Director of Literacy (6-12)

An Invitation to Apply for the Position of

Director of Literacy (6-12)

Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School

Brooklyn, New York

What is the Role?

The Director of 6-12 Literacy will work closely with the Chief Academic Officer, Academics Team, and the Middle and High School’s leadership teams to implement and support all aspects of our literacy and social studies curriculums. They adapt, curate, and pace our research-based curricula; create and monitor assessment best practices; develop and deliver professional development in these curricula to school principals, vice principals, and ELA & social studies teachers; and, in collaboration with the Academics Team, use current data to adjust and focus curriculum development and professional development.

What You’ll Be Asked To Do

• Collaborate with school leaders and secondary leaders to develop and refine a horizontally and vertically aligned K-12 literacy framework, curricula, and assessments
• Develop and facilitate 6-12 professional development for teachers, instructional leaders, and school leaders in order to build our teachers’ and leaders’ capacity with literacy content and instructional execution 
• Collaborate with the Academics Team to drive organizational priorities, create and implement professional development focused on leading academic systems
• Analyze regional data in collaboration with the CAO, CSO, secondary leaders, and school leaders to identify areas of need and prioritize the facilitation of instructional initiatives that lead us to our goals
• Observe and evaluate the implementation of each of our literacy and history curriculums with school leaders to ensure that we are keeping the high bar set by the Common Core Standards and ensuring that all learners have access to rigorous instruction 
• Coordinate with Ops teams and outside vendors to order curriculum and supplies in a timely manner 
• Recommend annual refinements to the literacy and history programs based on network trends, feedback from school-based leadership, and research of best practices
• Help to foster a culture of joyful engagement with reading and with learning in all of our schools

What You’ll Need

• Passion for education and a dedication to Coney Island Prep’s mission 
• Steadfast belief that all scholars can achieve at the highest academic levels and deserve an opportunity to succeed in the college of their choice
• Professional demeanor and excellent organizational skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Self-reflective and open to frequent feedback, with the ambition and desire to grow and develop
• An entrepreneurial spirit, embracing the opportunity for creativity and hard work inherent in a growing organization
• A positive, solutions-oriented attitude and drive for excellence
• Willingness to be a team player
• Cultural competencies to work in historically marginalized communities and a willingness to examine own biases across lines of sameness and difference
• Maintains professionalism through excellent organizational skills, timeliness, regular communication, and meeting deadlines
• Learning orientation and desire to leverage new research to improve current systems or approaches 
• A strong track record of building positive relationships across various stakeholder groups demonstrating a value towards diversity and inclusivity
• Deep knowledge of the Common Core State Standards in literacy (6-12), with a particular focus on high school (9-12) progression 
• Experience working with and/or developing Advanced Placement (AP) courses and materials 
• Minimum 4 years exemplary teaching experience, with outstanding student achievement results
• Minimum 2 years experience in a full-time coaching role (Assistant Principal, Dean of Instruction, Principal, Instructional Coach, etc.) with demonstrated success in driving academic results through others
• Knowledge of literacy content and learning theory, current educational trends, blended learning practices, methods, research, and technology, and program planning and implementation
• Experience developing and leading engaging professional development for adults
• Demonstrated initiative in prioritizing amidst complex needs and strategically planning to get results

Who are you?

You’re all in. You believe there is no more urgent task than to educate scholars from low-income backgrounds, so you are committed to the core. Our work is high-energy, fast-paced, tiring and sometimes all-consuming, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. You own your work and when you reach your goals, you reach higher. You work incredibly hard, and are inspired by the urgency of what we do. You aren’t afraid to ask for help, feedback, and support; you’re equally eager to give all of the above. You’re driven by personal accountability, data, and results, and you’re not above doing whatever’s asked. You make friends at work, smile through hectic days, and add a little levity along the way. You have the opportunity to work with scholars, and there’s always someone who’s got your back from coaching you through a challenging day to helping you grow professionally. And while the environment can be fast paced and ever-changing, you’ll have all of the technology and caffeine you need to get the job done.

Who are we?

Coney Island Prep is a college preparatory public charter school in Brooklyn, New York. Merging growth, performance, and commitment, the Coney Island Prep community takes its responsibility to prepare scholars for the college and career of their choice very seriously, but not ourselves. We balance our sense of ownership and responsibility with humility and levity and support each other every step of the way. Coney Island Prep currently serves over 1,000 scholars across its four schools, including:

• 290 scholars in kindergarten – second grade at the lower elementary school
• 290 scholars in third – fifth grade at the upper elementary school
• 320 scholars in sixth – eighth grades at the middle school
• 350 scholars in ninth-twelfth grade at the high school

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Coney Island Prep is committed to building a team that collectively reflects the various backgrounds, experiences, and identities of our scholars. We recognize and respond to different points of access, so that everyone maximizes their highest potential. We also recognize that because of institutionalized racism and systemic oppression, historically marginalized groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to most application and hiring processes. We want to ensure that all candidates, regardless of their identity, are able to demonstrate their qualifications and are not limited by a lack of opportunity or access. We are also committed to creating a space where everyone feels like all aspects of their identity are acknowledged, respected, and welcomed. We are intentional about creating an environment where people feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work by constantly examining our organization culture and challenging our traditions.

Our Response and Responsibilities During the Pandemic

Recognizing how this pandemic disproportionally affects communities of color, we have taken steps to meet our mission in a number of ways. In addition to sharing our blueprint in approaching virtual and distance learning, we have allocated resources for familial support, distributed hundreds of devices to sustain techquity amongst scholars, and provided over 100,000 meals throughout the South Brooklyn neighborhood to date. 

As we have navigated our return to school and broader COVID-19 recovery efforts, it is clearer than ever before that having all staff members fully vaccinated is an exceedingly important aspect of protecting the health and safety of our school community. We know that educators city-wide will continue to lead the movement for safe and healthy school communities, and we are excited to be a part of that! To adhere to New York City’s mandate, all Coney Island Prep staff members will be required to be fully vaccinated. If you are not yet vaccinated and looking to do so, we will be more than happy to provide resources to assist in that process.