The Literacy Enrichment Coordinator leads the strategy and execution required to meet Phillips Brooks School's goal to support all students to have the necessary tools, skills, and capacities to be excellent and active readers, writers, speakers, and presenters. Another goal is to meet students where they are and encourage them to reach their fullest potential through differentiation and extension. In addition, the Literacy Enrichment Coordinator promotes consistent use of standardized curricula across grade levels and assesses literacy acquisition to ensure appropriate tracking of student progress and support of student literacy.
As a resource to PBS faculty, this role provides leadership in curriculum training, development, and implementation through the lenses of relevant research, the science of literacy, and PBS’s mission and educational philosophy. Importantly, the Literacy Enrichment Coordinator provides literacy support, on a regular basis, to students that may struggle with acquiring literacy skills so that their progress is monitored and supported, and that they are appropriately screened for possible new support strategies. The position requires a high level of discretion and confidentiality, diplomatic interaction with families, and high-touch communications with teachers and families.
This role’s top focus is to create an environment of excellence in literacy at PBS -- both in curriculum design and implementation -- for the benefit of all students. The Literacy Enrichment Coordinator reports to the Head of Academic Programs and will work with faculty and staff teams to enable curricular and program innovation and growth, as well as to expand teacher expertise so the school can ensure that its curriculum is meeting all of our current and future literacy teaching and learning needs.
Key Responsibilities
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Lead the continued development of the PBS literacy program by collaborating with the faculty to clarify the PBS mission and philosophy for literacy teaching and learning.
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Facilitate ongoing grade level and cross-grade conversations around key literacy skills and concepts, clarifying the arc of progress across grade spans, with the purpose of ensuring consistency and cohesion of the scope and sequence across the school.
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Calendar and guide teachers to carry out formal literacy assessments, including running records and writing rubrics, in sync with the timing of key milestones, such as family-teacher conferences and progress reports.
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Ensure all teachers are trained in the PBS literacy program, including: introductory training for incoming teachers, ongoing support based on observation and assessment of teaching practice, and organizing professional development for all teachers, as needed.
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Create and maintain a system for collecting data on student literacy achievement and work with teachers to provide an analysis of that data and offer recommendations to the school administration for ongoing curricular improvement.
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Bring literacy expertise to discussions on the science of reading to ensure the long-term efficacy and strength of the PBS curriculum as well as establish strategic milestones for the curriculum.
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Review new curricula and literacy models (i.e., Lucy Calkins Phonics) to assess the efficacy and ongoing development of the PBS literacy curriculum.
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Provide push-in or small group support to classrooms across literacy areas, as needed, with a focus on emerging literacy.
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Model and support teaching lessons when needed in order to deepen the capacity of the school’s classroom teachers and enhance differentiation so all students are challenged to deepen their learning and reach their fullest potential.
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Lead grade-level team meetings to support teachers in planning, implementing, and assessing ongoing literacy learning across the program.
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Attend family meetings, when helpful, to discuss literacy acquisition.
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Conduct formal one-on-one assessments in literacy, as needed.
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Develop family education programs on literacy and language acquisition to build knowledge base and increase understanding of the relevant research among non-educators.
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Design a literacy portal so the school can share curated and research-aligned resources with families.
Other Responsibilities
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Model “Love of Learning” by demonstrating leadership in literacy beyond the school and developing the capacity to provide a sustainable professional development model based on internal resources.
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Stay up-to-date on best practices, model flexibility, and support teachers in implementing relevant resources and instructional practices to increase student engagement and achievement.
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Expand teacher expertise by collaborating with faculty and sharing professional development opportunities so we can ensure our curriculum is meeting all of our literacy teaching and learning needs.
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Enhance the school-home partnership, increase parent understanding, and build access to resources about our literacy program philosophy, how we execute in the classroom, and how literacy learning can be supported at home.
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Support the Extended Programs Manager in identifying after-school options that include literacy learning (at least one per enrichment term).
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Collect data on student literacy achievements in order to report to the administration and board periodically.
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Serve as a member of the academic leadership team, collaborate with other curriculum coordinators, and partner with learning specialists.
Key Qualifications and Background
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Educational background and specific training in literacy with a preference for a graduate degree in literacy instruction.
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PBS culture carrier by demonstrating a commitment to the PBS mission, core values, educational philosophy, and a positive climate for teaching and learning.
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Demonstrating the highest level of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity.
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Exercising professional judgment regarding complex academic issues.
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Strong presence in the classroom, among teachers, and among families to elevate a rigorous and research-based conversation about literacy and the PBS curriculum.
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Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills with the ability to collaborate with colleagues to deliver difficult information with care and empathy, as needed.
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Approachable with the ability to develop connections and partnerships with students, teachers, and families.
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Reliable, strong work ethic, and impeccable accuracy built on a passion for delivering high-quality work process and product.
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Team player and willingness to step in to support students and teachers when needed.
Other Position Information
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Competitive salary with benefits for this full-time position, as established by school policy.
How to Apply
Candidates for this position should submit a cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three to five references (including current supervisor). Please combine all documents into a single PDF and send to employment@phillipsbrooks.org. The subject line should read: Literacy Enrichment – [your last name].
- Faculty