Launched in 2011 as a not-for-profit organization, UChicago Impact is one of four units that comprise the University of Chicago's Urban Education Institute (UEI). The other units include: the UChicago Charter School, the UChicago Consortium on School Research and the Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP). UEI’s academic home is in the School of Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice (CFS) at the University of Chicago.

UChicago Impact Stands Apart For The Following Reasons

Research continues to show that many of America's schools fail to prepare students of color and students from low-income families to succeed in college and beyond. Many view these problems as intractable. UChicago Impact does not. UChicago Impact uses proven research to create scalable evidence-based tools and supports designed to improve academic outcomes.

• It is embedded in The University of Chicago
• Its work is grounded in rigorous research
• It establishes long-term partnerships with schools and districts
• Its partners achieve results

UChicago Impact currently has partners and clients in more than 60 cities and 35 states — including some of the highest performing school systems and charter management organizations nationwide (e.g., Achievement First, KIPP).

Under supervision of the Director of STEP Español, the STEP Español Manager of Professional Learning (MPL) will implement plans extending from the strategic objectives for STEP Español. This will be done predominantly through the delivery of professional learning to partner schools implementing the Spanish formative literacy assessment for STEP, called STEP Español.

The STEP Español Manager of Professional Learning will provide data-driven literacy coaching, focused on increasing teacher capacity by interpreting student data from STEP Español and using the results to implement instruction, often through a Balanced Literacy approach.

Coaching will predominantly focus on small group differentiated reading practices (planning and execution). Under direction from the Director of STEP Español, the MPL will also develop and provide professional development sessions focused on developing teacher capacity in instructional planning, word solving, comprehension strategies, and language development. Modeling (live and/or in asynchronous video) how to perform and/or co-planning for any of these noted areas of support is a regular work-related activity.

The successful candidate will also possess strong interpersonal skills and be able to coordinate work with school leaders, administrators, teachers, as well as various group sizes and individuals. They will be able to build strong relationships with teachers and school leaders, informing schools and UEI leaders of on-going work and scheduling changes and revisions. They should also be able to manage multiple projects with multiple leads and/or managers, as well as multiple key internal/external relationships. The MPL is expected to both collaborate with and keep the Director of STEP Español informed on the progress related to various projects. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, excellent organizational skills with the ability to effectively prioritize and multi-task, as well as synthesize learning and apply to similar settings are all critical skills for this role.

Clients are in various urban cities around the United States. Travel (when not restricted by the pandemic) and/or virtual training (via Zoom) are a regular part of this role. The successful candidate should anticipate that travel to school sites will increase once schools are no longer managing pandemic related health protocols. The MPL should anticipate school site support work (virtual OR in-person) can account for up to 50% of their time annually. For example, it is common to have 2-4 work trips lasting 2-4 days at a time per month year-round. When not in-person, this represents the same amount of time spent providing virtual coaching and professional learning, as well.

Other Typical Work-related Activities Will Include

• Conduct regular status updates (in-person, phone, zoom, and/or email) with school leaders and fellow colleagues
• Create progress reports related to school meetings and/or internal meetings
• Maintain current knowledge of bilingual and dual language program trends in curricula, instruction, and assessment
• Communicate with supervisor regarding implementation strengths and challenges and resolve said problems by working with department staff

Qualified Candidates Must Have

• Master’s degree in literacy, bilingual education, dual language, or equivalent area of study required
• Proficiency in presenting in both Spanish and English
• A minimum of 7 years elementary (K-3) bilingual or dual language teaching experience and at least 3 years’ experience coaching bilingual teachers (K-3) or the equivalent combination of above noted education and experience
• Strong knowledge of essential research in bilingual education & elementary literacy (i.e., balanced literacy)
• Professional development creation and facilitation in both English & Spanish
• Experience with data driven instruction and formative assessment
• Proficiency with PCs and basic software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite, etc.)

Preferred Skills Include

• Master’s in reading
• Reading Specialist or Reading Recovery certification “Descubriendo la lectura”
• Charter Management Organization work experience
• Knowledge of adult learning
• Dual language/Bilingualism experience
• Use of SIOP Model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocols)
• Fluency in reading and writing of a second language (Spanish)

For more information or to apply to this position, please visit the UChicago Impact employment site at: uchicagoimpact.org/about/careers/

UChicago Impact employees enjoy opportunities for personal growth and advancement, rewarding work in a people-oriented environment, an organizational culture that values work/life balance, and commitment to a diverse workforce and an environment of inclusion.