Company Description

Uncommon Schools  is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Job Description

The Director of Computer Science is responsible for leading high school CS achievement.  An essential member of the High School Curriculum and Assessment Team (HS CAT), the Director of CS will drive high-quality CS curriculum and assessment and network-wide professional development for CS teachers, support school-based CS instructional leaders and teachers, and lead data analysis and response to ensure all high schools are driving towards key CS outcomes. 

*Note: this is a grant funded position and contingent on continued funding.

Curriculum & Planning:

• Lead and manage 9-12 CS curriculum:
  • Design and implement CURE CompSci 9th and 10th grade curriculum
  • Develop and maintain AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A courses
  • Hire and manage curriculum planners in the creation of unit plans, daily lesson plans, assessments, and instructional coaching resources
  • Meet and collaborate regularly with curriculum planners to guide the creation of quality plans and coaching resources
• Periodically observe lesson plan execution across high schools to collect feedback and advise improvements to the curriculum
• Drive AP preparation
•  Actively drive the process of ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in the curriculum and providing guidance for the implementation of culturally responsive teaching frameworks
• Research the latest developments in CS pedagogy and build relationships with other CMOs/school districts to integrate impactful practices 

Project and Workstream Management:

• Own and drive implementation of Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant for the network:
  • Lead and oversee implementation of CS programming at all high schools, including communication with leaders and teachers, management of campus-based EIR points of contact, on-site school support and troubleshooting during program launches, and ongoing teacher training to effectively teach CURE CompSci 9th and 10th grade curriculum
  • Provide input on and facilitate across all high schools the research-related elements outlined in the grant such as periodic surveys, focus groups, and assessments
  • Drive collaboration with key Home Office teams (i.e. Development, Finance, DEI, Data/IT) and external teams (i.e. Mathematica, US Department of Education, 2Sigma School) to develop and support programming and ensure compliance with grant requirements
  • Complete dissemination requirements of the grant, including open-sourcing of CURE CompSci 9th and 10th grade curriculum, presenting EIR findings at 
  • educational conferences or publications, and facilitate professional development for district partners to share best practice
  • Follow through on all other related duties as required of the EIR grant
  • Own and drive Code Uncommon Summer Immersion Program offered to Uncommon teachers and STFs to learn foundational coding content and skills
    • Design and facilitate professional development content
    • Drive and oversee all program logistics and communications
    • Manage and coach program teaching assistants
  • Partner with HS CAT on curriculum and assessment initiatives and key workstreams
  • Prepare essential information and recommendations for key decisions for the Senior Director of HS CAT, including supporting data and rationale
  • Craft and lead cross-regional/network-level projects related to CS instruction that include collaboration across teams, communication, and creation of new content
  • Coordinate curriculum planning team on projects, ensuring timely and qualitative communication, facilitating meetings as needed
  • Communicate to relevant teams important curriculum, instruction, and assessment dates, timelines, and revisions

Data-Driven Instruction:

• Lead the development and management of CS interim assessments and supporting resources
• Implement CS assessment cycles at the network level including communication of goals and support (i.e. scoring/norming)
• Analyze assessment data and build, communicate, and facilitate network-wide action plans
• Conduct annual AP exam analysis to advise CS program 

Observation and Feedback:

•  Observe CS departments and give feedback on key instructional and leadership levers
• Conduct CS content walkthroughs and action plan with leaders
• Develop CS teacher and leader content and assessment expertise
• Participate in school inspections and quarterly walkthroughs 

Organizational Relationships:

• Provide in-school and in-region support to build relationships with school/regional leaders and assess the impact of HS CAT initiatives on-the-ground
• Proactively build impactful relationships with HS CAT, school and regional teams, and curriculum planners to improve the ability of Uncommon Schools to support students’ academic success
• Contribute to other related duties as required and assigned

Qualifications

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree required; Masters preferred

Experience Requirements:

• 5+ professional experience
• 5-6 years of directly related experience
• 3+ years of teaching and planning related content
• 2+ years coaching adults and project management
• Coding experience required

Travel & Schedule:

• Typically, travel involves single-day visits to high schools in all regions about 1-2 times per quarter
• Travel for network-wide professional development in select regions about 1-2 times per quarter and in all regions during Summer Professional Development
• Will work on-site 3 times a week in our Central Office ( Financial District) and or in schools 

Additional Information

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent.  Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this role based in New York City is between $111,100-$138,900k and generally, we expect that qualified candidates in this location will be made an offer between $111,100- and $$125,000k. The starting pay will depend on a variety of factors that may include but are not limited to experience, education, training, certification, and location. Because we value staff staying in their roles over time, we do not currently cap salary ranges.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Benefits: We offer comprehensive, flexible, and competitive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email recruitment@uncommonschools.org.