Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning

OVERVIEW OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

The South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) community includes 15 schools supporting 8,000 students in Daly City, San Bruno, and South San Francisco.

Our mission is that in partnership with our community, SSFUSD will provide exceptional instruction, engaging experiences, and equitable and accessible opportunities and resources to further support our diverse student body so that students are equipped to learn, thrive, navigate their future with purpose, and impact their community.

In February 2024, the School Board for SSFUSD adopted our new Vision and Five-Year Strategic Plan. As a member of the Cabinet, the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, will be responsible for leading initiatives to ensure the district delivers on its promises in the Strategic Plan.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning joins SSFUSD at a pivotal moment for the district, as we embark on our five-year journey to strengthen instruction, empower educators, and center students through powerful partnerships and equitable systems. As a senior leader in the district, the Assistant Superintendent will play a key role in leading district wide initiatives. The Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning will also take responsibility for many of the initiatives within the Exceptional Instruction priority of our Strategic Plan, including designing and overseeing the implementation of an instructional vision, ensuring there is high-leverage instructional practices being utilized across the district, adopting high-quality instructional materials aligned to that vision, strengthening instructional leadership at school sites, strengthening support for English language / multilingual learners and developing innovative and engaging experiences for students.

The Assistant Superintendent reports directly to the Superintendent, serves as a member of Cabinet, and manages the Teaching and Learning department. The Assistant Superintendent is responsible for overall planning, organization, and administration of all teaching and learning programs, including curriculum development, professional learning and development for teachers and school leaders, assessment strategies, and data analysis. The Assistant Superintendent will also be responsible for state and local reporting and compliance for categorical programs and special education. Finally, the Assistant Superintendent will play a critical role in supporting the Superintendent in supporting and coaching principals, including overseeing coaching programs, completing annual evaluations, and ensuring schools and district office teams work in alignment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Provide Org-wide Leadership as a Member of Cabinet

• Serve as a member of the Superintendent’s senior cabinet, advising on and contributing to district-wide initiatives.
• Work with the Superintendent and other Cabinet members to implement our Strategic Plan, including annual strategic initiatives in service of Strategic Plan.
• Collaborate with other Cabinet and department leaders to ensure alignment across district programs and initiatives.
• Act as a spokesperson for the district, including publicly representing SSFUSD and the Superintendent in Board of Education meetings, at schools, in the community, and to county and state institutions.
• Model SSFUSD core values, foster professional growth, and support a strong, inclusive, people learner-centered culture across the district.

Lead Teaching and Learning Strategy

• Develop a multi-year vision for teaching and learning across strong systems of instruction, curriculum development, professional development, assessment strategy, and use of data, with a focus on student populations like multilingual learners and students with special needs.
• In collaboration with school leaders and district leaders, design and lead implementation for new curriculum adoption, coaching frameworks, data reviews, and program evaluations.
• Partner with the Talent department to ensure teachers are onboarded, supported, and given the resources to lead effectively in their classrooms.
• Set goals for the Teaching and Learning department and lead the department through a change management process to deliver on goals.
• Ensure directors within the Teaching and Learning department collaborate and work in alignment to serve schools.
• Use academic data to regularly and effectively analyze trends and plan for the future.

Provide High-Quality, Responsive Professional Development for School Leaders

• Support the Superintendent to supervise site leaders, including evaluation. Working with the Superintendent, establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures for school leaders that are both responsive to school needs and aligned with the district’s strategic priorities.
• With the support of the Director of School Leadership, design coaching programs as well as additional support structures to strengthen instructional leadership for both principals and assistant principals.
• Collaborate with other district leaders to ensure alignment of professional learning and development initiatives with district goals and priorities.
• Ensure that the Teaching and Learning department collaborates closely with site leaders to design and implement all instructional programs.
• In partnership with the Talent department, build pipeline programs for future site leaders.
• Facilitate opportunities for school leaders to engage in ongoing learning, networking, and professional growth.

Lead strategy and implementation of high quality curriculum, instruction, and assessments, with the support of the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• Oversee adoption of high-quality instructional materials aligned to the district’s instructional vision.
• Oversee training and support for site leaders, teachers, and staff on instructional materials, to maximize student learning.
• Ensure that assessments align with the adopted curricula.
• Oversee the district’s assessment calendar and assessment implementation to ensure accurate and comprehensive academic data for all students, including training for teachers, assessment coordinators, and site and district leaders so that the district has excellent information about student learning.

Lead use of academic data, reporting, educational technology, and compliance, with the support of the Director of Data, EdTech, and Accountability

• Monitor the implementation of the district’s instructional programs to ensure clear communication, awareness of, and accountability of school performance by analyzing and sharing trends from academic data.
• Oversee the use of academic data at the district and site level to ensure that leaders are using accurate and timely data to identify trends and make decisions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local code governing schools.
• Oversee revising and implementing the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and site-specific School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs), including supporting site leaders with setting ambitious goals, reviewing plans at a district level for alignment with district priorities, supporting site leaders with implementation, and sharing plans with the community.

