Instructional Coach (Bilingual)

Description

ABOUT OUR DISTRICT:

The Syracuse City School District is undergoing a new phase of innovation and transformation with the goal of ensuring that all students graduate high school with the skills needed to be ready for college and career. For Syracuse, all means all - including students who fall behind academically or have been considered "hard to support" for a host of reasons. The School Board and Syracuse community have charged the Superintendent with improving student achievement, and he is seeking a dedicated and diverse team of school leaders and teachers to partner with him in moving the district toward its goals. The Syracuse City School District represents 34 schools and 4 alternative education programs, serving 19,000+ students Pre-K-12 of whom 77% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 18% are served by the Office of Special Education and 78% are students of color.

WHO WE WANT:

Successful SCSD educators are passionately committed to urban education and all in for Syracuse students. They:

Believe strongly that all students can learn at high levels;

Demonstrate commitment to serving urban students, schools or communities, and to closing the achievement gap;

Demonstrate willingness to put the interests of students above all others;

Actively contribute to a culture of high expectations in their school and district;

Adapt seamlessly to the complexities of the urban school environment; and

Follow current trends in education policy and research, including Common Core standards, comprehensive assessment systems and data-driven instruction.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Bilingual Instructional Coach will support the work of the Office of English as a New Language, World Languages and Bilingual Education in building and expanding capacity for effective instruction that assists the two bilingual schools’ building administration and staff to meet the needs of the ELL students and the non-ELL students enrolled in bilingual programming. The goal is to increase the English and Spanish literacy and academic achievement of these students by providing high-quality, innovative and research-based professional development, instructional coaching and technical assistance to the administrators, teachers, and support staff in the bilingual schools. As a support to teachers and principals, the bilingual coach is responsible for providing support in the areas of second language acquisition, developing literacy in the first language and a second language, adaptation of instructional materials, formative and summative assessment, co-planning and co-teaching, and family and community engagement.

REPORTS TO: Supervising Director of ENL, World Languages and Bilingual Education

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide comprehensive instructional coaching to support teachers by providing feedback on lessons and assessments that reflect the instructional needs of students in the bilingual programs.

Collaborate with teachers and provide specific strategies for improved instructional delivery.

Serve as a resource in identifying appropriate research-based instructional strategies and interventions to improve achievement for all students. Specific emphasis will be placed on appropriate strategies for improving the academic achievement of English Language Learners (ELLs), students with disabilities, and struggling readers.

Provide professional development and materials to support bilingual teachers and general education teachers which will include literacy development in the first and a second language, instructional strategies for language learners, use of data to plan effective instruction and other topics based on needs for support.

Serve as a coach to teachers by providing expert advice on improving and enhancing individual lessons and units based on ongoing analysis. This will include, but is not limited to:

Reviewing lesson plans, unit plans and assessments

Understanding the District scope and sequence in multiple content areas and grade levels

Observing classroom instruction and offering comprehensive analysis and feedback

Conducting demonstrations and modeling lessons for classroom teachers

Integrate various data sets of student performance measures for language and content to produce meaningful supports and interventions for the bilingual schools.

Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather data to monitor mastery of instructional content.

Make recommendations on best practices for supporting instruction across all grade levels and individual bilingual schools.

Research and support schools in identifying quality and appropriate resources that support teachers and administrators.

Lead teacher study groups and/or collaborative learning teams to increase content and pedagogical knowledge of effective instruction.

Collaborate with the teacher support team to develop and implement plans designed to assist struggling students.

Demonstrate a commitment to high expectations for all students with an emphasis on the strengths students in the bilingual programs bring to the teaching and learning process and closing achievement gaps.

Complete any additional duties as assigned by the Director of ENL, World Languages and Bilingual Education.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, AND TRAINING:

Strong record of helping students achieve academic success, primarily with students of color and low-income students.

Significant experience with curriculum development and daily lesson planning.

Experience in analyzing data and using results to modify lessons.

Knowledge of and experience with backwards designed curricular models and Understanding by Design.

Significant experience with instructional best practices.

Ability to model positive and healthy character traits and habits, such as being organized, consistent and understanding.

Comfort and willingness to actively participate in school community.

Unquestioned integrity and commitment to the SCSD mission and willingness to serve the SCSD community.

Experience in professional development and leadership roles working with adults

Ability to plan, model, coach and provide feedback to individual teachers and teams of teachers to improve teaching and learning.

Experience implementing effective instructional practices, designing engaging lessons, using data and formative assessment in the classroom and implementing the four-tiered intervention system.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum five (5) years of bilingual teaching experience (preferred)

Minimum three (3) years of experience leading other teachers to achieve strong academic results (preferred)

Prior demonstration of exemplary attendance is expected of any candidate for hire.

New York State Bilingual Extension. This requires at least a Bachelor's degree. Licensed teachers from other states may qualify for reciprocity.

Please note that New York State requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 for certification, and one hired, this proof will be kept on file in the Office of Human Resources.

Once offered, you will be required to declare that all previous obligations with an employing school district have been met and you are not seeking this position with the intent of resigning from a previous commitment in which you have not served.

The successful candidate will be required to pass a fingerprint-based background check, at the cost of $102.50 to the candidate.

City Residents are encouraged to apply!

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Available to work extended days beyond contractual hours and throughout the summer.

SALARY/SALARY RANGE:

The current starting salary range for teachers is based in the Unit 1 Contractual Agreement. Salary is based on experience and may range from $53,000-$82,901.

Teachers may also be eligible for additional compensation for time worked during the summer. Anticipated job pending 2025-2026 budget approval.

In addition, this position includes an $8000 stipend.