Operations / Administration Director of (Learner-Centered) Curriculum and Instruction
Job Description
Job Type: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Denver, Colorado
Works closely with: Head of School of Embark Education, Embark Education leadership team, Core Educators, Enterprise Team
Salary Range and Benefits: $85,000 – $117,000
Unlimited PTO Policy, Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance, STD, LTD, Life Insurance, Wellness Stipend, 401k participation with up to 6% match, annual professional development opportunities
Application Deadline: March 18, 2024
We believe that traditional hiring practices have historically and systemically marginalized entire groups of people — including people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community to name a few. We believe that we are better as an organization when we work to deconstruct the barriers intrinsic in that system so that our team has authentic representation from diverse communities, backgrounds and beliefs. Hence, we strongly encourage people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities to apply for roles within our team.
Overview
This is not an ordinary leadership role, and this is not an ordinary school. Embark Education is a micro-school embedded in a small business in North Denver that supports learners to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self. Our vision is for all community members (adults too) to learn courageously. Embark is built on three design pillars: Embedded, Integrated, and Learner-Centered.
Our mission, vision, and design pillars come to life at Embark through our learning hub–Pinwheel Coffee–with the greater Denver area as our classroom. Our curriculum is integrated into the shop operations and grounded in our competencies. Learning is rigorous and relevant to the work in the shop and the world around us. Learners at Embark never ask, “Why am I learning this?”
Position Description
The Director of Curriculum and Instruction will partner with the Head of School and our strong team of educators and enterprise team as a strategic thought partner and capacity builder. They will also lead professional learning internally for our educators seeking to grow in their learner-centered practice. Additionally, this role will include roughly 25% of direction instruction leading/co-leading instructions. Maintaining a solid connection for instruction is pivotal in leading instructional practice.
The education team comprises dynamic individuals steeped in understanding youth development, passionate about respecting and working with and alongside adolescents, and able to give s real leadership while still being accountable for measurable academics.
We know it’s a big ask and a non-traditional environment, but it will be the most fulfilling, inspiring, and impactful leadership role for the right candidate. Simply put, we are looking for a change agent who has a deep passion and understanding of adolescents.
Responsibilities in this role will include:
- Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction
- Support and coach educators and enterprise teams to strengthen the learning process through a learner-centered lens
- Development, codification, and support of embedded curriculum, both solo and in conjunction with educators and enterprise team
- Analyze academic and growth and oversee internal and external assessments( work samples, interim assessments, and performance-based assessments) to determine how to develop materials better and provide targeted high-quality teacher support.
- Build community partnerships to support across all content areas
- Identify current Embark practices for transferable learner-centered content and, where necessary, compose the tools to capture those practices
- Other duties as assigned.
- Program Development
- Desire and ability to grow and develop the skill set to present at conferences, write articles, and be a leader in the educational community
- Work with our marketing team and consultants to share our work and maintain and raise our reputation
- Have a command of the entirety of the Embark curriculum and the ability to communicate educational philosophy to parents and the education community locally, regionally, and nationally
- Develop and support professional learning opportunities both for the Embark education team but also identifies opportunities for practices at Embark to be developed into opportunities for external audiences
- Have an understanding of adult learning theories and can nimbly code-switch between students, educators, and community
- Support the school’s impact evaluation work
- Other duties as assigned
- Embark Culture
- Be an active member of the Embark community daily
- Leadership role in cultivating community partnerships, connecting students with outside experts, coordinating Discovery Days, etc.
- Step in as the primary point of learning for educators as needed, anticipated approximately 25% of your time
- Actively be a partner participant in developing culture (run Morning Meeting, restorative circles, be an Advisor)
- Assist in marketing, recruitment, admissions, and enrollment
- Demonstrate ability to manage conflict in the workplace and school setting by effectively applying conflict resolution strategies and confronting issues as they arise
- Other duties as assigned
As the ideal candidate, you bring experience or willingness to embrace the following:
- Equity, anti-bias, and anti-racism: Work with the team and learners to understand and act to address the impacts of racism and systems of oppression in our community and society.
- Learner-centered: Hold a mindset of starting first with learners and their needs to inform curriculum and instruction decisions, as well as school systems and structures. Universally, our learners and community ranked being aware and connecting with learners as their top priority.
- Collaboration: You build trusting and positive relationships with colleagues and partners through a 2-way thought partnership. You recognize and engage the skills, expertise, methods, and resources of others in shared work
- Implement: You effectively manage and implement programs. Underlying skills include:
- Organizing and coordinating ideas, tasks, and people
- Awareness of and ability to live in the details and logistics
- Communicate effectively internally and externally
- Integrated: Join an interdisciplinary (all core content areas), cross-grade level (6-8) team. Working in a deeply collaborative way with core educators and shop staff to design and implement learning experiences.
- Competency-based design and feedback: Use our competencies as the foundation of learner learning experiences. Competencies, not content, are what we teach and assess.
- Embedded: Design and facilitate learning experiences directly connected to the shop’s work or use the shop as a lens to develop a greater understanding of the world.
Minimum Qualifications
- 3+ years in instructional, programmatic or school leadership
- Bachelor’s degree + coursework or other training in school leadership (could be Master’s degree, principal licensure, etc)
Preferred Qualifications
These preferred qualifications would be nice to have in our community but not required to fill the position. If this position speaks to you, please don’t be dissuaded from applying by anything on this list.
- Current Colorado teaching license
- Experience crafting and executing the strategic plan
- Background leading support (MTSS/RTI etc.) a plus
- Background in project-based learning a plus