Lead vision and implementation of special education and pupil personnel services programming, with the support of the Director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services

• Monitor the district’s support of students with special needs with the goal of maximizing student learning.
• Ensure the district follows all federal laws, rules and regulations associated with special education.
• Monitor and ensure that special education programs are designed and implemented in collaboration with school and district leaders to ensure coherence and alignment to the mission, vision and values of the district.
• Oversee adoption of high-quality instructional materials aligned to the district’s instructional vision in alignment to best practices for students with disabilities.
• Oversee training and support for site leaders, teachers, and staff on instructional materials, to maximize student learning for students with disabilities..
• Monitor and oversee the implementation of special education programs and ensure they will be designed and in alignment with the allocation of funds available for the special education program.

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  Note: The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of duties, responsibilities, and activities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

COMPETENCIES

• Abilities:
• Problem-solving
• Ability to problem-solve, maintain confidentiality, set priorities, and meet deadlines and schedules.
• Ability to maintain complete and accurate records and statistics and to develop meaningful reports from that information.
• Ability to gather, collate, interpret, and analyze data.
• Ability to analyze issues and create and implement action plans.
• Collaboration and Management
• Ability to work respectfully with diverse individuals and/or groups.
• Use tact, discretion, and empathy to resolve internal staff matters.
• Seek continuous feedback and proactively adjust approaches to improve human capital functions.
• Ability to effectively express ideas orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and to effectively work as part of a team.
• Ability to interpret educational policies and procedures.
• Ability to work independently with little to no supervision.
• Knowledge:
• Best practices for curriculum development, professional development programs, and assessment strategies
• Best practices for evaluation of academic programs
• Federal, state, and local laws and regulations for special student populations, including special education and categorical programs
• Skills:
• Effectively lead the Teaching and Learning department, including supervising and coordinating staff, setting goals, coaching leaders, and ensuring the department is aligned to district initiatives.
• Establish and maintain effective collegial relationships with other people of diverse backgrounds, identities, experiences, and personalities, to model our district’s core values and advance our district’s mission, goals, and strategic priorities toward our district’s vision.
• Customer service orientation and ability to build customer service oriented systems.
• Communicate effectively in English orally and in writing, and model communication skills using tact, patience, and courtesy to respond to the needs of district staff, students, families, community members, and other educational partners.
• Operate computer technology, related software, and other office equipment, and flexibly learn new applications and systems as needed.
• Meet district standards of professional and ethical conduct as outlined in Governing Board Policies and Administrative Regulations.
• Physical requirements: Incorporated within one or more of the previously mentioned performance responsibilities, which are essential functions of this job description, are the following essential physical requirements:
• Ability to work at a desk, conference table, or in meetings of various configurations.
• Ability to sit, stand, and traverse for extended periods of time.
• Ability to see for purposes of performing duties, responsibilities, and activities.
• Ability to understand speech at normal levels.
• Ability to read laws and codes, rules and policies, and a variety of other printed materials and digital screens, and prepare/process documents.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment, computer technology including keyboard, and other equipment necessary to complete required duties, responsibilities, and activities.
• Ability to listen and speak with others to clearly and understandably communicate and exchange information during conversation.
• Ability to walk, twist, stoop, crouch, kneel, bend/over, grasp, reach overhead, push, pull, move, lift and/or carry 0-50 pounds to waist height.
• Ability to travel between sites.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSES, AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Education:
• Preferred: Master’s Degree and/or Doctoral Degree (Ed.D.) from accredited college or university
• Required: Bachelor’s Degree from accredited college or university
• Experience:
• Preferred: At least three (3) years in a PK-12 public school district management role (e.g., Director in Education Services Department); Experience with curriculum adoption, facilitating professional development, designing coaching programs
• Required: Minimum of three (3) years of PK-12 public school district or public/private sector administration and management experience; Minimum of three (3) years of PK-12 public school site leadership experience (Principal/Assistant Principal); Minimum of three (3) years of PK-12 public school teaching experience;
• Licenses:
• Preferred: None
• Required: Valid California Driver’s License
• Certifications:
• Preferred: None
• Required: Administrator’s Credential, California Department of Justice & Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Check/Fingerprint Clearance

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Environment: Office environment with travel between district offices, school sites, and other facilities. Drive a vehicle to conduct work. May be required to use a personal vehicle.
• Hazards: Driving a vehicle during adverse weather conditions. Frequent interruptions. Exposure to dissatisfied employees.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

South San Francisco Unified School District programs, activities, and employment shall be free from unlawful discrimination, including discrimination against an individual or group based on race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, physical or mental disability,

sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or genetic information; a perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. (Board Policy 0410)