Associate Director of Science

Originally founded in 1991 as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of six PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools—growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org.
Reporting to the Network Director of STEM, the Associate Director of Science is responsible for managing the development and implementation of DREAM’s rigorous, vertically-aligned, interdisciplinary, constructivist, culturally and historically responsive Science curriculum. The Associate Director of Science collaborates closely with school-based leaders to design and facilitate high-quality professional development and coach leaders and teachers around content; ensure strong implementation of the Science curriculum; create quiz, unit, and interim-level assessments; and analyze and respond to assessment data. The ideal candidate has extensive knowledge of best practices for science and engineering teaching and learning in grades PreK-12, experience fostering adult learning through high-quality professional development and coaching, strong data analysis and strategic thinking skills, a mission-driven mindset, and a passion for innovation.

Responsibilities

• Curriculum, Assessment, and Data Responsiveness
• Develop and design a rigorous, vertically-aligned, and interdisciplinary grades PreK-12 science and engineering curriculum that fosters the achievement of all students, takes a constructivist approach, is culturally and historically responsive, and develops students’ critical consciousness;
• Select, adapt, and/or create unit plans, assessments, lesson plans, and instructional materials for DREAM’s PreK-12 science and engineering curriculum;
• Collaborate with the Network Director of STEM and other key stakeholders to design a multi-year process for strategic redesign, revision, and codification of the PreK-12 science and engineering curriculum and assessments;
• Together with Managing Director of Curriculum and Network Director of STEM, plan and facilitate a Science Working group of teachers and leaders to drive innovation and best practices for science education; 
• Analyze student data to assess the effectiveness of curricular design and implementation, make necessary short- and long-term revisions and improvements, and create network, school, and classroom-level action plans and resources to improve student achievement;
• Collaborate with Principals, Academic Deans, and other key stakeholders to regularly analyze assessment data and use it to drive instruction;
• Collaborate with the rest of the Curriculum and Instruction Team (CIT) to ensure alignment of our PreK-12 science and engineering programs to our ELA and Math programs.


• Teacher & Leader Development
• Design and facilitate high-quality professional development to support teachers and leaders with curriculum implementation;
• Conduct curriculum implementation and content walkthroughs to support school-based teams in determining focus areas and action steps for instructional improvement by observing science and engineering instruction and analyzing student and teacher data;
• Regularly observe and provide feedback on Science Intellectual Prep meetings in order to improve coaching and teacher development practices across schools;
• Engage in observation and feedback cycles with science and engineering content leads and teachers, in consultation with their direct managers, to support the development of instructional pedagogy and content expertise;
• Serve as a model of exemplary science instruction across the network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, required; Master’s Degree in Education, Teaching, Curriculum, or School Administration/Leadership, preferred;
• Minimum of 5 years experience teaching and/or leading science and/or engineering within grades K-12 with a record of strong achievement for ALL children;
• Experience teaching across multiple grade bands, a plus;
• Experience implementing and adapting an external Science curriculum in the classroom, a plus;
• Deep knowledge of instructional design, curriculum development, standards alignment, assessment design, and pedagogical best practices in science and engineering;
• A successful record of developing teacher and/or leader knowledge, skill, and productive mindsets around teaching and lea