Director of Literacy, 9 - 12

Overview

Ascend seeks a dynamic Director of Literacy who will work closely with our Senior Managing Director of School Design and Network Director of Literacy to establish a strong vision and set of outcomes in our Humanities program. This role sits on our Schools Team, which ensures that we provide students with a high-quality education that unlocks a life of boundless choice. We do this by creating the conditions for excellence across our schools. As a leader of our High School ELA program, the Director of Literacy will own our vision for ELA instruction in 9-12, manage the implementation of that vision, and ensure our leaders are equipped with the skills and knowledge to achieve that vision.

Why extraordinary professionals teach at Ascen

dAscend is the largest Brooklyn-based public charter school serving over 5,000 K-12 students in 17 schools. We exist to serve every student – to help them embody their inherent excellence by providing rich, joyful learning experiences that unlock a life of boundless choice

.
Access to education is a social justice issue. As educators, we center justice and live out our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (DEIA) by ensuring that our students have the skills, tools, and confidence they need to thrive today and in the future. We are proud to have a workforce that mirrors the diversity seen in our students. Working at Ascend provides a community focused on developing an environment of support and belonging. Educators collaborate closely and encourage each other to achieve great outcome

s.
Our schools honor, nurture, and challenge the whole child. Ascend fosters critical thinking skills and a love of learning through an inquiry-based learning approach, Responsive Classroom model, and anti-racist education. We are deeply committed to advancing educational equity for all of our students. Students at Ascend benefit from a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures natural curiosity about the world and guides them to think critically and independent

ly.
For more information on Ascend Public Charter Schools’ model, approach, and core values, please visit our webs

ite.
Responsibil

itiesThe Director will champion Ascend’s inquiry-based English Language Arts curriculum and Common Core aligned assessments, with an emphasis on data-driven work, and deep capacity for professional development and trai

ning.
Under the direction of the Network Director of Literacy and in partnership with the School Principal, the Director

• will:Continuously elevate and improve the 9-12 Literacy p
• rogramCreate, refine, adapt, curate, and pace commercial and “Ascend-developed” products that form the basis of the inquiry-based literacy program with an emphasis on culturally responsive and anti-racist pedagogy for grades 9-12; For the 24-25 School year, this program will include cours
• es in:English I - Engl
• ish IVAdvanced Placement (A.P.) Language & Compo
• sitionAdvanced Placement (A.P.) Literature & Compo
• sitionAdditional Literacy-focused Electives, such as Slam Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction w
• ritingIn partnership with the school leadership team and network teams, develop materials and lead professional development for the high school’s teaching staff, focusing on ELA content and the highest fidelity implementation of the curr
• icula;In partnership with the Assistant Principals, directly coach and develop ELA teachers at the Brooklyn Ascend High S
• chool;Utilize academic data to adjust and focus on curricula, instruction, assessment, professional development, and ELA team
• goals;Develop and adapt Common Core-aligned formative and summative assessments
• in ELAContinuously research and study developments in Literacy education and integrate best practices of excellent schools into Ascend’s curri
• culum;Recommend annual refinements to the Literacy program based on network trends, feedback from school-based leadership, and research of best prac
• tices;In collaboration with other members of the Ascend network team and school-based leadership, participate in ELA content walkthroughs and implementation visits to monitor implementation of the 9-12 and K-12 pr
• ogram;Collect and analyze videos of exemplary teaching practices around strong implementation of ELA instruction and curate an initial body of exemplar annotated student
• work;Create action plans to address learning needs from ELA benchmarks and other achievement
• data;In collaboration with other members of the ELA team, ensure that all relevant stakeholders at BAHS and across Ascend departments are aware and prepared to implement strong curriculum and assess

ments.
Staff and reporting relatio

nships The Director of Literacy, 9 - 12 reports to the Network Director of Literacy. The Director of Literacy, 9 - 12 will work closely with the Teaching and Learning Team to oversee our curricular and assessment program holist

ically.
Qualif

• icationsBachelor’s degree, with an advanced degree strongly p
• referredFour or more years teaching experience with exceptional results in Humanities ins
• tructionTwo or more years of experience developing teachers and delivering outstanding professional development with experience developing leaders strongly p
• referredExperience on the Ascend Teaching and Learning Team strongly p

referred
Skills a

• nd TraitsDeep understanding of the Common Core and New York’s Common Core-aligned state assessments, data-driven instruction (DDI), and the ability to execute DDI
• at scaleExtensive knowledge of humanities pedagogies and programs and effective practice, culturally responsive and anti-racist humanities curriculum and in
• structionSuperb organizational, project management, self-management skills, and problem-solvi
• ng skillsDemonstrated ability to support, train, and coach humanities e
• ducators;Passion and commitment to urban education and our ultimate goal of closing the opport
• unity gapDemonstrated ability to develop leaders to achieve outstandin
• g resultsInsistence on academic excellence
• and rigorExcellent communication skills (written
• and oral)A strong desire for continuous learning and improvement in one’s own
• practiceAlignment with the educational philosophy and core beliefs of Ascend

Learning
Com

pensation Initial salary offers for this position range from $125,000 - $140,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained

education.
Diversit

y at AscendAscend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities—opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply conseque

ntial wo