Academic Specialist (English & Social Studies)

IOTA Community Schools • Memphis, TN

6d • Onsite

About The Position

IOTA Community Schools Tennessee LLC seeks a talented, highly accountable Academic Specialist (English & Social Studies) to serve as the network’s instructional leader for English Language Arts and curriculum resource for both ELA and Social Studies across all campuses in Tennessee and Arkansas. This role carries significant responsibility across the full instructional cycle for ELA — coaching ELA teachers, developing and aligning curriculum, designing assessments, and creating professional learning materials — while also providing Social Studies curriculum support. The Academic Specialist is required to spend 20% of his/her time supporting schools in Arkansas, 80% each for Bluff City & Wooddale in Tennessee. The Academic Specialist works closely with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist as a thought partner on ELA curriculum alignment and assessment development, recognizing the natural overlap between English language arts and English language development. Note: Social Studies teacher coaching is provided by Assistant Principals of Instruction at each campus; this role focuses on Social Studies curriculum and resources, not direct SS teacher coaching. This is an on-site, campus-based role requiring consistent presence across all IOTA campuses.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 4 years of ELA and/or Social Studies teaching experience at the middle or high school level.
• Valid Tennessee ELA or Social Studies teaching license required
• Familiarity with TNReady, ACT administration, ELPA 21, AIMSweb, and/or Arkansas state assessment requirements required.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Proficiency with Google Drive, Google Docs/Slides, Microsoft Teams, and curriculum platforms such as Common Curriculum.
• Ability to travel on-site to all IOTA campuses in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in ELA Education, Curriculum & Instruction, or a related field preferred.
• Arkansas license or ability to obtain preferred.
• Solid knowledge of Arkansas standards preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing curriculum, assessments, and instructional resources aligned to state standards.
• Experience facilitating professional development for teachers and contributing to adult learning design.
• Experience working with ELL students and familiarity with the connection between ELA instruction and English language development.
• Experience in a charter school or multi-campus network environment.
• Strong curriculum writing skills; able to produce high-quality, teacher-friendly instructional materials independently.
• Highly self-motivated and accountable, demonstrated history of meeting deadlines with high-quality work.
• Collaborative and responsive, maintains strong communication with the team and school-based staff.
• Deep commitment to IOTA’s mission and a belief in the literacy and social studies potential of every student.

Responsibilities

• Serve as IOTA’s primary instructional coach for ELA teachers across all campuses at the middle and high school levels, including all ELA courses and literacy-focused content.
• Provide consistent, high-quality observation and feedback cycles to ELA teachers, using the coaching model to support gradual release of instructional responsibility and reflective practice.
• Strategically plan and facilitate Intellectual Preparation (IP) collaboration sessions to build ELA teacher depth in content knowledge, close reading, writing instruction, and standards-aligned pedagogy.
• Promote instruction that meets the demands of the Tennessee and Arkansas ELA Academic Standards through focused observations, co-planning, and differentiated coaching support.
• Model research-based ELA instructional strategies for teachers, including text-based discussion, writing across the curriculum, and evidence-based literacy practices.
• Collaborate with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist to ensure ELA instruction is scaffolded appropriately for ELL students and that language development is embedded in literacy instruction.
• Track the instructional growth of every ELA teacher coached, using observation data, assessment results, and teacher self-reflection to document progress and adjust coaching strategies over time.
• Develop and refine Social Studies curriculum unit plans, pacing guides, and instructional resources aligned to Tennessee and Arkansas state standards.
• Set expectations for Social Studies curriculum coverage within each school year across all campuses.
• Develop high-quality, reusable Social Studies instructional resources, including unit plans, document-based inquiry materials, primary source sets, and writing tasks, that teachers can access and implement across all campuses.
• Support Assistant Principals of Instruction in their coaching of Social Studies teachers by providing curriculum resources, content expertise, and instructional guidance as requested.
• Partner with APs of Instruction on Social Studies curriculum implementation fidelity through resource refinement and content support.
• Develop and/or refine ELA curriculum unit plans, pacing guides, and instructional resources aligned to Tennessee and Arkansas state standards.
• Set expectations for ELA curriculum coverage within each school year across all ELA courses, ensuring alignment between pacing, standards, and assessment.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs to ensure ELA curriculum is integrated into IOTA’s academic platforms, including Common Curriculum and OTUS.
• Develop high-quality, reusable ELA instructional resources, including unit plans, text sets, discussion protocols, and writing tasks, that teachers can access and implement across all campuses.
• Monitor ELA curriculum implementation fidelity through classroom observations and data reviews, refining resources based on teacher feedback and student performance.
• Coordinate the design, scheduling, and quality review of ELA and Social Studies benchmark and interim assessments, ensuring assessments are rigorous, text-based, standards-aligned, and instructionally useful.
• Develop high-quality assessment items and tasks for ELA and Social Studies, including multiple-choice, extended response, and performance tasks, aligned to state testing formats and academic standards.
• Collaborate with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist on ELA assessment design to ensure appropriate accommodations and accessibility for ELL students are embedded from the start.
• Analyze ELA and Social Studies assessment and observation data to identify trends, surface instructional gaps, and recommend targeted next steps to teachers, school leaders, and the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs.
• Train teachers in data analysis practices, supporting PLC cycles that connect assessment results to instructional adjustments.
• Work in conjunction with the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs to coordinate with the Academic Specialists to ensure the full assessment calendar — state, benchmark, AIMSweb, and locally-developed — is cohesive, non-conflicting, and communicated clearly to all campuses.
• Update campus level API trackers with OTUS assessment information weekly.
• Design and develop professional learning materials, resources, and tools for ELA and Social Studies teachers across the network, including slide decks, facilitation guides, protocols, and resource libraries.
• Work collaboratively with the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs to contribute ELA and Social Studies content to network-wide PD sessions and the annual professional learning calendar.
• Develop content-specific PD sessions on ELA and Social Studies instructional strategies, curriculum implementation, and data use that can be facilitated on-site or virtually.
• Create a network-accessible library of ELA and Social Studies instructional resources that teachers across all campuses can use independently.
• Develop and submit weekly lesson plans for all assigned ELA courses across IOTA campuses, ensuring plans are standards-aligned, text-based, and posted in shared academic platforms (e.g., Common Curriculum, OTUS) on time each week.
• Maintain a complete, current set of lesson plans for all assigned ELA courses so that plans are accessible, consistent, and replicable across the network.
• Ensure all lesson plans reflect alignment with Tennessee and Arkansas ELA Academic Standards, IOTA’s curriculum framework, and best practices for supporting diverse learners including ELL and special education students.
• Partner with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist as a thought partner on ELA curriculum, assessment, and instructional planning, leveraging their expertise in language development to strengthen ELA program design.
• Contribute to the academic department’s broader systems work, including curriculum platform management, benchmark assessment scheduling, and professional learning coordination.
• Support the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs with ELA and Social Studies data analysis for network-wide academic reporting.
• Other duties as assigned by the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs.

Benefits

• This employer strives for a balanced, productive workforce, which is diverse in terms of age, gender, and cultural identity. We do not base hiring or promotional decisions on factors other than performance and professional growth potential.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level