Director of Education

RFK Community Alliance•Lancaster, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Don Watson Academy (DWA) is seeking an experienced education administrator and instructional leader to serve as the Director of Education. This role is responsible for driving instructional excellence and curricular fidelity, leading the design of rigorous and responsive educational programming rooted in instructional best practices and a therapeutic framework. DWA is a year-round, state-approved special education day and residential school program serving students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral disabilities using a trauma-responsive approach. The program focuses on developing student attitudes and actions that promote problem-solving, independence, and academic achievement, within a learning environment that offers a challenging curriculum, emphasizes individual student strengths, and focuses on student success.

Requirements

Master's Degree
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience working in a K-8 school, with a proven track record of positively impacting instructional outcomes
DESE Educator Licensure
DESE School Administrator Licensure for Principal or Special Education Administrator (or eligibility for initial licensure)
Valid Massachusetts driver’s license is required

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Educational Leadership, Teaching and Learning, or Curriculum and Instructional Design
Extensive experience in leading curriculum development, instructional coaching, and assessment design
Special education classroom teaching experience
Experience providing trauma-informed care and working with students with disabilities

Responsibilities

Serve as a deeply empathetic and collaborative leader who actively seeks out and incorporates input from staff, students, and caregivers to drive a shared, inclusive vision for DWA.
Cultivate instructional excellence by coaching, mentoring, and guiding all education staff to refine their practice and achieve mastery as professionals.
Champion and model research-based best practices in the classroom, providing demonstration lessons and facilitating job-embedded professional learning focused on instructional effectiveness and collaborative planning.
Conduct regular observations and implement targeted supervision and coaching to provide staff with timely, reflective feedback and individualized support.
Design and deliver comprehensive professional learning, ensuring all staff are trained in a trauma-informed approach to education and effective instructional strategies that integrate clinical and social emotional supports throughout the milieu.
Supervise, support, and formally evaluate teachers in accordance with RFK Community Alliance standards.
Serve as a curriculum specialist, strategically overseeing the selection, design, implementation, and evaluation of a high-quality, research-based curriculum and associated instructional materials aligned with student needs and state standards.
Lead the instructional design process, including comprehensive curriculum mapping and the alignment of all learning objectives, materials, and formative/summative assessments to ensure curricular fidelity.
Drive data-informed instruction by leading teachers in the analysis of student data to identify instructional needs, adjust curricular approaches, and measure program effectiveness.
Ensure instructional programs are highly differentiated to support the development and implementation of robust, goal-driven Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
Serve as a vital member of the DWA and RFKCA leadership team, contributing to high-level operational and instructional decisions, the integration of the Lower School’s goals with the organization's strategic plan, and the articulation of a cohesive therapeutic and academic vision across the entire campus and K-12 continuum.
Act as a critical liaison and colleague between the other RFK Community Alliance 766 schools, fostering interdepartmental collaboration and resource alignment to advance the holistic, therapeutic mission of the agency.