Job Opening Announced: Language & Literacy Instructional Specialist

If you have experience as a high school English teacher and are enthusiastic about expanding a progressive high school’s language and literacy offerings and devising curriculum that is relevant — and interesting — to a diverse student body, we’d like to hear from you. That’s because we’re currently conducting a nationwide search for a Language & Literacy Instructional Specialist with experience in CES Common Principles, Big Picture Learning, Expeditionary Learning or similar schools of thought within the progressive approach to education.

Formal qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in English, Language Arts, Literacy, or a related field, with a master’s degree preferred. Candidates should also have teaching experience in a variety of course designs and program models; be culturally competent; possess strong organizational and leadership skills; and have extensive experience designing multi-cultural curriculum and working with diverse adolescents.

In short, we’re seeking well-rounded candidates who have experience or knowledge of interdisciplinary curriculum design, experiential education, project-based learning, literacy across the curriculum, and the Understanding by Design framework for curriculum design, assessment, and teaching.

Specifically, we are looking for an enthusiastic educator to join our instructional team to create and deliver innovative curriculum, lead an instructional focus on literacy, and create empowering and creative opportunities for students who have expressly chosen — some for the first time — to be engaged in their own education, to explore and learn more about themselves as learners, both in the classroom and out in the real world.

We want our new Language & Literacy Instructional Specialist to be able to develop, implement, and oversee the Eagle Rock School English curriculum, and expand the school’s current program, tailoring it to engage our students in literacy opportunities outside of class time.

And, speaking of our student body, candidates for this position must be willing to participate in all things happening within our residential on-campus community. Things like working as a houseparent for student housing, as well as an advisor for a house team. Other focuses might include engaging with visiting educators and assisting our professional development team by working with other progressive schools throughout the United States.

In addition to educating our students, all Eagle Rock School instructional specialists must have a background in and experience with working with diverse populations including a mix of LGBTQ students; students from low-income backgrounds; and students from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Truth is, our students have not always found success in traditional educational settings, and knowing that, we’ve designed a school and curriculum that’s inherently engaging.

That means we’re looking for a teacher who works well with students, can easily collaborate with colleagues, possesses a sense of humor, and who has a deep appreciation for the fact that working at a residential school like Eagle Rock is more of a calling than a job.

The bottom line? If working closely with fellow instructors and school staff to develop empowering, relevant learning experiences for students appeals to you — and if you more than just like the notion of nurturing students’ gifts and passions, rather than teaching to standardized tests — we’d love to hear from you. Similarly, if you would you like to empower students to explore and examine their lives and the world in a multi-cultural deep and critical way, our Language & Literacy Instructional Specialist opening is a position worth exploring.

There is no deadline for applications because we will continue to interview until the position is filled. However, phone interviews for the position opening are already underway, and on-site interviews take place later this month. We have set Aug. 31 as the start date, but an earlier date is possible.

For a complete job description, including a rundown of responsibilities in the areas of school-wide involvement, student support, and more, please see the Language & Literacy Instructional Specialist job description on our website.

And if the Language & Literacy Instructional Specialist position isn’t a job you’re qualified for but you like the approach we take here at Eagle Rock and are interested in learning about other job openings, please visit the employment section of our website, where all of our current employment listings may be found.