Director, Curricula and Coaching Humanities

Breakthrough Public Schools is a nationally recognized Charter Management Organization (CMO) network in Ohio. Our mission is to provide Cleveland-area scholars with an education that empowers them to lead lives of impact and opportunity. Our network of schools centers joy, curiosity, and individual growth, uniquely positioning Breakthrough Public Schools to cultivate a learning community where all students thrive. At Breakthrough, we are committed to providing scholars with the academic, social, and emotional skills necessary to excel at learning and citizenship from kindergarten through eighth-grade promotion. We are committed to the success of every child.

The BPS CMO exists to provide operational, leadership, and strategic services to the schools in the Breakthrough Schools network. The CMO is committed to providing high-quality services to the schools and bolstering the high-impact performance of the schools, making the CMO and network greater than the sum of its parts. The CMO provides economies of scale when it comes to staffing, tools, and time-based efficiencies. We serve 3,000 K-8 grade scholars across five campuses and employ over 450 staff members.

OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Curricula and Coaching, Humanities reports to the Managing Director of Academics and provides expert knowledge and network-wide leadership concerning our elementary and middle school literacy (grades 3-8) and world history instruction throughout the Breakthrough Public Schools network. They are a dynamic and innovative leader who ensures that ELA, history, and elective classrooms across the network challenge students to think and work hard every day with complex, real-life problems that can be solved individually and in groups. The Director of Humanities owns the curriculum, assessment, professional development, and network alignment of our Humanities instruction.

As an integral member of the broader Academics Team, the Director of Humanities is responsible for driving results for a diverse student body. The Director of Humanities is a highly motivated and collaborative leader who takes the initiative to solve problems and address challenges through an equity lens, centering the needs of all scholars on the pathway to achieving their full potential. The Director of Humanities models our core values and embodies a growth mindset.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Our ideal candidate for a Director of Humanities has an unwavering belief that every single one of our scholars can achieve at an exceptionally high level. Beyond that, they will:

Humanities Program Vision and Implementation

• Collaborate with the Director of Curriculum and Coaching, Early Literacy, to refine and lead our vision for literacy instruction that is grounded in our commitment to high-quality, equity-driven instruction.
• Implement the literacy vision across the schools and network by training and coaching school-based leaders.
• Ensure that our Humanities educators are striving to create a nourishing environment for ALL scholars through the active participation, collaboration, and upholding of our network-wide MTSS programming, protocols, and guidelines as a fundamental stakeholder.
• Lead our efforts to curate new and/or additional humanities curricula that are grounded in love, achievement, and anti-racism.

Professional Development & Coaching

• Ensure that the leaders in front of our teachers and scholars are champions of our program.
• Develop and lead professional development sessions for leaders and teachers that develop skills, deepen understanding of content, and allow adults to more deeply live out our mission and vision.
• Provide on-the-ground coaching and support of assistant principals and other school leaders to ensure that they are able to effectively coach and support teachers on an individual basis and through PLCs.
• Collaborate with the Director of Curriculum and Coaching, Special Education, and the Student Services team to ensure that general education Humanities teachers are prepared to implement IEPs with fidelity through strong integrated professional development.

Data Analysis

• Analyze student achievement data (student work samples, weekly quizzes, interim assessments, and state tests) to determine how to better develop materials and provide targeted high-quality teacher training.
• Analyze disaggregated data and determine differentiated supports/training for staff.
• Collaborate as a fundamental stakeholder with the broader Academics team to advance the goals of network-wide MTSS through the consistent use of integrated data systems, data analysis, and data-based decision-making processes with the primary focus on successful student outcomes to ensure the continuous academic/emotional development of our scholars.

Build and Maintain Strong Relationships

• Develop strong working relationships with assistant principals, principals, network leaders, literacy teachers, and external partners. The strength of those relationships will determine the pace of development of the literacy team.

MTSS Aligned & Driven

• Collaborate as a fundamental stakeholder with Network and School Leaders to ensure effective implementation of MTSS that follows network-wide protocols/guidance with fidelity while ensuring that Tier 2/Tier 3 evidence-based behavior/academic interventions are rooted in data with continuous progress monitoring.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and work strategically across teams in the network. The requirements below represent the required knowledge, skill, and/or ability. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Deeply committed to serving our scholars. You have elected to work with historically underserved scholars and do this work because you believe that all scholars, regardless of background, are capable of excellence - and that it’s on us as adults to get our kids there.
• Mission Driven. You understand that the challenges faced by scholars in Cleveland are unique and specific, and you’re excited to work within the communities we serve.
• A Conspicuous and Passionate Reader. Because so much of your work is about inspiring other people to read, you must be an outspoken advocate for literacy, a lover of books, and a reader yourself who is always eager to recommend a great book.
• An instructional guru. You have at least three years of teaching and instructional/school leadership experience with a demonstrated track record of exceptional student outcomes based on your instruction. You nerd out over content, long-term planning, and creating instructional materials that allow students to meet ambitious goals.
• A data maven. You look for and can discern trends that drive your decision-making, and you evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions based on how the data changes. Committed to MTSS and collaboration with the DSS: Special Programs.
• You're a leader of leaders. You’re passionate about leading and coaching teams and individuals to achieve strong results for scholars. You love and actively seek opportunities to develop others through ongoing professional development, clear expectations and accountability, strong inspirational and motivational skills, high-leverage feedback, and targeted professional development.
• Driven by results. You are passionate about achieving results for scholars, and you are willing to think outside the box to achieve our shared vision of excellence for our scholars. You don’t give yourself a pat on the back just for checking the boxes and completing the inputs. You are only happy after you achieve and exceed your goals. You delegate when needed, set deadlines, and hold others accountable to get across important finish lines.
• An A Communicator. You’ve got a knack for speaking and writing clearly, succinctly and persuasively. You think about time, place, and format to share a message that will resonate to accomplish your goals.
• Deeply knowledgeable about literacy and literacy instruction. To lead our leaders, teachers, and scholars, you must have a deep understanding of K-12 literacy and at least three years of teaching experience and school leadership with a demonstrated track record of exceptional student outcomes.
• A gritty problem-solver. You keep it cool when facing challenges, approach problems with viable solutions, and know when you need to roll up your sleeves to support your team.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• 5 years of demonstrated success improving student outcomes in literacy in a leadership capacity at an elementary or secondary public or charter school, preferably as an instructional leader, instructional coach, or principal
• M.A., Ed.M or Master’s degree in educational leadership and/or educational administration, preferred
• Experience in and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion work
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills
• Strong knowledge of the standards for ELA and history
• A deep connection and understanding of the Breakthrough Public Schools and the Cleveland community is strongly preferred
• Proficient in the knowledge and use of technical computer applications, including Google Suite.

Breakthrough Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Any person who knowingly makes a false statement is guilty of falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code, a first-degree misdemeanor.