Director of Teaching and Learning

Cooke School and Institute • New York, NY

1d • $130,000 - $160,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Teaching and Learning ensures high-quality, consistent instruction across K-12. As the school’s lead instructional expert, this role integrates the school’s mission, instructional vision, professional learning, and student outcomes into a coherent, schoolwide approach to teaching and learning. In close partnership with the Associate Head of School, the Director translates instructional vision into clear expectations, aligned systems, and daily practice, ensuring that professional learning results in measurable improvements in teaching and student learning. This role will focus on: Consistent, high-quality instruction across all learning environments Research-based professional learning that translates into observable instructional practice Building teacher and clinician capacity through coaching, feedback, and targeted development Coherence across K-12 instructional systems, practices, and expectations.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in the Science of Teaching and Learning, Curriculum & Instruction, educational leadership, or related field
• 10+ years of teaching experience (special education experience strongly preferred)
• 5+ years of leadership experience in a school setting
• Demonstrated expertise in instructional coaching, adult learning, and data analysis
• Strong leadership, communication, and systems-building skills
• Able to maintain the physical capacity required to navigate the school environment and to ensure the safety of the students; the ability to walk, run, sit, and stand, move rapidly forward, backward, and laterally, bend and stoop, push, pull, and lift
• All Cooke staff are responsible for developing a professional growth plan with their supervisor.
• Staff training is an integral part of the Cooke school and as such is a requirement of the job.
• All staff must at a minimum: attend all scheduled Staff Development activities throughout the year and participate in staff orientation scheduled in August.

Responsibilities

• Instructional Vision and Strategy: Partner with the Associate Head of School to define and operationalize a clear vision for high-quality instruction, align professional learning priorities with observable instructional practices and student outcomes, and establish systems that promote instructional consistency across grades, departments, and learning environments.
• Professional Learning and Instructional Growth: Design and lead a coherent, schoolwide professional learning system that builds staff capacity over time. Translate instructional priorities into actionable classroom practice through workshops and modeling, coaching cycles, and observation, feedback, and accountability systems. Build internal leadership capacity by developing department chairs and instructional leaders as effective coaches of teaching practice. Ensure professional learning reaches all instructional staff, including teachers, related service providers, paraprofessionals, and new hires.
• Data-Informed Instruction and Inquiry: Lead systems for analyzing student data, classroom evidence, and instructional trends to inform decision-making. Guide teams through structured inquiry cycles that connect student outcomes, instructional decisions, and professional learning priorities. Use evidence to identify instructional strengths, growth areas, and schoolwide opportunities for improvement.
• Cross-Team Alignment and Collaboration: Serve as a member of the school leadership team to ensure coherence across curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning. Partner with curriculum leaders to align what is taught with how it is taught. Lead and facilitate instructional meetings (department, grade-level, and cross-disciplinary) that build shared practice and collective accountability.

What This Job Offers

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