Professional Learning Specialist (Math, K-8)

Job Summary

The School District of Philadelphia is committed to having schools staffed with great teachers and principals. Professional Learning Specialists are responsible for supporting the continuous development of teachers, principals, and support staff.

Professional Learning Specialists design, align, and facilitate, professional learning opportunities for educators throughout the School District of Philadelphia (SDP).

Work involves formulating and implementing plans to meet the short-term and long-term needs of the District’s teaching and administrative staff.

Work additionally involves determining training and personnel development needs on a learning network, school and individual level.

Professional Learning Specialists are tasked with providing high-quality professional growth opportunities that will enhance educators’ leadership, cultural competency, organizational, communication, problem-solving, and outcomes-oriented skills.

Their work also involves supporting the District’s curriculum, assessment, and instructional goals.

Essential Functions :

• Designs and facilitates professional learning and development sessions and courses on a variety of topics to support the designated programmatic framework.
• Conducts professional learning and development sessions by learning network, grade band, and school type to bolster educator effectiveness and student progress.
• Research new trends in education in an effort to keep staff aligned with the Pedagogical shifts and SDP instructional practices.
• Thoughtfully creates customized professional learning modules for educators.
• Support District initiatives.

Academic Services Math K-8 Specialty :

• Designs and facilitates professional learning and development sessions and courses on a variety of topics to support the designated programmatic framework.
• Plans and administers the implementation of instructional strategies to support academic achievement aligned to Board of Education Goals and Guardrails.
• Conducts professional learning and development sessions for principals, leadership teams, and teachers based on data informed needs.
• Assists school-based instructional leadership teams in analyzing data and creating an action plan to respond to data analysis.
• Debriefs with teachers, school leadership teams, and academic staff to analyze and support the instructional practices in schools.
• Visits schools and classrooms and provides support to improve instructional and assessment strategies through instructional rounds and other informal visits.
• Thoughtfully creates customized professional learning modules for educators.
• Research new trends in education in an effort to keep staff aligned with the Pedagogical shifts and SDP instructional practices.
• Thoughtfully creates customized professional learning modules for educators.
• Support District initiatives.
• Develops and implements Common Planning Time as a District strategy.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements :

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in education, teacher leadership, administration or a related field.
• Five years of full-time, paid, professional teaching experience, which has included working with evidence-based interventions, developing and implementing professional development, and serving as a staff development leader, supervisor, or principal.

NOTE : An applicant who does not meet the minimum education or work experience requirements listed above may be considered if, at the sole discretion of the Talent Office, they have a unique combination of education and work experiences that indicates potential for success in this role.

Certificates / Licenses :

Possession of a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Administrative certificate for K-12 or Elementary and Secondary Principal.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrated knowledge of :

o the principles, practices and techniques of academic pedagogy, trends and best practices.

o the principles, practices and techniques of working with adult educators.

o standards-aligned instruction, pedagogy, instructional supports, and evidence- based instructional practices.

o the methods and techniques used in effective program planning, design and administration.

o the current educational issues that directly impact student learning.

o effective facilitation moves and approaches to engage adults in collaboration.

Demonstrated ability to :

o understand the core curriculum as it relates to high-quality Tier One instructional planning.

o exercise discretion and tact in dealing with sensitive situations.

o maintain necessary records and files, compile information and prepare reports.

o process multiple tasks simultaneously, adhere to timelines, and bring plans to completion within a timely manner.

o assess the effectiveness of programmatic activities and make recommendations for modifications as needed.

o expertly develop and facilitate presentations that engage adults in meaningful ways to impact practice.

o evaluate effectiveness of professional development and implement changes as needed.

o conduct research and analyze data to inform District, network and school supports.

o gather, track, and use data to drive decision making and create detailed reports.

o effectively use Google Drive including documents, sheets, slides, and forms to develop and share content and presentations.

o communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

o establish and maintain effective working relationships.