Instructional Support Program Director and Education Leadership Coach
Job Description
Our Why and What We Do
Teach Plus is a national nonprofit whose mission is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student access. The Teach Plus team exists to breathe life into the Student Opportunity Mandate: All students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, responsiveness to individual needs, and ability to prepare students for postsecondary success. At the heart of our work is advocacy for collective impact, beginning with classroom teachers.
At Teach Plus, we believe in equity-driven teacher leadership. When we invest in developing our most talented teachers into teacher leaders who are well-informed, persuasive, and prepared to lead, they have deep leverage in advancing equity for students, especially for students of color, low-income students, and those from underserved communities. To close the opportunity gap and to ensure equitable access to a world-class education for all students in the schools and communities we serve, we ignite systems change at multiple levels through our Policy Fellowship and Instructional Leadership programs designed to inspire and equip teachers. We are committed to leading change in our Equity Focus Areas.
What You’ll Do
Teach Plus has a multi-year grant to run the Chicago Network for School Improvement (NSI-Chicago), where Teacher Leaders, with the support of their NSI school network team, Education Leadership Coach, and Continuous Improvement Specialist, serve in leadership roles, leading teams of their peers in collaborative inquiry to support the work of their school-based grade level or content teams to significantly increase student achievement. Teach Plus Education Leadership Coaches develop and coach Teach Leaders as they lead change in their schools and work together as teams of high-performing educators with administrators that understand the power of shared leadership.
As a Teach Plus Illinois team member reporting to the Illinois Senior Director of Instructional Programs (SDIP), you will develop and coach a small group of Teacher Leaders, oversee the NSI program to ensure the program operates effectively and impactfully by managing systems, structures, and people, and will support continuous improvement and innovation. You will directly manage, support, and develop a collaborative team of coaches, represent the initiative with external audiences, and assist in managing the project’s logistics to ensure its success. The Program Director and Education Leadership Coach will be responsible for the following:
Team Leadership
- Leading and Supporting Program Staff: Providing effective leadership and support of four coaches with an emphasis on developing a shared vision, creating clear expectations and goals, building opportunities for regular team collaboration and communication, supporting continuous improvement and learning, and providing resources to support personal and professional growth, along with managerial duties of goal-setting and performance evaluation;
- Coaching: Provide leadership coaching and development to all staff within the portfolio through regular observation and feedback of programs;
- Serve as coach representative in the NSI Leadership team meetings.
Program Leadership
- Program/Project Management: Lead on logistics to support smooth execution of all sessions, including event management, materials, and track expenses;
- Program Design: Oversee the design and implementation of high-impact teacher leadership programming to meet the identified and emerging needs of schools; refine the curriculum for sessions aligned with the program’s objectives, budget, and evaluation feedback; design and deliver portions of the Summer Institute, a multi-day hands-on training for Teacher Leaders and professional development sessions (cohort meetings and quarterly convenings) for Teacher Leaders across the Network; identify content for cohort meetings based on the needs of teacher leaders and oversee content planning;
- Program Data and Evaluation: Supervise, document, and report on the program’s high and consistent quality delivery and fidelity and support innovation and continuous improvement of all aspects of the program; work with the National Evaluation Team to ensure implementation of comprehensive data plans; ensure coach collection of data for team learning (coaching notes, observation recordings, etc.); use data to monitor progress towards goals and make recommendations about any program modifications; and work with the Teach Plus national staff to develop systems that allow teacher leadership to be implemented more efficiently and effectively, support project sustainability, and share learnings, resources, and systems/structures across the org.
- Program Implementation: In partnership with the SDIP, oversee the design and implementation of all program components (including recruitment & selection, creation of marketing materials, summer training, cohort sessions, teacher leader coaching, and administrator check-ins/ consultations) for the program; ensure compliance with the requirements of the grant agreement collaborate with SDIP to strategize solutions for and address challenges that may arise with program implementation;
- Communications: Lead on communications for all aspects of the program, including a communication strategy with principals and key district partners, developing messaging to engage teacher leaders regularly; partner with the SDIP as a point of contact with funders, district partners, and school leaders about the program and to check-in with leaders regularly;
Coach and Support Teacher Leaders
- Meet weekly with each Teacher Leader to plan for upcoming team meetings, debrief previous meetings, and engage in leadership coaching and feedback;
- Plan and facilitate Teacher Leader cohort meetings;
- Support school leadership by serving as part of the school leadership team; meet regularly with the principal and school administration to ensure program fidelity;
- Foster High Functioning, High Impact Teacher Leader-led Teams:
- Develop strong relationships and professional collaboration with adult learners.
- Observe and strategically contribute to weekly Teacher Leader-led team meetings and professional development.
- Ensure that the primary work of each team is to improve equitable teaching and learning for all students through evidence-based continuous improvement cycles.
- Ensure that teacher-leader initiative work is based on evidence and achieves the desired impact on instructional practice and student learning.
What You’ll Need to Be Successful
- 6+ years of experience coaching teachers and/or school leaders in diverse school environments, with at least 3 years of experience managing and/or coaching others:
- Preference is given to candidates who have both a teaching and administrative background, who have leadership coaching experience, and/or have led transformative change and improved student achievement at the school/district level
- Preference is given to candidates with experience leadership coaching experience, math focus a plus
- A relentless focus on data, including analysis and using it to inform instruction and make continuous improvement decisions
- Experience in leadership development and facilitation of inquiry with teachers and/or school leaders
- Experience leading professional development, designing adult learning experiences for teachers and/or school leaders
- Commitment to and previous experience with educational equity and a belief in the power of teachers to bring about positive change for all students
Our Commitment to Diversity
To better serve the teachers and students at the core of our mission, Teach Plus is committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization. We are an equal-opportunity employer and encourage individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds and gender identities to apply to our positions.
Start Date and Term
The target start date for this position is June 2023, but it is flexible based on the candidate’s availability. This is a two-year grant-funded position, with renewal on an annual basis based on performance, funding of continued work with partners, and the organization’s needs.
Location, Travel, and Commitment
Applicants must live in the Chicagoland area. This is a school-based coaching position (minimum 2 visits per school per month) with an obligation for regular in-person coaching, attending team meetings, and in-person convenings (4 per year). Coaching sessions, cohort meetings, and internal team meetings are typically virtual.
This role requires occasional nights and weekends to support sessions and meet with teachers. Attendance is mandatory at monthly coach professional learning sessions and content planning, coach team meetings, NSI Hub retreats, NSI cohort meetings, convenings, and Summer Institutes unless approved by the manager.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is between $95,000 and $110,000. The salary offered will be determined based on the selected candidate’s specific qualifications, years of relevant experience, specialized knowledge, and internal equity. Teach Plus provides a comprehensive benefits package and time-off, including 15 vacation days, 3 personal days, 5 sick days, 13 holidays, July break, Winter break, paid parental leave, and a 4-week paid sabbatical for every five years of service.
