher or held equivalent responsibilities in coaching or mentoring teachers and in facilitating PD for teachers
- Prior supervisory experience required
- School Building Leader (SBL) certification
Required Knowledge and Skills:
- Experience teaching using alternative pedagogy and implementing pedagogical strategies and relevant to NV model including challenge based curriculum and evidence based decision making.
- Demonstrated ability to identify and use diagnostic and formative assessments
- Able to engage in and support classroom and organizational level inquiry to inform decision making
- Experience supporting a strong and positive school culture and climate
- Highly skilled in supporting teacher learning and professional development across all areas of the teacher rubric and in knowledge and skills listed herein
- Approach learning via growth mindset
- Be reflective, seek feedback, learn from those around them, and effectively apply feedback
- Demonstrate strong content knowledge
- Have a proven track record for planning lessons with clear learning objectives and a means for assessing whether those objectives have been met
- Have a proven track record for engaging students in their own learning
- Have strong organizational and communication skills
- Have demonstrated success in tailoring instruction to the needs of diverse learners
- Be committed to serving all students and respect children from all backgrounds
- Demonstrate ability to work collaboratively with others to achieve common goals
- Make informed decisions, based on evidence and data, about their lesson planning
- Passion for creating a school community that supports the development and achievement of all students, particularly those underserved and at risk in other school settings.
Who We Are
At New Visions for Public Schools, we work to make great public schools common in New York City. We believe that all of New York City’s students deserve public schools that make successful futures possible, especially Black, Latinx, and low-income students who have historically had inequitable access to a great public education. Since 1989, New Visions has been a driving force behind some of the most significant reforms to public education in New York City. Today, our diverse team of professionals develop and scale innovative tools and approaches that help educators address common challenges. Learn more about New Visions HERE.
We operate ten public charter schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens and, as a trusted partner of the NYC DOE, we help 1,600 public district schools plan for the success of over a million students citywide. In 2020-21, graduation rates in our Charter and Affinity networks were 95.4% and 89.2% and our support for postsecondary readiness has expanded exponentially.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
New Visions for Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of New Visions that all employees and applicants for employment will be treated in all respects on the basis of their merit and qualifications and without regards to their race, color, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, gender, military status, marital status, ancestry, or any other reason prohibited by law.
New Visions believes that our teams should reflect the diverse communities we serve and that our culture and internal structures should be inclusive and equitable for all employees. We also recognize that perspectives from communities that have been historically marginalized are critical to the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from individuals living in the communities that we serve or who are members of historically marginalized communities.
New Visions provides a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package in addition to the opportunity to make a significant impact on education reform and in the lives of urban youth.
