Associate Director of 6-12 ELA

Reporting to the Network Director of curriculum: Humanities, the Associate Director of 6-12 ELA is responsible for managing the development and implementation of DREAM’s rigorous, vertically-aligned, culturally and historically responsive 6th-12th grade English Language Arts curriculum. This leader collaborates closely with school-based administrators to design and facilitate high-quality professional development, coach leaders and teachers around ELA content and pedagogy, ensure strong curriculum implementation, create assessments, and analyze data to drive continuous improvement. The ideal candidate has extensive knowledge of best practices for ELA teaching and learning across grades 6-12, experience fostering adult learning through high-quality professional development and coaching, strong data analysis and strategic thinking skills, a mission-driven mindset, and a passion for innovation.

Responsibilities

Curriculum, Assessment, and Data

• Develop and design a rigorous, vertically-aligned 6-12 ELA curriculum that fosters the achievement of all students, takes a constructivist approach, is culturally and historically responsive, and develops students’ critical consciousness; 

• Create unit plans, assessments, lesson plans, and instructional materials for grades 6-12 ELA;

• Collaborate with the Managing Director of Curriculum and Instruction and other key stakeholders to design a multi-year process for strategic redesign, revision, and codification of the 6-12 ELA curriculum and assessments; 

• Analyze student data to assess the effectiveness of curricular design and implementation, make necessary short- and long-term revisions, and create network, school, and classroom-level action plans to improve student achievement;

• Collaborate with principals, academic deans, and other key stakeholders to regularly analyze assessment data and use it to drive instruction; 

• Ensure alignment of the 6-12 ELA program with the broader PK-12 literacy vision by partnering with other ELA leaders across the network.

Teacher & Leader Development 

• Design and facilitate high-quality professional development to support teachers and leaders with 6-12 ELA curriculum implementation;

• Conduct curriculum implementation and content walkthroughs to support school-based teams in identifying focus areas and action steps for instructional improvement by observing ELA instruction and analyzing student and teacher data;

• Regularly observe and provide feedback on Intellectual Prep meetings in order to improve coaching and teacher development practices across schools; 

• Coach Academic Deans and other instructional leaders to develop their content knowledge, curriculum expertise, and capacity to drive instructional excellence in ELA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, or a related field preferred;

• Minimum of 5 years of experience teaching and/or leading ELA in middle or high school (high school experience and experience with AP courses strongly preferred), with a record of strong achievement for all students;

• Charter school leadership experience (including people management, curriculum implementation, and coaching teachers) strongly preferred;

• Deep knowledge of instructional design, curriculum development, standards alignment, assessment design, and pedagogical best practices in ELA; 

• Proven track record of developing teacher and/or leader knowledge, skills, and productive mindsets around teaching and learning, including designing and executing adult professional development and coaching; 

• Strong analytic, performance management, and systems-thinking orientation, with the ability to use data to inform strategy, accountability, and continuous improvement;

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and achieving exceptional results, especially for students furthest from opportunity;

• Deep commitment to fostering equity and inclusion in our schools; 

• Strong interpersonal skills, cultural competency, and an ability to build relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders;  

• Excellent organizational, project management, and prioritization skills, with the ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously; 

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to convey complex information to a variety of audiences;  

• A deep belief in DREAM’s mission and values, including a drive to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

Working Expectations

• Ideal start date: June 1, 2026
• The Associate Director of 6-12 ELA  is part of the Curriculum team, which currently works 3 days in the office and up to 2 days remote, per week (subject to change).

Benefits and Paid Time Off

• We offer comprehensive benefits including:
• Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children;
• The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs;
• Dental and vision plans;
• Disability benefits;
• Life insurance;
• Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave;
• Flexible spending account options;
• Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit);
• Fitness and entertainment discounts;
• A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP);
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match starting at 4% after one year, with increases tied to DREAM tenure;
• Referral, performance, and tenure milestones bonuses;
• Discounted school meals through our in-house Scratch Food Program;
• Tuition reimbursement support;
• Access to a professional development fund;
• All full-time Network Support Team employees are eligible for approximately 48 days off throughout the year including holidays, sick days, personal days and summer Fridays.
• Benefits are subject to change.

Compensation

• DREAM offers a competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience. The incoming annual salary range for this position is $105,000  to $115,000 per year. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary closer to the start of the range depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. All regular employees receive annual compensation increases and have the opportunity to earn both performance- and tenure-based bonuses. Because we value tenure in each role, our salary ranges are not capped.