Director of Instructional Practices

The Chapin School•New York, NY

1d•$150,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Chapin School, an independent K–12 day school for girls in New York City, seeks a student-centered, collaborative, and innovative educator for the 12-month Director of Instructional Practices role, beginning July 1, 2027. Reporting to the Director of Academic Program and partnering with Division Heads and Department Heads, the Director is a key academic leader who advances the School’s mission and core values through excellent teaching and learning across its three divisions. The Director will work with Chapin educators and K–12 faculty to further articulate a research-based, mission-aligned Framework of Instructional Practices. The role will foster reflective practice and professional growth by creating structures, systems, and strategies that establish shared expectations for classroom instruction. The Director will design a sustainable coaching and faculty-support model that embeds the framework’s standards in professional growth and development. The Director will model effective teaching, often through co-teaching; support differentiated instruction and the use of student-level data; and cultivate an inclusive professional community where faculty can learn and communicate openly. The role also promotes teaching practices responsive to students’ voices, experiences, developmental needs, and learning differences, and works to ensure that teaching practices and policies are equitably designed and applied.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or a field relevant to the role.
At least 7–10 years of exemplary classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience.
Demonstrated success designing and facilitating professional learning and coaching educators.
Experience across multiple divisions of a K–12 learning environment.
Deep understanding of girls’ education, student development, and effective pedagogy.
Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to inspire, support, and hold others accountable.
Commitment to equity, innovation, and the holistic development of girls.

Nice To Haves

Classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience in independent schools.

Responsibilities

Co-design and implement Chapin’s Framework for Instructional Practices as a shared vision for innovative, inquiry-driven, student-centered teaching grounded in the School’s mission and values.
Partner with the Director of Academic Program, Division Heads, Department Heads, and teachers to align instructional practices with student engagement and curricular goals across grade levels.
Lead faculty adoption of evidence-based practices that promote students’ critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and confidence.
Conduct regular classroom observations and informal visits and provide formative feedback to support instructional improvement.
Co-create and lead a professional learning program focused on research-based instructional design and pedagogy.
Support faculty in aligning instructional approaches with the School’s mission, core values, and Framework for Instructional Practices.
Coach department heads and other academic leaders in observation and feedback methods aligned with the framework.
Mentor faculty and emerging leaders through coaching, collaborative planning, and reflective dialogue.
Coordinate new teacher orientation and mentoring programs.
Promote faculty growth by modeling classroom instruction, including through co-teaching, effective differentiation, and the use of student-level data to guide instructional decisions.
Build cooperative relationships and nurture a professional community of adult learners who communicate openly about teaching and learning.
Prioritize clear and consistent written and spoken communication.
Design and promote professional development opportunities rooted in current research.
Support developmentally responsive teaching across Lower, Middle, and Upper School, including strategies that enable students with learning differences to thrive.
Model inclusive teaching, encourage colleagues to advance inclusive practices, and help build a culture where innovative inclusion efforts are the norm.
Examine teaching practices and policies to ensure they are equitably designed and applied.