
Curriculum Specialist
The WISD’s Mission is to educate, serve, and advocate with students, families, schools and the community. We disrupt racial inequities, build just educational systems, and expand access for all learners. We value human potential while striving to support current and future generations of Washtenaw County to enrich as many lives as we possibly can.
The WISD’s Vision is to be a leader in empowering, facilitating, and delivering high-quality, boundary-spanning, educational system that educates all children through an equitable, inclusive and holistic approach.
SUMMARY:
The Curriculum Specialist will provide leadership in the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the District’s K-12 curriculum by performing the essential duties and responsibilities listed below:
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Demonstrates a strong commitment to equity, social justice, and inclusion in all practices and position responsibilities.
- Demonstrates the ability to examine how his/her/their position (directly or indirectly) impacts educational inequities in student achievement outcomes.
- Engages in reflection and ongoing learning and development on critical concepts and terms identified in the Washtenaw ISD Educational Equity Policy including concepts such as cultural proficiency, racial equity, and systemic and structural inequities.
- Collaborates with administration around the WISD’s K-12 and young adult curriculum development.
- Reviews plans to ensure that Special Education programs, courses of study, methods and materials for instruction are based upon appropriate student needs and are consistent with state and Board of Education goals, policies, and laws.
- Provides leadership in the identification of K-12 and young adult curriculum needs as determined by educational research, District planning, and the Michigan Department of Education’s rules and regulations; initiates appropriate activities and professional development to meet those needs.
- Provides leadership in K-12 and young adult curriculum and assessment in all subject areas.
- Provides professional development activities for staff based upon building and/or department needs that directly support the curriculum and instruction.
- Models effective instructional practices, including delivery of instruction using effective teaching strategies, and provides effective feedback, professional development and coaching for teachers in mastering these practices.
- Supports District assessment programs and interpretation of these results for the Board of Education, school staff, and the community.
- Provides leadership in implementing national and state recommendations, and trends in curricular education.
- Ensures consistent and effective implementation of the curriculum across the District under the direction of Special Education Administrators.
- Guides teachers in the effective use of instructional and support materials for implementation in all areas of the curriculum.
- Employs multiple sources of data collection to analyze barriers to student achievement, and to access, identify and apply instructional improvement.
- Attends Board meetings as needed.
- Maintains regular and predictable attendance.
- PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.
QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations shall be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
REQUIRED
- Possesses a Bachelor’s degree in education (or closely related area of study).
- Possesses a minimum of five (5) years of successful teaching experience.
- Possesses a minimum of five (5) years of experience in District-wide curriculum development.
- Demonstrates expertise in effective schools and instruction, curriculum development, and proven ability in implementation of these processes.
- Demonstrates expertise in instructional management, curriculum planning, staff development, and the supervision of instruction.
- Demonstrates expertise as a Teacher Leader, Instructional Coach, or other related position(s).
- Organization, development, and planning skills.
PREFERRED
- Master’s degree (in Education or related area).
LANGUAGE SKILLS
- Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills that reflect professionalism and tact.
- Demonstrates ability to work effectively and collaboratively with other departments, agencies, and individuals.
- Demonstrates ability to read, analyze and interpret periodicals and professional journals.
- Demonstrates ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
- Demonstrates ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of educators, customers, and the public.
- Demonstrates ability to facilitate group processes.
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
- Demonstrates strong technological skills.
- Demonstrates ability to use a personal computer (PC) in a networked environment to utilize the Internet and other electronic communication mechanisms such as email and conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams).
- Demonstrates proficiency utilizing productivity applications such as Microsoft Office (word processing, spreadsheets, and databases).
- Knowledge of New World preferred.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
- Demonstrates ability to apply the concepts of basic math, algebra and geometry where required with the duties of this position.
REASONING ABILITY:
- Demonstrates a high proficiency in subject areas of reasoning, problem solving, organizational dynamics and emotional intelligence.
- Demonstrates ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
- Demonstrates ability to perform duties with awareness of all District requirements and Board of Education policies.
- Exhibits a high level of professionalism.
- Demonstrates ability to handle confidential information, use good judgment, plan, handle complex projects and maintain a flexible attitude.
- Demonstrates ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
- Demonstrates ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
- Demonstrates effective human relations and communication skills.
- Possesses Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, and other members of the school community.
- Demonstrates ability to work effectively and collaboratively with other departments, agencies and individuals.
- Demonstrates ability to work creatively and skillfully with students.
- Demonstrates ability to demonstrate initiative and understanding in working with students, staff and parents/guardians.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, walk, and stand. The employee is occasionally required to bend and or twist at the trunk more than the average person. The employee is continuously repeating the same hand, arm, or finger motion many times. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds such as books and teaching materials. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distant vision and the ability to adjust focus. The ability to travel to other buildings is required. The position requires the individual to sometimes work irregular or extended work hours and meet multiple demands from several people.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTABILITY:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is quiet to loud depending upon the activity in the particular part of the day. Occasionally the employee may be required to be outdoors for a short period of time, and therefore subject to varying weather conditions, for the purpose of accomplishing the essential functions of this job.
FUNCTIONS OF POSITION DESCRIPTION:
This position description has been prepared to define the general duties of the position, provide examples of work and to detail the required knowledge, skills and ability as well as the acceptable experience and training for the position. The description is not intended to limit or modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct and control the duties of employees under supervision. The WISD retains and reserves any and all rights to change, modify, amend, add to or delete from any portion of this description in its sole judgment.
This position description is not a contract for employment.
The WISD is an equal opportunity employer, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
TERMS:
Position subject to terms, conditions, and calendar of the Master Agreement between the District and Unit II AFT Local 3760. Starting salary ranging (dependent upon comparable experience) $50,501 - $104,872.
Washtenaw Intermediate School District is a drug-free workplace.
It is the policy and commitment of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any legally protected characteristic, in its educational programs, activities, admissions, or employment policies in accordance with Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, executive order 11246 as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and all other pertinent state and Federal regulations.