POSITION TITLE: Professional Growth Specialist

On June 28, 2011 the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted new regulations to guide the evaluation of all educators serving in positions requiring a license - teachers, principals, superintendents, and other administrators. The Boston Public Schools' (BPS) evaluation system supports the continuous growth of educators and students. With multiple measures of educator effectiveness and a process for educators to chart their own growth, this system is at the cutting edge of educator performance evaluation. BPS is committed to ensuring that all evaluators are well-trained, and that those being evaluated understand the process. When you invest time in an educator evaluation, you:

• Promote more effective teaching and administrative leadership practices in schools, resulting in improved outcomes toward our district goals of 100% graduation rate and closed opportunity/achievement gaps for students, and making BPS the top choice by parents for their children among their options in Boston.
• Provide a great opportunity for BPS central office and school leaders to target professional development resources toward areas of need, leading to more effective support for teacher professional growth.
• Cultivate a learning culture among all members of the school community.
• Fulfill state regulations and the BPS-Boston Teachers Union (BTU) contractual requirements.

REPORTS TO: Director of Evaluation and Performance Management, Office of Human Capital


RESPONSIBILITIES:
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manage a caseload of teachers, implementing BPS' professional growth system, including:
• Review, assess, and approve teachers' self-assessments and goals;
• Develop Educator Development Plans according to state regulations;
• Use BPS' rubric to observe each teacher's practice (through classroom observations) and submitted artifacts;
• Deliver ongoing written and verbal feedback to teachers about their performance;
• Regularly track, measure, and communicate teacher growth and development through the Educator Development and Feedback System (EDFS) and to authorized BPS staff when necessary.
• Support teacher growth through planning and modeling in identified areas of need.
• Participate in co-observations and norming activities to ensure accuracy and validity of evaluation process.
• Communicate regularly with school leaders regarding educator's assignment and practice.
• Manage and coordinate complex scheduling, deadlines and necessary paperwork.

• Support the improvement and calibration of district-wide performance management practices, including:
• Collaborate with the Performance Management Team to focus intensive performance management support to schools at risk for moving into Turnaround Status.
• Calibrate evaluative approaches of school leaders to improve overall school evaluative practices and educator performance.

Qualifications-Required:

• Active and valid MA DESE Educator license
• Deep knowledge of content and instruction, with at least three years of PreK-12 teaching experience, preferably in high-need schools or with high-need populations, and a proven track record of raising student achievement.
• Significant experience observing and providing direct and actionable feedback to teachers, both written and verbal, that leads to immediate teacher improvement.
• Significant experience improving teacher performance as a school administrator, instructional coach, or teacher mentor.
• Significant experience with teacher evaluation systems in Massachusetts or elsewhere.
• Outstanding critical thinking skills, attention to detail, and organization skills.
• Excellent oral communication and writing skills.
• The ability to communicate compelling feedback that motivates others, impacts instruction and accelerates student achievement
• The ability to work independently and manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
• A commitment to constant learning and improvement, in both your own work and the work of others.
• Outstanding interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills, including the ability to collaborate, attain and grow effective partnerships to meet common goals.

Qualifications-Preferred:

• Active and valid MA Principal/Assistant Principal, Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent, or Director/Supervisor license
• SEI Endorsement or MA DESE license in ESL
• Significant experience providing professional development to teachers.
• Excellent analytical skills, including experience working with qualitative and quantitative teacher performance data.

Terms: Managerial Grade C53. Starting Salary $91,117. 12 Months (Full time, 246 days, July 1 through June 30).
City of Boston Residency is Required.