Diversity Residency Program at UnboundEd: ELA Content Specialist, PreK-5

UnboundEd Overview
UnboundEd is a new, national non-profit organization dedicated to learning and growth for K-12 educators comprised of former classroom teachers, curriculum writers, school leaders, and program managers. We provide free, standards-aligned curricula in ELA and math as well as professional learning resources and opportunities. Our vision is that students at all levels and of all backgrounds gain the support they need to realize their full potential and meet the challenge of higher standards.

Residency Overview
We are committed to increasing the diversity of “Standards experts” in the United States and are excited to announce a new, national, two-year residency program. The purposes of this program are to:

Recruit and develop educators of color who are interested in playing a lead role in Standards work nationally
Intentionally diversify the national talent pool in Standards work
Intentionally foster Standards leadership qualities in a diverse pool of content experts
Directly meet the need for a more diverse group of experts to lead the work around standards implementation and to more fully address issues of equity and access for children of color in the course of implementing higher standards.
As full-time members of our content team, residents will work under the guidance of our team leaders to develop their own expertise in higher standards while supporting product development efforts built around these higher standards. At the conclusion of the program, participants will be able to return to the job market with nationally-recognized skills, knowledge and experiences that they can leverage to influence change for children. The program includes full-time salary and benefits, on the job coaching and mentoring, and general leadership professional development.

As an English Language Arts (ELA) Specialist, Pre-K -5, you will coordinate and collaborate with the ELA content team, digital product team, and leadership team, as well as external partners and national experts, to select, evaluate, adapt, sequence, and explicate Common Core open education resource (OER) curriculum for schools/districts. You will also collaborate on the development of professional development content and resources for K-12 ELA/Literacy, and work with a team to gather data from the field about what may be causing positive student outcomes in early literacy instruction, and why.

At the conclusion of your Residency, you will receive career planning support, networking assistance, and endorsement from UnboundEd Chief Academic Officer and Managing Partners. It is our intention and assumption that at that time you will be prepared for an impactful role in our or another organization or system focused on Standards implementation.

Responsibilities
Contribute to K-12 ELA content projects, including development of ELA adult learning resources that support teacher practice and Teacher2Teacher online community; participate in cycles of review on contributions of self and other team members.
Contribute to the organization of the best available ELA OER materials by tagging and sequencing digital curriculum according to specific criteria in order to provide targeted access and adaptation; participate in cycles of review on contributions of self and other team members.
Contribute to creating and evaluating a wide range of ELA professional development content for P-5 educators, including teachers, coaches, and leaders; participate in cycles of review on content contributions of self and other team members.
Lead and supervise professional development experiences for educators, including teachers, coaches, and leaders.
Provide site-based support for schools and organizational partners through classroom observations and other PD experiences.
Requirements

In order to be successful in this role, ideal candidates should demonstrate the following:

Required Skills and Characteristics:
Mission Alignment: Belief in our mission and strategy for helping fellow educators help their students to achieve learning goals set by higher standards.
Culture Fit: Motivated by an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, highly-collaborative team environment.
Strategic Thinking: Curiosity to solve complex problems and ability to think boldly to maximize new opportunities using a data-driven approach.
Avid Learning: Adaptive to feedback and focused on continuous improvement. Demonstrated ability to provide critical feedback and to analyze feedback in order to inform content curation and professional development.
Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work with adults and adult learners. Demonstrated ability to be self-directed and solutions-oriented.
Clear and Open Communication: Excellent organization, and oral and written communication skills. Ability to consider multiple perspectives, synthesize information and draw conclusions in service of supporting student improvement. Experience with technical writing and strong presentation skills, as well ability to conduct training sessions a strong plus.
Influencing Others: Communicate persuasively the research basis for Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy

Qualifications:
Experience teaching and/or coaching in a K-5 school serving students of color who have traditionally performed in the lowest quartile
Extensive knowledge of Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy and experience working with curriculum materials (OER materials preferred).
Possess a degree with teaching certification in ELA, Literacy, Reading, and/or a focus on early childhood/elementary literacy.
Possess a thorough knowledge of current educational principles, best practices and theory related to reading and literacy, including deep knowledge of research-based instructional strategies that support reading comprehension.
High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Google Docs/Spreadsheets
Experience developing professional development content. (preferred)
Experience with or Expertise in English Language Learner/Dual Language/bilingual education and/or Special Education. (preferred)
Compensation and Benefits: Competitive salary and generous benefits package.

Location: Candidates are expected to be available 10 AM – 6 PM Eastern standard time, but can be based anywhere in the United States. Occasional travel is required.

Application Deadline: March 17, 2017, however, resumes and cover letters will be accepted after that date until the position is filled.

TO APPLY: Please apply with your resume and cover letter via our online application here: https://unbounded.workable.com/j/B7AFEF1241

The residency is open to African American and Latino educators who meet our education and experience requirements. We hope to fill these positions in the fall of 2016. Positions will run for approximately 24 months once filled. Note that positions may be extended due to funding availability.

Questions regarding the program can be sent to careers@unbounded.org