Job Description: Instructional Coach/Vice Principal

Epiphany Prep Charter School

Epiphany Prep Charter School (“Epiphany Prep”) seeks to hire an exceptional Instructional Coach/Vice-Principal for a start date of July 2015, to help establish a new high performing values-based charter school for socio-economically disadvantaged children.

The Instructional Coach/Co-Administrator shall establish a safe, highly effective, and well-organized educational environment that welcomes a close working relationship with all school-wide constituencies (ie. parents and guardians, families, students, faculty, other administrators, advisors, trustees and strategic partners). In alignment with Epiphany Prep’s mission, goals, and standards, the Instructional Coach/Co-Administrator’s general functions are to assist the faculty in accomplishing academic goals, establish strong working relationships with our families and community organizations and assist the Principal with the daily programmatic functions of the school.

ORGANIZATION: : Epiphany Prep is in the start-up phase of establishing a new urban K-8 college prep public charter school. It opened in September of 2013 with one track of students grades K-8. The core design principles of this charter school include an 8-hour school day school day, a 200 day school year, a low teacher-to-student ratio, tutoring and mentoring, a blended digital and face-to-face learning model, expanded literacy and mathematics instructional periods, a 50/50 dual language program, and skills and concepts intervention and resiliency programs for students and their families.

TIMELINE: The position shall open starting in March of 2015 and will remain open until filled.

OUTCOMES: The following are major outcomes of this position:

• Team: Influence the founding leadership team of an urban college prep school;
• Vision: Become well versed in founding a high performing school;
• Design: Integrate the best practices of highly successful national programs into a sustainable inner-city model.

WORKS WITH: The Instructional Coach/Vice-Principal shall report to Epiphany Prep’s Principal, but s/he will work closely with the faculty, students, parents and guardians, school partners and volunteers.

REQUIREMENTS: Below are the main requirements for this position:

• Results: Must show a history of high achievement while serving as a teacher and/or school leader;
• Experience: Minimum 4-years experience in a chronically poor and marginalized environment;
• Leadership: Can build an effective team, encourage collegial collaboration and manage conflict well;
• Entrepreneurial: Be a dynamic “out-of-the-box” thinker with a passion for excellence;
• School: Strong background with K-8 students and programs;
• Professional: Always works in a professional and courteous manner;
• Curriculum: Integrates lessons across content areas and utilizes project based learning experiences in the classroom. Has an advanced understanding of the principles of successful English acquisition and Dual Immersion models;
• Instruction: Is a strong instructional, planning and detail oriented leader;
• Writing: Exceptional writing and communication skills (bi-literate is preferred);
• Innovative: Strong desire to help shape an innovative, non-traditional school model;
• Servant: Desire to build community partnerships;
• Life-long Learner: Regularly seeks opportunities to learn and improve skills and abilities;
• Education: Meets the requirements of “No Child Left Behind” as a “Highly Qualified Teacher,” (Undergraduate degree, teaching credential, CLAD certificate required. B-CLAD and Master’s Degree, Administrative Service Credential preferred);
• Full Time: Ability to work effectively and efficiently in a full-time capacity;
• Diverse: Ability to work with an ethnically diverse and limited English proficient pupils;
• Language: English and Spanish language skills preferred.

COMPENSATION: Epiphany Prep shall provide an excellent salary, benefit, and training package.

CONTACT: Please e-mail the following to Sarah Raskin at sraskin@epiphanyprep.org.

• a cover letter;
• a resume (include reasons for leaving former employers/schools, a description of time unaccounted for, and details of how you increased student achievement in your classroom and/or school);
• five references (include names, titles, companies/schools, contact phone, length you have known the reference, and how you know the reference (former employer, college professor, etc.);
• a brief writing sample (2-5 pages) sharing your educational philosophy, goals for student learners, and leadership philosophy.
• a description (2-5 pages) of your expertise acquired in the content areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics instruction. Please give a summary of at least three instructional practices critical to teaching these subjects to English Language Learners.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Below are the main duties for the instructional faculty at Epiphany Prep.

