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Teacher U -
Director of Math and Science or Director of Humanities Location: New York, United States Institution Type: Nonprofit Position Type: Director Submitted: Thursday, May 21st, 2009
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Position: Director of Math and Science or Director of Humanities Reports to: Director of Teaching and Learning Location: New York, New York Program A fast-growing, non-profit, start-up organization, Teacher U aims to develop and deliver high-impact training for New York City district and charter public school teachers. It grows out of the work of three of the country’s most effective charter school organizations – Uncommon Schools, KIPP, and Achievement First (UKA). In partnership with Hunter College, Teacher U currently trains mostly novice elementary and middle school teachers over a two-year period, giving them the practical tools they need to excel in their classrooms. They receive provisional certification at the start of the program, permanent certification when they finish, and a Master’s degree from Hunter College based on generating student growth and achievement. There are five key elements that distinguish the Teacher U program: • Great Teaching: We practice what we teach. Teacher U faculty members are themselves master teachers and professors who model the best techniques from K-12 and adult education and have demonstrated student achievement in their classrooms and schools. Faculty members receive regular feedback from enrolled teachers so that they held are accountable for – and continually adapt and improve – their instruction. • Video: Teacher U captures real moments of great teaching on video, which faculty show to illustrate the practices that can be immediately put to use in classrooms. Enrolled teachers share and receive regular feedback on videos of their own teaching. Like athletes reviewing game film, our enrolled teachers consistently use video to guide their own improvement. • Student Achievement: Teacher U aims to help enrolled teachers generate and demonstrate genuine student achievement gains over two years. There is a sense of urgency about producing real student learning but also a commitment to providing the instructional and assessment tools that are required for enrolled teachers to be successful. At the end of the program, enrolled teachers must make the case that their students achieved in order to receive a master’s degree. • Character Growth and Development: As much as Teacher U emphasizes academic instruction, it is also committed to preparing teachers to help students grow and develop the character they need to be successful in school and in life. • Collaboration: Teacher U is a highly collaborative enterprise. Curriculum planning and design work began with the three UKA partner organizations, which are committed to growing strong schools that close the achievement gap and to sharing their practices with others. Hunter College faculty members have also helped shape, build, implement, and oversee the program. Teach For America has been an important partner, too, in creating a program that meets the needs of TFA corps members in New York City. Teacher U understands the challenge of pursuing certification and a master’s degree while shouldering a full teaching load. Thus, we have constructed a program to fit the schedules of busy teachers. On periodic Saturdays during the school year and during a portion of the summer, dynamic professors from leading educational institutions and master teachers from some of the most successful K-12 classrooms in the country lead enrolled teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to lead their students to demonstrably remarkable annual achievement gains. The Position The Director of Math and Science or the Director of Humanities will play a critical role in supporting UKA Teacher U as it navigates the start-up phase and establishes itself as a high-performing organization. The Director will serve as a key member of the academic team and have responsibility in both developing and implementing Math and Science or in Humanities curricula for the teacher training program. The Director will report directly to, and work closely with, the Director of Teaching and Learning. The Director will also collaborate with Teacher U faculty to design, teach, and revise courses that lead to gap-closing student achievement. To ensure that TU’s course offerings reflect the cutting edge of both outstanding educational practice and research, the Director will be responsible for visiting, documenting, and “curricularizing” the work of high-performing public schools; surveying and relaying impactful educational literature; and attending subject-specific conferences. The Director of Math and Science will be responsible for the following: • Developing curriculum for Teacher U courses in concert with TU faculty, the Director of Teaching and Learning, and university partners; • Serving as the primary point of contact for Teacher U faculty and enrolled teachers for academic issues pertaining to Math and Science; • Teaching large- and/or small-group classes in math and/or science at Teacher U. • Becoming an expert in cutting-edge education research, particularly in the area of curriculum, through reading research literature including major journals and attending national conferences; • Familiarizing him/herself with the range of curricula at the highest-performing schools; • Observing faculty on Teacher U class days and providing written and verbal feedback to improve instruction; • Observing enrolled teachers in their schools to the extent that it informs Teacher U’s understanding of the fidelity of implementation of the methods being taught; • Publishing a regular summary of research and developments in mathematics and science education to be distributed to our partner organizations; • Assisting with the recruitment of faculty for Teacher U courses. The Director of Humanities will be responsible for the following: • Developing curriculum for Teacher U courses in concert with TU faculty, the Director of Teaching and Learning, and university partners; • Serving as the primary point of contact for Teacher U faculty and enrolled teachers for academic issues pertaining to Social Studies and English Language Arts; • Teaching large- and/or small-group classes in social studies and/or English language arts at Teacher U. • Becoming an expert in cutting-edge education research, particularly in the area of curriculum, through reading research literature including major journals and attending national