District Instructional Support Coach, JK-5 Science

Position: Science District Instructional Support Coach, Grades JK-5

Science Department

Overview of Cambridge Public Schools:

Cambridge Public Schools, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning as well as the social, emotional, and academic supports each student needs to achieve their goals and post-secondary success as engaged community members. CPS students and staff, as members of a learning organization engaged in continuous improvement, will demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace risk taking and innovation.

About 8,000 students choose Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) each year, and our diverse student enrollment continues to rise. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home, and over 65 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity.

The structure of our school system supports the developmental growth of students over time. Twelve elementary schools feed into five upper school programs, bringing together enough students to allow for greater choice and differentiation without sacrificing the safe feeling of a relatively small environment. The upper schools then feed into one high school, the innovative Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

The Role:

The Cambridge Public Schools seeks a talented, energetic, and collaborative educator who is passionate about sharing their excitement and expertise about science/engineering instruction to join us as a Science District Instructional Support Coach (JK-5).

Our curriculum is designed to actively involve students in their own learning—figuring out phenomena, seeking answers to their questions, constructing explanations based on evidence and making meaning individually and collaboratively using all aspects of literacy. This is a district level leadership opportunity to work with JK-5 teachers one-on-one and in groups to support them in developing rigorous, joyful and culturally responsive instructional strategies and content knowledge needed to support this curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Reporting to the JK-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator, the Science District Instructional Support Coach works collaboratively with the rest of the Science Department to coordinate and communicate about our work district-wide.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support science instruction, curriculum, and assessment aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Science, Technology and Engineering and to Cambridge Public Schools’ district and science goals. Support the integration of science with other areas of the curriculum.
• Provide in-classroom teacher coaching, co-teaching, and demonstration support for teachers. Work with teachers to improve instruction, pedagogy, and content knowledge and to build a sense of community around the teaching of science.
• Collaborate with school-based teams (clusters, school improvement teams, grade level teacher teams, professional learning communities, etc.).
• Collaborate with other district-wide and school-based instructional support educators across disciplines to ensure consistent instructional practices and expand opportunities for integrated learning.
• Assist in gathering and providing resources to teachers.
• Analyze district science data and student work in inquiry cycle meetings with teachers.
• Use MCAS results and other data (including student work and district assessments) to inform coaching practices.
• Support professional learning workshops, curriculum development, other district projects, and district and school related science activities (family science nights, after school science instruction, etc.) as requested by the JK-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator.
• Represent the Science Department in a variety of forums as requested by the JK-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming Science District Instructional Support Coach you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Passion for science and engineering, deep interest in sharing that passion with teachers and students, and a commitment to providing engaging, accessible science and engineering learning opportunities for all learners.
• Ability to empower teachers to improve their practice based on teacher-generated inquiry.
• Creative, flexible and problem-solving mindset, as well as a belief that all children and teachers can learn and a deep commitment to culturally responsive teaching and learning.
• Deep knowledge and experience in teaching science in ways that facilitate inquiry-based learning and allow students to make meaning for themselves while guiding them toward the learning goals.
• In-depth understanding of the K-12 Framework for Science Education, Next Generation Science Standards, Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Science, Technology and Engineering and how to translate these standards and resources into 3-dimensional teaching, learning and assessment opportunities in the classroom. Ability to share these fundamental concepts and strategies clearly with others and model what they look like, sound like and feel like.
• Experience effectively supporting all learners in the science classroom.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to different audiences via various media.
• Proven leadership and facilitation skills, and ability to work collaboratively and effectively with teachers, students, parents, staff, and community groups/members.
• Strong interpersonal skills, energy, sense of humor, and willingness to pitch in to help whenever and wherever needed.
• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree or higher preferred.
• Massachusetts licensure in General Science Grades 1-6 (preferred) or Elementary Grades 1-6 required.
• Minimum of five years experience teaching elementary science and/or coaching elementary teachers around science instruction preferred.

Salary:

In Accordance with the Cambridge Education Association Unit A Salary Schedule, plus Instructional Support Coach stipend.

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position as well as stating how you heard about this opportunity.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.