Excel Academy Charter Schools Careers

Description

Organization: Excel Academy Charter Schools
Job Title: High School Dean of Curriculum & Instruction
Location:  Excel Academy Charter High School
Reports to: Head of School

Organizational Overview

Founded in 2003 to provide a free, public, high-quality college preparatory education for the students of East Boston and Chelsea, Excel is proving that children’s ability to succeed in high school, college, and beyond is not determined by zip code. We have grown from one school serving approximately 200 students to a network of four schools serving more than 1,300 students, and our purpose and theory of change remains consistent: we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned with personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change his/her life trajectory.  As a true public school, Excel is defined not by whom we exclude but by whom we include in our community. We are proud of the fact that we serve many students with special needs.

After 8 years of operating a small single-site middle school in East Boston, Excel was designated a “Proven Provider” by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and granted two additional charters to serve middle school students. After four more successful years, Excel Academy Charter High School opened in 2015. In spring 2019, we cheered on our founding senior class as they became the first cohort to receive high school diplomas from Excel.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Dean of Curriculum & Instruction will be responsible for overseeing the curricular and instructional programming for the school. This will include: directly managing the school’s instructional program; supporting the management of instructional staff by providing regular feedback to teachers on their effectiveness in meeting the needs of Excel’s instructional program; and designing and delivering professional development to push the strength and impact of the instructional program. Roles and responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to: 

• Observe teachers daily, conducting formal as well as informal observations. Provide ongoing feedback to teachers on instructional delivery and structure substantive feedback for more significant areas of growth;
• Meet with teachers weekly to plan units, examine assessments and student data, and provide feedback on instruction and curriculum design ;
• Set weekly instructional goals for teachers and design an observation schedule to provide feedback on teachers’ progress in meeting those goals;
• Contribute to all Excel staff member’s evaluations and attend evaluation meetings with instructional staff;
• Oversee curriculum development and student assessment-related systems;
• Manage special education and ELL inclusion program, working with the Learning Specialist, ELL Specialist and core academic teachers to design inclusion, monitor the effectiveness of inclusion, and provide feedback and support to create a high quality inclusion program;
• Develop and lead instructional professional development and attend Network-wide professional development sessions;
• Implement effective internal assessment systems to monitor academic progress of students throughout the year and implement and oversee systems for data analysis of all internal and external assessments;
• Seek and share curriculum and best practices with others schools in the Excel network;
• Serve as a productive member of the Excel Academy community and Administrative Team;
• Do whatever it takes to ensure the mission of the school is upheld.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree is required; a Master’s degree is preferred;
• A minimum of five years’ teaching experience is required; experience working in a high-performing, urban public charter or district school is strongly preferred;
• Demonstrated efficacy in raising academic achievement for historically under-served students;
• Ability to promote rigorous classroom instruction and culture;
• A commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model;
• A commitment to addressing racial and economic inequity in education;
• The ability to focus and thrive in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment;
• The ability to work effectively in a team environment and the willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work; and
• An entrepreneurial spirit that reflects an openness to change, a willingness to problem-solve, and an interest in developing new ideas & programs 

Preference will be given to applicants who also:

• Speak Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic fluently;
• Can speak to the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Excel Academy Charter Schools is committed to its work as an anti-racist organization. One critical element of that commitment is building and empowering a diverse staff that reflects the community that we serve. We strongly encourage applications from candidates whose experiences share important points of intersection with those of our students. Staff who demonstrate fluency in Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic (languages spoken widely by our diverse community of families) will receive additional compensation, as will staff who are alumni of our schools.

Excel Academy Charter Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language or prior academic achievement.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.