Associate Director, Teaching

Job DescriptionPosition OverviewThe Associate Director, Teaching & Learning is responsible for ensuring every classroom at Quest Forward High School - Omaha delivers excellence for students. To achieve this, the Associate Director, Teaching & Learning is both a strategic leader, setting a vision and structure that drives instructional excellence, and the primary 1:1 coach for all teachers in the building. The Associate Director, Teaching & Learning is an active member of the school’s leadership team, which collaborates weekly on setting the school’s strategic direction and provides assistance and support to achieve Quest Forward’s broader mission and goals. The Associate Director, Teaching & Learning provides key leadership in our organization-wide goal of leading the nation in active-engaged learning.

About Quest Forward High School & Opportunity EducationFounded in 2017, Quest Forward High School Omaha (QFHS) is an independent college preparatory school located in the northwest part of Omaha, Nebraska. Serving approximately 100 students in grades 9-12, the school provides students with the skills they’ll need to succeed in college, career, and life. Our approach to academics empowers a thoughtful, creative, and community-oriented approach to preparing students for the challenges and opportunities they’ll face in the world ahead.

QFHS is one of the founding lab schools of a growing network of Opportunity Education schools. Opportunity Education is a charitable foundation with the mission of developing and supporting life-changing learning programs for young adults worldwide.

Founded in 2005 by entrepreneur philanthropist Joe Ricketts, Opportunity Education has supported programs in 12 countries across primary and secondary grades, serving over 1 million students and over 5,000 teachers in 1,500 schools.

Job ResponsibilitiesThe Associate Director’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Instructional Leadership

Set an aspirational vision for academic excellence rooted in active engaged learning practices and aligned to rigorous college and career readiness

Provide leadership and modeling for teachers in instructional practice, includingintervention and differentiation; backward-design unit and lesson planning processes;and data analysis cycles

Lead the vision for data and assessment practices that measure student progress against ambitious outcomes

Create systems for regular data analysis by teachers and leaders to inform instructional decision-making and planning

Lead weekly professional development and team meetings based on student data and teacher needs

Support in leading instructional-focused sessions during summer professional development and ongoing professional development stepbacks

Assist in the school’s tactical assessment needs, which includes successful management of standardized testing

Lead and inspect the implementation of high-quality grading practices

Maintain an awareness of key college and career readiness standards including current conditions in higher education to map curricular decisions from

Continually strive for ways to build in stronger active engagement and student agency into curricular practices

Coaching & Development

Provide 1:1 coaching for teachers, including frequent and consistent observations and post-observation feedback meetings

Provide feedback on teacher planning, including high-quality unit and lesson planning

Create personalized development plans for teachers, supporting the ongoing learning and diverse developmental needs of each educator

Provide development and feedback on effective assessment design, including formative and summative practices that support continuous learning for students and teachers

Collaborate with Opportunity Education to provide appropriate differentiated support and resources for teachers

School Leadership & Collaboration

Serve on the school’s leadership team, collaborating to ensure school priorities are aligned and goals are met

Assist in developing academic support programs, including effective responses to student learning needs (e.g. WIN time, MTSS cycles, etc.)

Support ongoing instructional-focused school accountability needs, including the reporting of student data and preparation of records and reports as needed

Actively participate in the hiring of teachers

Collaborate with student support team members on individual graduation planning,college and career planning work (Pathways) and ensuring instructional rigor aligns with Pathways’ goals

Provide consistent and regular feedback to Opportunity Education ensuring the organization best supports the schools, provides effective resources, and is on pace to lead the nation in our shared work on active-engaged learning

Collaborate with Opportunity Education to ensure the school has effective support for continuous improvement

Serve as a leader and steward of Quest Forward High School within the school, with families, and the broader community

Requirements

Ideal Traits & QualificationsThe ideal candidate possesses the following experiences, accomplishments, skills, and mindsets:

A clear and measurable history of excellence in the classroom at the high school level with a diverse range of student abilities

Experience coaching a diverse range of teachers toward excellence in planning, instruction, and classroom culture

An ability to build trusting relationships rooted in high expectations and support with adults

A vision for academic excellence, both in aspiration and the systems that support ongoing excellence

At least 5 years of teaching experience and an additional 2+ years as an instructional coach/leader within a school

A service-focused mindset, going above and beyond in work ethic and in clearing the runway for teachers to focus on excellent teaching

An unwavering belief in the potential of every student, regardless of background or starting ability, to succeed with the right supports before graduating

A belief and commitment to Opportunity Education and Quest Forward High Schools’ mission, vision, and approach

Benefits

Compensation & BenefitsCompensation commensurate with experience. The Associate Director, Teaching & Learning is eligible for Opportunity Education’s health, dental, vision, and benefits package.

Application ProcessApplications will be considered on a rolling basis with priority consideration given to candidates who apply before June 23, 2024.

Employment Status & Start DateThis is a full-time, exempt, at-will position reporting directly to the school’s Director (i.e. principal). This position has an immediate start date and is a year-round position.

Equal Opportunity EmployerQuest Forward High School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where all individuals are valued and respected.

RequirementsIdeal Traits & Qualifications The ideal candidate possesses the following experiences, accomplishments, skills, and mindsets: A clear and measurable history of excellence in the classroom at the high school level with a diverse range of student abilities Experience coaching a diverse range of teachers toward excellence in planning, instruction, and classroom culture An ability to build trusting relationships rooted in high expectations and support with adults A vision for academic excellence, both in aspiration and the systems that support ongoing excellence At least 5 years of teaching experience and an additional 2+ years as an instructional coach/leader within a school A service-focused mindset, going above and beyond in work ethic and in clearing the runway for teachers to focus on excellent teaching An unwavering belief in the potential of every student, regardless of background or starting ability, to succeed with the right supports before graduating A belief and commitment to Opportunity Education and Quest Forward High Schools’ mission, vision, and approach

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