Instructional Specialist, English Language Arts

Title: Instructional Specialist, English Language Arts

Location: Alliance Home

Job Description:

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles’ Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation byU.S. News & World Report,Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. 

ROLE SUMMARY

The Instructional Specialist, English Language Arts (ELA) plays a critical role in supporting our schools to ensure that all scholars can achieve at high levels. The Instructional Specialist, ELA will report to the Director, ELA and work alongside school leaders (e.g. Principals, Assistant Principals, Deans of Instruction, Department Heads, Instructional Leads) to implement a strong instructional cycle of intellectual preparation, lesson execution, and scholar work analysis, within the ELA department. The role is an ideal fit for a successful instructional leader (Assistant Principal experience preferred) with expertise in ELA, a strong record of results and experience in a leadership role within a school or within a district, charter management organization, or technical support provider. The Instructional Specialist, ELA should be able to quickly build relationships with a range of diverse stakeholders and work with individuals and teams to dramatically improve the quality of ELA teaching and learning across a portfolio of middle and/or high schools.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Support school-based teams to implement a strong instructional cycle in ELA 

• Quickly develop strong relationships with school leaders (e.g. Principals, Assistant Principals, Deans of Instruction, Department Heads, Instructional Leads) at school sites to support effective collaboration;

• Use a variety of data points, conversations, and observations to identify opportunities to improve instruction in schools, develop and monitor strategy plans, and execute supports at a high level;

• Support instructional leaders (e.g. Assistant Principals, Deans of Instruction, Department Heads, Instructional Leads) in honing their instructional eye and ability to provide feedback on lesson preparation and execution using high-quality, aligned instructional materials;

• Facilitate and guide instructional leaders to lead their teachers in analyzing scholar work from daily lessons and formative assessments in order to understand scholar learning and strategically adjust teacher coaching and supports;

• Analyze scholar achievement data (scholar work samples, assessments, and AP tests) to deeply understand progress and gaps in scholar learning and use that information to inform strategy plans for the schools they support;

• Establish and lead collaboration structures within and across schools that bring groups of leaders together for shared learning in service of scholars. 

Contribute to the Network-Wide ELA Strategy 

• Identify and share trends in instructional practice across a portfolio of schools to inform the network-wide ELA and grade-band specific professional development opportunities for leaders and teachers;

• Contribute perspective and expertise to strategy planning to inform network-wide school supports;

• Design and/or facilitate professional development sessions for a portfolio of schools and/or ELA.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• A belief that all scholars, regardless of circumstances, can learn at high levels;

• A strong track record of increasing scholar achievement at the school levels, in communities that reflect the backgrounds of Alliance scholars;

• Deep content and pedagogical expertise in ELA, including the Common Core State Standards for ELA and the aligned instructional shifts;

• Deep knowledge on how to support all scholars to access grade-level standards, including English Learners and Scholars with Disabilities;

• Ability to coach through layers of leadership and influence change across lines of difference

• Open to feedback and eager to develop professionally;

• Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate with colleagues and school leaders, building strong relationships with others to develop common goals and drive toward solutions;

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities from a variety of sources, as well as organize and prioritize effectively to impact areas of greatest need;

• Passionate to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for communities that have been systematically oppressed;

• Comfort working within ambiguity and seeking new solutions in a collaborative environment;

• Desire to take initiative to develop innovative solutions to complex problems.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required;

• At least five (5) years of successful secondary ELA teaching experience;

• At least two (2) years of school-based leadership experience, AP Experience preferred, such as an Assistant Principal, Instructional coach, etc. 

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role which will include a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100.

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners.

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plan options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. 

• Retirement:Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.

• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Additionally, full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.

• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION

$87,000.00 - $120,000.00

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist, pro-Black community that celebrates diversity, equity, and the unique identities of all scholars and staff. Nearly two-thirds of our teachers and administrators identify as people of color, reinforcing our commitment to representation and the power of diverse role models. We recognize the richness of the cultures and communities we serve, and we believe that embracing and empowering these identities is essential to the success and pride of our scholars. Working at Alliance means joining a movement to drive transformative change, nurture resilience, and build lifelong, meaningful connections with scholars and their communities.

Champion Alliance’s Anti-Racist, Pro-Black Mission: The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance’s mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars. Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities. This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate “college-ready” with pride in who they are.

This job description is subject to change at any time based on the evolving needs of the organization.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are tuition-free public charter schools that do not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or staff member based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.

• Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they match every criterion. If you think you meet some of the qualifications, but don't necessarily check every box in the job description, we encourage you to still apply.