Asst Director of Early Literacy & Pre-Kindergarten Programming for the Office of Teaching & Learning

Assistant Director of Early Literacy and Prekindergarten Programming for the Office of Teaching and Learning

Embody, advocate and operationalize the mission, vision and strategic direction of the Schenectady City School District. Support the Office of Teaching & Learning and District schools to achieve the District's goals for student and graduate success by ensuring equitable student and school access to all programs, resources, and high quality instruction. Assist the District team in establishing District-wide practices that promote equity attending to the need for an antiracist, culturally responsive curriculum.

Provide guidance and professional development on topics relevant to literacy acquisition and school readiness in pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3; partner and collaborate with local agencies in the common work of promoting early childhood literacy; serves as a liaison between the Prek classrooms, Community Based Organizations and K-12 learning communities regarding issues of literacy and school readiness. The successful candidate will coordinate efforts with the ELA Assistant Director so there is a fluid program pre-K through 12th grade.

Primary responsibilities (provide assistance to the Teaching and Learning team):

• Identify, evaluate, and standardize Prek and developmental reading curriculum and instructional resources that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion and lead to improved student outcomes;
• Lead the research and development of literacy acquisition and instructional practices, programs, and policies that maximize educational options and lead to improved academic success for all students;
• Serve as a resource to Principals, teachers, and community partners (community based organizations, universities, and non-profit educational organizations) to provide assistance to adopt culturally responsive curriculum and effective pedagogical practices for the purpose of advancing educational equity;
• Communicate and steer the K-3 District literacy goals for the team and District;

• Collaborate with district departments for fiscal and program oversight of the Universal Prekindergarten Grant

• Work closely with the MTSS team to plan and monitor a comprehensive literacy assessment program to assure the use of accurate data in implementing a diagnostic and prescriptive tiered intervention system for P-3 Readers.
• Develop professional development opportunities for teachers to increase educational outcomes;

Specifically:

Identify, evaluate, and standardize comprehensive core reading curriculum and instructional resources that promote equity and lead to improved student outcomes

• Assists the district in understanding, interpreting, and operationalizing the Next Generation PreK through Grade 3 ELA Learning Standards as set forth by New York State Education Department, with special attention to foundational reading development;
• Integral role in assuring that the goals of the Student and Graduate Success Pillar are a central focus in work undertaken, operationalizing the defined pillar strategies to move measures towards successful completion;
• Analyzes and utilizes student reading data for the purpose of developing or co-developing appropriate curriculum and guiding instructional conversations;
• Promotes the use of the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching and learning and ensures that necessary resources are available.

Lead the research and development of instructional practices, programs, and policies that maximize educational options and lead to improved academic success for all students

• Research topics required to maintain the integrity of equity work (e.g. relevant policies, new federal and state statutes, financial resources, etc.) for the purpose of developing new reading programs/services, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, securing general information and/or responding to requests;
• Assist building administration and faculty in analysis and use of reading assessment data to reflect on teaching practice, make instructional decisions, inform developmental reading lesson plans and meet the needs of diverse learners;
• Collaborate and problem-solve in developing…