Job Description

School:

Job Title: Director of Teaching and Learning

Category: Full-time

Classification: Administrator/School Leadership, Instructional/Educational Coordination, Operations/Business Office/Administrative

Work Year: 2010-2011

School Description
Denver Venture School (DVS) is public charter school that opened in the fall of 2008 with a class of 100 freshmen. Eventually serving approximately 400 students in grades 9 through 12, DVS will offer a small school environment dedicated to academic excellence. We will grow to 200 students, grades 9, 10 and 11 for 2010-2011.

The Director of Teaching and Learning reports directly to the head of school and works closely with all staff in coordinating, implementing and assessing an up-to-date, dynamic curriculum which meets the varied needs of the diverse student body. 

Staff selection, evaluation and retention
 Recruit, retain and lead a highly skilled professional staff
 Create a professional community that focuses on curriculum and instruction as the primary vehicles for improving student achievement and school culture
 Model a commitment to on-going professional development by participating fully in Expeditionary Learning’s on-site work and off-site conferences, institutes, summits, and regional programming
 Responsible for evaluating all Denver Venture School Instructional Staff
 Model effective instructional practices in staff meetings, professional development sessions, and team meetings
 Reinforce and institutionalize the implementation of Expeditionary Learning practices through regular observation, coaching, and evaluation

Curriculum and Instruction
 Ensure comprehensive curriculum scope and sequence aligns with state standards, graduation requirements and college entrance standards
 Collaborate with teachers and teacher teams to support the development of standards-based expedition plans and high quality instructional plans
 Support teachers’ development of thorough standards-based assessment plans

Data and Assessment
 Oversee school wide assessment programs including MAPS, CSAP, ACT, SAT and AP exams
 Communicate results of assessments to the broader community
 Collects and interprets test data for use in student placement and instructional programs. 
 Assists in scheduling students in appropriate remediation and supplementary opportunities

Expeditionary Learning Liaison
 Work with Expeditionary Learning school designer to select, develop and implement professional development
 Determine professional development needs above and beyond those provided by EL
 Take leadership in development of school structures and programs to support the model (student recruitment, ongoing assessment, crew, intensives, exhibitions of student work).

Requirements
• Minimum 5 years classroom teaching experience in Expeditionary Learning or similar schools
• 7-12 experience in school administration
• Experience teaching and facilitating adults
• Strong communication and organizational skills

Preferred Attributes
• Type D Licensure
• Previous participation in EL professional development
• Masters degree in curriculum and instruction
• Fluency in Spanish

If you are interested in applying for any of the above positions, please send resume and letter of interest addressing the following questions to Ami Desai, Head of School at Denver Venture School at ami.desai@denverventureschool.org

 How does your personal educational practice resonate with our model of education at Denver Venture School? Give examples from your personal and professional life.

 Describe your vision of the ideal professional community at a school. What should interactions look like between teachers, the teachers and the director, the teachers and students, and teachers and parents?

Date Posted: 2010-02-18

Closing Date: 2010-05-18