Instructional Specialist for Middle School Humanities (ELA)

Instructional Specialist for Middle School Humanities (ELA)
Bronx, NY

Seton Education Partners seeks a mission-driven, results-oriented individual to be the Instructional Specialist for Middle School Humanities (ELA) of the Brilla Schools Network. This position is based in the Bronx, NY and supports four elementary schools.

Background

Co-founded in 2009 by KIPP pioneer Scott W. Hamilton and Teach for America alumna Stephanie Saroki de García, Seton Education Partners is a response to the dramatic decline of urban Catholic schools in America, which have served the economically disadvantaged so well for decades.

In 2013, amidst the shuttering of 60 urban Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York, Seton launched Brilla College Prep Public Charter School in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. Brilla, which means “shine” in Spanish, has achieved academic results that parallel the nation’s most acclaimed high-poverty schools. Alongside Brilla, Seton launched El Camino, an optional, privately funded after-school Catholic faith formation program. In only 6 years, 119 children have been baptized through their participation in El Camino.

Seton is working to take these remarkable achievements to scale by managing a network of schools and programs that ensure that thousands of underserved children whose Catholic schools close—and other local children—have access to an academically excellent, character-building, and, for those who choose it, faith-nurturing education. This network is a national model for how other cities facing the shuttering of Catholic schools can continue to serve children and families with limited educational options. For more information on Seton Education Partners, please visit www.SetonPartners.org.

About the Brilla Schools Network

Brilla Public Charter Schools is a network of K-8th grade schools that currently serves nearly 1,600 students from Mott Haven, University Heights and Highbridge in the Bronx. The network plans to grow from a current four elementary and two middle schools to four elementary and four middle schools educating some 4,000 students in the Bronx. Core to our mission is that our students become young men and women of good character and spirit and be prepared for excellence in high school, college, and beyond. Brilla combines a classical approach to education - an emphasis on virtue formation, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, and direct instruction of a content-rich curriculum that has stood the test of time - with co-teaching practices and individualized online learning.* We approach the formation of our students holistically and also set high academic expectations. Ours is a joyful community that honors the dignity of each student, family member and staff.

About El Camino Network

El Camino, which means “The Way” in Spanish, is an optional, privately-funded Catholic after-school faith formation program that is closely partnered with Brilla charter schools. El Camino helps children, their families and their catechists to know, love and serve Christ and His Church; develop the habits, dispositions and beliefs that are indispensable to human flourishing and happiness; and live as disciples in this world and saints in the next. El Camino honors the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. Since 2013, over 260 children have been baptized through our program.
El Camino currently serves approximately 40% of Brilla’s students for 90 minutes a day, Monday through Thursday. Children receive homework help from experienced teachers, a nutritious snack, and 30 minutes each of catechism and physical fitness. Additionally, children and families have opportunities for shared and personal prayer and character formation. This video provides a snapshot of El Camino. El Camino will grow to serve children through 8th grade, growing a grade level at a time each year.

About the Position

Reporting to the Middle School Superintendent, the Instructional Specialist: Middle School Humanities is a full-time member of the Seton Schools Team and is responsible for leading the instructional vision, systems, and execution of ELA, writing, and social studies in grades 5–8. The Specialist is a key driver of academic outcomes and plays a critical role in preparing students to meet and exceed the expectations of state assessments and internal benchmarks, with a long-term goal of preparing students for success in high school and beyond.

The Specialist must bring deep knowledge of the science of reading, adolescent literacy, and classical texts. This leader will support school-based teams in implementing a rigorous humanities curriculum that emphasizes knowledge-building, critical thinking, and communication. Through observations, data analysis, and professional development, the Specialist will coach leaders and teachers to create excellent Tier 1 instruction that prepares students for both high-stakes assessments and human flourishing.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the vision and instructional strategy for 5–8 ELA, writing, and social studies across Brilla middle schools
• Coach teachers and leaders in effective implementation of a rigorous, knowledge-rich humanities curriculum
• Model and support instruction grounded in the science of reading, academic vocabulary, and writing development
• Conduct regular observations and co-plan with teachers and leaders based on student work and data
• Facilitate targeted professional development aligned to Brilla’s classical model and NYS standards
• Partner with school and network leaders to ensure coherence in middle school humanities across grades and campuses
• Monitor data and progress toward school-level and network-wide humanities goals, and drive instructional response
• Communicate consistently and clearly across teams to build shared understanding of expectations and priorities
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Desired Characteristics

Candidates for the position must possess the following personal characteristics:

• You have unquestioned integrity and commitment to Seton’s mission and values
• You take personal responsibility
• You have a strong belief that all children can achieve both moral and academic excellence
• Deep belief in the classical approach to liberal arts education
• Expertise in adolescent literacy, the science of reading, and writing instruction
• At least 3 years of successful experience as a 5–8 literacy coach, with demonstrated student achievement
• Familiarity with canonical texts, classical literature, and content-based instruction in history and the humanities
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and coaching skills
• Demonstrated success in using student work and data to drive academic outcomes
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in education, humanities, or instructional leadership preferred
• Willingness and ability to travel to campuses in the Bronx

The ideal candidate will bring experience, skills, and beliefs in the following areas:

• Strong knowledge and appreciation of the Liberal Arts and a classical approach to learning*
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and the humility to receive and implement feedback
• A collaborative spirit and the ability to work effectively across departments and school teams
• A relentless pursuit of excellence and an eagerness to grow personally and professionally
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with keen attention to detail

Diversity & Inclusivity
We are building an organization in which talented educators from all walks of life and past work experiences can join our team and make significant contributions. We are particularly committed to attracting and developing people who share the life experiences or backgrounds of the students we will serve.

• At Brilla, education in the classical tradition is understood to require the education of the whole person - mind, body and spirit - in the service of human flourishing. Cognitive development and character formation are interdependent: People flourish by living out the virtues. A time proven way of learning how to live out the virtues is to learn about, contemplate and discuss how these virtues have been expressed in literature and history and represented in time-tested works.

Secondarily, a classical education is pedagogically consistent with modern cognitive science. Many current pedagogies are not fully consistent with what we know today about brain development. In contrast, classical pedagogy (referred to as the Trivium) perfectly corresponds to how the brain develops. It emphasizes patterns, routines, and facts that young brains crave (Grammar stage); it leverages the brain’s orientation to asking “why” in the middle years (Logic stage); and it focuses on communication and persuasion in the high school years (Rhetoric stage).

Seton Education Partners provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.

The base pay range for this position is $115,000 to $135,000 per year in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. Pay may vary within the stated range, depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

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