General: Epiphany Prep holds high expectations for its students, but these expectations are even more critical for the faculty and administrative staff. We expect the Instructional Coach/Vice-Principal to come to Epiphany Prep with:

• A solid commitment to accelerating the academic achievement of students who are marginalized by poverty;
• A very strong desire to orient his/herself in the Epiphany Prep model, the mission of the school and the philosophy of “Transformation, Innovation, Entrepreneurial, and Whole-child Education,” as well as to receive professional development in the following:
  • Critical Inquiry—Great Books;
  • Project Based Learning
  • Habits of Mind and Bloom’s Taxonomy and an understanding of how to integrate this information into lesson design and Service Learning;
  • Socratic Method.
  • A strong educational foundation in the core academic areas at the elementary level and expertise in subject area matter in middle school;
  • Expertise in the technical and artistic talents of teaching with an ability to use a wide repertoire of instructional approaches such as:
    • Direct explicit instruction;
    • Solid classroom management skills;
    • Collaboration among students in cooperative learning structures;
    • Experiential and hands-on learning experiences;
    • Advanced knowledge of the principles of successful English acquisition and bi-literacy models;
    • Understanding of the ways teachers best motivate, engage and maintain a high level of intense, rigorous and relevant learning for students;
    • Technology integration;
    • A classroom management system that demonstrates a love and understanding of students as well as values student strengths and learning styles;
    • Demonstration of the ability to collaborate with colleagues to create quality lessons and analyze student achievement.

Educational Leadership and Supervision:

• Works with students, faculty and staff, and families to develop a strong, positive school culture, one defined by respect, responsibility, collaboration and hard work;
• Leads, coaches, and develops teachers with curriculum, instruction and assessment;
• Arranges activities for ongoing faculty professional development and training;
• Monitors, observes, evaluates and makes recommendations on classroom instruction on a daily basis;
• Assures that teachers are objective, consistent and effective with classroom management and instructional practices
• Collaborates with families, community members, and Epiphany Prep faculty, responding to diverse community interests and needs;
• Initiates dialogue and implementation of strategic plans and best practices;
• Models values and a professional-leadership capacity associated with a high performing educational environment;
• Is available in-person, by phone or through e-mail to any and all members of the school community, as needed, for any discussion pertaining to components of the school program, especially to parents and families on concerns about student learning and behavior.
• Meets daily with department faculty teams for instructional planning and data analysis, establishing individualized learning plans for students and answering instructional questions.
• Manages the K-6 Student Advisory program each day and supports the instructional development and practice of Apprentice teachers.
• Advocates and sustains a positive school culture and instructional program conducive to student achievement and to faculty professional growth.

Coaching and Instructing:

• Instructs teachers on the best practices of implementing Common Core standards for Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Health, Art, Physical Education, and Music to pupils as adopted by the Board of Education;
• Assists teachers in developing an advanced understanding of the principles of successful instructional practices in English acquisition.
• Provides instruction for teaching staff on how to implement learning experiences that best motivate pupils and permit them to utilize the time and materials for learning;
• Assists teachers in developing lesson plans that use instructional materials (including technology) and provides individualized and small group instruction in order to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of each pupil;
• Identifies pupil needs and cooperates with the professional faculty in assessing and helping pupils solve health, attitude and learning problems;
• Maintains professional competence through participation in in-service education activities provided by Epiphany Prep and the District, and self-selected professional growth activities as desired;
• Supervises pupils both in and out of the classroom during the assigned working day;
• Administers standardized tests in accordance with the District testing program;
• Participates in curriculum and/or other developmental programs specific to Epiphany Prep and/or on a District level;
• Shares in sponsorship of student activities and supports the organization and running of faculty committees;
• Plans and coordinates with the Principal, the work of Instructional Assistants, teacher assistants, Apprentice Teachers and other paraprofessionals;
• Supports the creation of dynamic learning cultures in the classrooms;
• Recognizes that students come to the classroom with varying learning modalities such as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic styles;
• Engage teachers in using various learning approaches to reach the learning pathways best connected to students;
• Performs other job related tasks as assigned.

Other Responsibilities:

• Works closely with the Principal on academic and student affairs.
• Implements school and district policy and federal and state law in emergency situations which occur or are discovered in the school setting;
• Takes all necessary precautions to protect the integrity and safety of students, equipment, materials, resources and facilities
• Demonstrates and maintains an ongoing program of professional growth that satisfies any credentialing, school/district requirements, and personal expectations as a professional;
• Attends all regular staff and school-wide meetings and events to promote community, communication and mutual decision making among constituencies;
• Contributes to decisions made by the school regarding budget, facilities, curriculum, and personal well-being;
• Performs other duties as assigned.