K-8 Director of Teaching and Learning

The Berkeley School, a progressive, preK-8 independent school in the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, seeks a K-8 Director of Teaching and Learning to guide K-8 academic program development and implementation through working closely with teaching teams, team leaders, and teachers to articulate, implement, evaluate, and continually improve K-8 teaching and learning practices.

The Director of Teaching and Learning will lead a group of 21 professional, committed K-8 educators, working in teams, who teach 140 K-8 students on a beautiful campus with proximity to public transportation that makes the cultural, educational, and natural resources of Berkeley, the East Bay, and the Bay Area an integral part of the K-8 academic program.

The Berkeley School focuses on developing each child’s academic and life skills in a learning environment shaped by two truths of civic engagement: we are interdependent and what we do matters. Our graduates grow up to make a positive difference in communities where they learn and work through the ways that they observe, think, plan, and act. Our teachers enact this vision in their daily work with students, ensuring that our school can fulfill our mission to ignite curious minds, awaken generous hearts, and engage a changing world.

We are committed to principles that promote effective, inclusive teaching practices and create culturally responsive educational environments for each student, and we value the skills, knowledge and experiences that a diverse workforce brings to our school. As we seek to educate the whole child, affirming the cultural histories and identities of all our students, we seek faculty and staff who are knowledgeable and experienced in helping each student grow. If you see this approach as critical to teaching and learning, we urge you to apply.

OVERVIEW: The K-8 Director of Teaching and Learning guides K-8 academic program development and implementation, working closely with teaching teams, team leaders, and teachers to articulate, implement, evaluate, and continually improve K-8 teaching and learning practices. The K-8 Director of Teaching and Learning serves as a member of the school’s senior leadership team, supervises all K-8 teaching teams, and reports directly to the Head of School.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated understanding of equity, inclusion, and belonging as essential components of a meaningful and challenging academic program
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with teachers and teaching teams in both supervisory and coaching roles
• Master’s degree in an educational/related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ teaching experience required, preferably in a K-8 environment
• Prior experience in educational/academic leadership roles, preferably in K-8 settings
• Well-developed personal and professional levels of equity literacy and emotional intelligence
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices in teaching and learning, with particular emphasis on assessment, instructional decision-making, and curriculum development and implementation
• Experience with and/or commitment to developing and incorporating civic engagement as a key component of the K-8 educational program
• Ability to communicate effectively, and to develop processes that lead to team buy-in and successful outcomes for students
• Flexibility and creativity to leverage school’s key strengths in developing constructive, mission-aligned solutions to challenges that arise
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Wholehearted commitment to the mission, vision, and values of The Berkeley School

PRIMARY POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Academic Program Development & Oversight

• Guide K-8 academic program development and implementation, working closely with teaching teams, team leaders, and teachers, to articulate, implement, evaluate, and continually improve K-8 teaching and learning practices
• Lead through clearly communicated and culturally responsive structures, processes, and decisions
• Develop and refine K-8 systems of assessment that inform instructional decision-making
• Develop and expand the school’s knowledge and application of current research, ideas, and best practices in K-8 education, child development, equity and inclusion, and civic engagement

Faculty Supervision and Development

• Supervise K-8 teaching teams in exploring, implementing, and assessing mission-driven teaching and learning approaches
• Build on existing frameworks and structures to design a professional growth process for K-8 teachers that aligns with the school’s core mission and values, differentiated appropriately for teacher needs, and builds capacity for culturally responsive pedagogy
• Support high-quality collaboration among teachers to elevate individual strengths and a strong sense of shared purpose, thereby improving student learning outcomes for all students

Leadership and Administration

• Report to the Head of School
• Serve as a member of the school’s senior leadership team
• Supervise and evaluate all direct reports (teaching team leaders, other teachers as designated)
• Work collaboratively with…
  • the Enrollment Team on retention and admission processes and strategies
  • the Advancement Team on projects and initiatives requiring K-8 educational program input and support.
  • the Head of School, Business Office, and teaching teams to develop and manage the school’s program budget
• Communicate with and help educate current and prospective families about K-8 teaching and learning in ways that strengthen mutual trust, shared understanding, productive family partnerships and educational opportunities.
• Work with other administrators and teachers to develop and support mission-aligned school and classroom cultures
• Assume other duties as assigned by the Head of School

Overview of the School:
Founded in 1964 as Berkeley Montessori School, The Berkeley School is an intentionally small preK-8th grade school of 220 students on two campuses. We focus on developing academic and life skills in joyful, rigorous learning environments deeply rooted in civic engagement. Applicants are encouraged to visit our website at www.theberkeleyschool.org to learn more about our program.

Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with experience. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identification.

Please submit a resume, letter of interest, and two professional references to the Hiring Committee at DTLemployment@theberkeleyschool.org.