Design and Coaching Specialist, ELA
About The Position
Leading Educators (LE) is seeking a Design and Coaching Specialist - ELA to drive measurable improvements in K-8 literacy instruction across New York City schools. This role combines school-based coaching with instructional design to ensure programming leads to stronger teacher practice and student outcomes. The specialist will be the main point of contact for school leaders, coaches, teacher leaders, and instructional leadership teams, acting as the project's expert in instructional coaching, adult learning, and classroom assessment. Responsibilities include providing direct coaching to teachers and leaders, designing professional learning tools and resources tailored to each school's context, and integrating design and coaching seamlessly. The work aims to strengthen Professional Learning Communities, build distributed leadership, and create conditions for sustainable instructional improvement. The position reports to the Director of Implementation, Design, and Coaching, working to align school-level implementation with district priorities while staying grounded in classroom realities.
Requirements
- 7+ years of professional experience in education, including experience teaching, leading instructional practice, or supporting curriculum implementation
- K-8 literacy content expertise required (comfort with elementary and middle school standards and research-based best practices), including familiarity with core and intervention curricula such as HMH Into Reading, HMH Into Literature, Wit & Wisdom, EL Education, Fishtank, SPIRE, SPIRE Sound Sensible, Phonics for Reading, and REWARDS
- Demonstrated experience providing coaching to teachers, teacher leaders, or school leaders
- Experience designing and facilitating professional learning aligned to curriculum, standards, and observable instructional practice
- Experience analyzing student work, classroom observation data, and instructional artifacts to inform coaching and professional learning decisions
- Ability to manage school-based relationships with professionalism, reliability, and instructional credibility
- Practitioner-level AI fluency: ability to identify appropriate use cases, apply AI to improve efficiency and quality, exercise judgment about responsible use, and integrate AI into existing workflows
- Ability to travel; based in New York City
- Authorization to work for any employer in the United States
Responsibilities
- Provide high-impact coaching to teachers, teacher leaders, and school leaders focused on lesson internalization, student work analysis, goal-setting, and reflective improvement cycles.
- Design and facilitate professional learning aligned to curriculum, standards, and observable instructional practice, adapting resources based on school context and district priorities.
- Analyze student work, classroom observation data, and instructional artifacts to inform both coaching decisions and professional learning design.
- Build trusting relationships with school leaders and instructional teams while maintaining instructional credibility and reliability.
- Conduct classroom observations and co-observations to assess instruction and provide actionable, growth-oriented feedback grounded in literacy best practices.
- Facilitate learning walks, grade team meetings, and Professional Learning Communities that strengthen instructional leadership capacity in ELA.
- Integrate design and coaching to create coherent cycles of learning that deepen teacher knowledge and shift literacy practice.
- Analyze ongoing evidence of student learning, teacher practice, and PLC leader development to monitor and refine program impact.
Benefits
- 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees.
- Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans.
- 4% matching 401k plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Accrued paid time off: 22 days per year for the first three years, increasing by five days after the third and sixth year of employment.
- 16 additional paid holidays
- Three floating holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
