About this role
Literacy • Mathematics • Science
The Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative is seeking a highly motivated, collaborative, and experienced educator to serve as a Learning Specialist supporting member school districts throughout Southeast Arkansas.
The Learning Specialist will work directly with teachers, instructional coaches, principals, and district leaders to strengthen teaching and learning in literacy, mathematics, and science.
This position is designed for an educator who can move beyond traditional professional development and provide job-embedded instructional support through classroom observation, coaching, modeling, collaborative planning, data analysis, professional learning, and follow-up.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will be an accomplished educator who:
- Has demonstrated success as a classroom teacher and/or instructional leader;
- Understands what high-quality instruction looks like;
- Can walk into a classroom, accurately identify what is happening instructionally, and provide useful feedback;
- Can coach adults while building trust and maintaining high expectations;
- Can translate educational research into practical classroom strategies;
- Uses student work and data to guide instructional decisions;
- Has expertise in literacy, mathematics, science, or a related instructional field;
- Is comfortable working with educators from kindergarten through high school;
- Can work effectively with teachers, principals, superintendents, central-office administrators, and cooperative specialists; and
- Is willing to travel regularly among member districts.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Learning Specialist will
Observe
- Conduct classroom observations and instructional walkthroughs utilizing the Key Lever Tools.
- Identify instructional strengths and opportunities for growth.
- Examine student engagement, tasks, questioning, discourse, assessment, and evidence of learning.
Analyze
- Analyze student achievement data, student work, instructor VAM data, curriculum, and instructional practices.
- Help schools identify root causes rather than simply responding to achievement scores.
- Assist leadership teams in establishing measurable instructional priorities.
Coach
- Provide individual and team-based instructional coaching and lesson internalization.
- Conduct coaching cycles involving goal setting, observation, modeling, feedback, reflection, and follow-up.
- Support teachers and instructional coaches in implementing new practices.
Model
- Demonstrate effective instructional strategies.
- Co-plan, co-teach, model lessons, and facilitate collaborative planning.
- Provide practical examples educators can immediately use.
Build Capacity
- Develop teachers, coaches, and administrators so instructional improvement can continue after ESC support concludes.
- Facilitate professional learning communities and instructional leadership teams.
- Help districts establish sustainable instructional systems.
CONTENT AREAS
The Learning Specialist will support
Literacy - Primary Area 1
- Scientific reading instruction;
- Foundational literacy;
- Reading comprehension;
- Vocabulary;
- Writing;
- Disciplinary literacy; and
- Literacy across the curriculum.
Mathematics - Primary Area 2
- Conceptual understanding;
- Procedural fluency;
- Problem solving;
- Mathematical reasoning;
- Mathematical discourse; and
- Use of student work and assessment to adjust instruction.
Science - Primary Area 3
- Phenomenon- and inquiry-based instruction;
- Scientific practices;
- Student investigation;
- Evidence and reasoning;
- Scientific discourse; and
- Standards-aligned science instruction.
Other duties as assigned by the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Current Arkansas educator license or eligibility for an appropriate Arkansas educator license.
- Minimum of five years of successful experience in public education.
- Successful classroom teaching experience with a high value VAM Score.
- Demonstrated knowledge of effective instructional practices.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze instructional and student achievement data.
- Demonstrated ability to provide professional learning, coaching, or instructional leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to establish effective professional relationships with educators and administrators.
- Ability to travel throughout the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative service area.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree or higher in education, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, or related field.
- Experience as an instructional coach, curriculum specialist, teacher leader, principal, assistant principal, or other instructional leadership position.
- Experience providing job-embedded professional learning.
- Experience working with multiple schools or school districts.
- Experience with Arkansas Academic Standards and assessment systems.
- Experience implementing high-quality instructional materials.
- National Board Certification.
CONTRACT AND COMPENSATION
Contract: 240 day contract
Salary: Approximately $71,000
Benefits
Benefits provided in accordance with Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative policies.
Salary will be determined in accordance with the ESC's adopted salary schedule, applicable Board policies, verified experience, education, and other established placement procedures.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants should submit an application to the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative online. We will only accept online applications.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Anticipated Start Date: To Be Determined (TBD)
The Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF INSTRUCTIONAL ROLE
The Learning Specialist is not simply a person who conducts professional development.
The successful candidate will help schools move from:
Professional Development
- Professional Learning
- Changed Practice
- Improved Student Learning
The person selected for this position should be comfortable spending time in classrooms, beside teachers, with principals, and with district leadership teams.