Director, English Language Arts and World Languages

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles’ Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

ROLE SUMMARY

At Alliance, we believe that all of our scholars can achieve at high levels.  That’s why we’ve raised our aspirations – to be in the top quartile of all schools in California and ensure our scholars enroll in and graduate from college. Under the direction of the VP of Teaching and Learning, the Director of ELA and World Languages is charged with ensuring that all scholars have access to daily instruction in ELA and World Languages that prepares them for success in college. The role is an ideal fit for a seasoned instructional leader, with a strong record of results and experience in a leadership role within a district, charter management organization, or technical support provider. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES  

Lead the network’s strategy for English Language Arts and World Languages: 

• Refine and lead Alliance’s ELA and World Languages vision and strategy to improve instruction and scholar achievement;

• Collaborate closely with a team of Instructional Superintendents to manage ELA Instructional Specialists, who are charged with implementing a strong instructional cycle in ELA across school sites;

• Through regular school visits, collect data to assess quality of implementation of ELA and World Languages strategy; use data to drive refinements to ELA and World Languages strategy, including adjustments to professional development and school support, and to help inform Instructional Superintendent priorities;

• In partnership with Alliance’s Diverse Learner Team and School Strategy Teams, accelerate the performance of all students across the network in reading, which includes building and implementing research-based and systematic intervention model options across schools.

Lead the network’s instructional supports, tools and professional development for ELA and World Languages

• Manage the design and refinement of tools, guidance and training for school leadership teams to implement a high-quality instructional cycle in ELA and World Languages (observation and feedback, student work and data analysis, intellectual preparation) that results in improved classroom practice; 

• Deeply analyze student achievement data (e.g. student work samples, interim assessments, and AP tests) to understand progress and opportunities to increase student learning, and use that information to inform strategy and school support;

• Manage the development or adoption of exemplary curriculum and assessment materials in ELA and World Languages to provide Alliance schools with an aligned instructional program;

• Manage the design and facilitation of robust ELA and World Languages professional development for school leaders, school leadership teams and teachers.

• Provide direct ELA support to a small portfolio of schools, using a variety of data points, conversations, and observations to identify opportunities to improve instruction in schools, develop and monitor strategy plans, and execute supports at a high level. 

Lead an engaged, diverse team with attention to team culture and development

• Lead and develop an engaged and diverse ELA  team through effective recruiting, training, coaching, motivating, team building, and succession planning;

• Provide regular in-school coaching and support to ELA Instructional Specialists that increase their efficacy in improving instruction; as appropriate, provide direct support to school sites directly; and,

• Model and facilitate “best in class” team culture practices, such as valuing diverse perspectives, and working across lines of differences.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• A commitment to Alliance’s core beliefs and educational philosophy; 

• Ability to set a clear, common vision and bar for exceptional teaching in mathematics in grades 6-12 across a variety of stakeholders; 

• Deep content and pedagogical knowledge of the Common Core State Standards for ELA and exemplary teaching in ELA and the Humanities; 

• Ability to work effectively with a wide variety of established, entrepreneurial schools with their own unique strengths and needs.  This includes building strong relationships with teachers, school leaders, Instructional Superintendents, and other home office and school-based staff; 

• Exceptional problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to lead change management efforts and develop scalable systems;

• Experience managing people and cross-functional teams, programs, projects, and initiatives; motivating a wide variety of stakeholders to embrace and successfully reach ambitious goals;

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;

• Strong organization, time management, and follow-through skills; high sense of urgency; and,

• Willingness to go above and beyond to lead and contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

• At least five (5) years of successful teaching experience (English Language Arts or World Languages), preferably in historically underserved secondary school(s) with demonstrated success in raising student achievement;

• Full-time, professional experience in a public education system or organization as a school leader (principal experience preferred) in English Language Arts and/or World Languages

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role which will include a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100.

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners.

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plan options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. Please click HERE for more information on health insurance.

• Retirement: Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.

• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Additionally, full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.

• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist, pro-Black community that celebrates diversity, equity, and the unique identities of all scholars and staff. Nearly two-thirds of our teachers and administrators identify as people of color, reinforcing our commitment to representation and the power of diverse role models. We recognize the richness of the cultures and communities we serve, and we believe that embracing and empowering these identities is essential to the success and pride of our scholars. Working at Alliance means joining a movement to drive transformative change, nurture resilience, and build lifelong, meaningful connections with scholars and their communities.

Champion Alliance’s Anti-Racist, Pro-Black Mission: The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance’s mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars. Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities. This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate “college-ready” with pride in who they are.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit an application. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

This job description is subject to change at any time based on the evolving needs of the organization.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are tuition-free public charter schools that do not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or staff member based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.

• Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they match every criterion. If you think you meet some of the qualifications, but don't necessarily check every box in the job description, we encourage you to still apply. If you have questions contact the Staffing Team at JoinUs@laalliance.org.