conferences; • Familiarizing him/herself with the range of curricula at the highest-performing schools; • Observing faculty on Teacher U class days and providing written and verbal feedback to improve instruction; • Observing enrolled teachers in their schools to the extent that it informs Teacher U’s understanding of the fidelity of implementation of the methods being taught; • Publishing a regular summary of research and developments in social studies and English language arts education to be distributed to our partner organizations; • Assisting with the recruitment of faculty for Teacher U courses. Requisite Qualifications & Experience – Director of Math and Science This is an outstanding opportunity to play an integral role in urban, public education reform. Therefore, first and foremost, the Director of Math and Science must share the team’s sense of urgency about the need to improve student achievement through phenomenal teacher training. Additionally, candidates for the position must have: • Proven, exceptional leadership skills with the ability to attract, develop, manage and inspire a team; • Proven mastery of teaching Math or Science with evidence of measurable gains in student achievement in high-needs K-12 public schools • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, unstructured, entrepreneurial environment without formal training or orientation; • Flexibility, and a related ability to work autonomously, as well as take direction from the Director of Teaching and Learning as needed; • Breadth and depth of knowledge around relevant curriculum and supporting research in the areas of Math and Science in a K-12 setting; • Experience managing teams of teachers in a distributed setting (e.g., as a department chair, an instructional coach, or through programs such as Teach For America’s Summer Institute); • Experience preparing and delivering instructional feedback to teachers, particularly with respect to curriculum design, lesson plans, and effective execution; • The ability to evaluate various pedagogical and curricular approaches, explain the tension between them, and provide recommendations and justifications for optimal curricular choices for Teacher U. • Open-mindedness with respect to different curricular approaches; • Excellent organization and project management skills including the ability to manage and pay outstanding attention to details, work independently, manage multiple projects with multiple deadlines, and set priorities accordingly; • A high level of professionalism, self-confidence, decisiveness, and initiative; • Excellent oral, written and visual communication skills. Requisite Qualifications & Experience – Director of Humanities This is an outstanding opportunity to play an integral role in urban, public education reform. Therefore, first and foremost, the Director of Humanities must share the team’s sense of urgency about the need to improve student achievement through phenomenal teacher training. Additionally, candidates for the position must have: • Proven, exceptional leadership skills with the ability to attract, develop, manage and inspire a team; • Proven mastery of teaching Social Studies or English Language Arts with evidence of measurable gains in student achievement in high-needs K-12 public schools • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, unstructured, entrepreneurial environment without formal training or orientation; • Flexibility, and a related ability to work autonomously, as well as take direction from the Director of Teaching and Learning as needed; • Breadth and depth of knowledge around relevant curriculum and supporting research in the areas of Social Studies and English Language Arts in a K-12 setting; • Experience managing teams of teachers in a distributed setting (e.g., as a department chair, an instructional coach, or through programs such as Teach For America’s Summer Institute); • Experience preparing and delivering instructional feedback to teachers, particularly with respect to curriculum design, lesson plans, and effective execution; • The ability to evaluate various pedagogical and curricular approaches, explain the tension between them, and provide recommendations and justifications for optimal curricular choices for Teacher U. • Open-mindedness with respect to different curricular approaches; • Excellent organization and project management skills including the ability to manage and pay outstanding attention to details, work independently, manage multiple projects with multiple deadlines, and set priorities accordingly; • A high level of professionalism, self-confidence, decisiveness, and initiative; • Excellent oral, written and visual communication skills. Desired Characteristics The ideal candidate for this position will also possess some combination of the following professional and personal characteristics: • A high level of zest, grit, hope, gratitude, and enthusiasm; • Experience teaching Math, Science or Humanities classes in a high achieving, high needs K-12 public school, preferably in both Math and Science or Humanities; • A bachelor’s degree required, with an advanced degree (Master’s) in education or subject areas relevant to Math and Science or Humanities preferred. A doctorate degree or a degree in curriculum development strongly preferred; • A sense of humor. Compensation Teacher U offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Application Process Teacher U is soliciting nominations and expressions of interest immediately. Nominations or applications (with current resume and letter of interest) should be sent electronically to Ebbie Parsons, Director of Human Capital, at director-of-math-and-science@teacheru.org for the Director of Math and Science position or at, director-of-humanities@teacheru.org for the Director of Humanities position. UKA Teacher U is committed to diversity and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates in this search. |
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Contact Info: Teacher U is soliciting nominations and expressions of interest immediately. Nominations or applications (with current resume and letter of interest) should be sent electronically to Ebbie Parsons, Director of Human Capital, at director-of-math-and-science@teacheru.org for the Director of Math and Science position or at, director-of-humanities@teacheru.org for the Director of Humanities position. UKA Teacher U is committed to diversity and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates in this search. Website: http://www.TeacherU.org |
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