Organization Description:

Young Audiences/Arts for Learning Maryland, founded in Baltimore in 1950, is the country’s foremost arts-in-education non-profit organization. The Maryland chapter of Young Audiences (YA) provides more than 9,000 arts education opportunities to nearly 200,000 students, artists, and educators throughout the state each year. YA is a mission-driven organization that values community, innovation, and passion. The staff, board, and teaching artists have a shared commitment to advance equity in the field of education by working tirelessly to generate opportunities for students to imagine, create, and realize their full potential through the arts.

Job Description:

Curriculum and Professional Development Director performs an integral role in ensuring that the Arts and Learning Academies (Summer Arts and Learning Academies (SALA) and After School Arts and Learning Academies (ASALA)) are designed and implemented to the highest standards to ensure as many students as possible can benefit from our programs, improve academic and social and emotional outcomes and provide life changing opportunities through the arts.

The Curriculum and Professional Development Director will be responsible for coordinating and developing the guidelines for a program curriculum, plans to assess student engagement, participation and performance, and ensuring that integrated instructional techniques address the needs of all students and adheres to the Maryland State Department of Education requirements. The CPD Director will ensure that research-based, best practices for students will form the core of instruction in a differentiated program that meets the academic, creative and social emotional needs of the students.

The CPD Director will provide oversight to the program’s curriculum and staff development by monitoring curriculum, instruction, and assessments, to ensure compliance with MSDE learning goals, COMAR regulations, and local school systems. The CPD Director will provide support to Instructional Coaches, teachers and teaching artists by helping create and revise materials used in the classroom, analyze student data to assess and improve the program's implementation and will conduct research to find appropriate material/books in order to improve the learning outcomes of the program’s scholars.

The Curriculum and Professional Development Director is a new full-time, exempt position that will report to the Chief of Arts and Learning Academies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

In conjunction with the Arts and Learning Academies Team, the Curriculum and Professional Development Director will conduct the following duties and responsibilities outlined below:

• Conduct a variety of formal and informal assessments on student skill levels and produce the corresponding reports and documents as needed based on academic, creative and social and emotional goals and objectives
• Utilize the information gathered through assessments to assist teachers and teaching artists with developing appropriate instructional program goals and objectives.
• Instruct and train teachers, teaching artists, and instructional coaches on instruction implementation and data collection procedures related to program goals and objectives
• Provide support and consultation to instructional coaches, teachers and teaching artists concerning curriculum development and implementation. Provide guidance for Arts Integration instruction of students in every level by working collaboratively with teachers and students to develop, select, and modify instructional plans and by developing materials to enrich teaching and learning. Assembles resources of successful pilot arts integration lessons to make available to appropriate grade level/content teachers.
• Collaborates with leadership, program staff, teachers and teaching artists to model how to plan and implement high-level arts integrated lessons, assessments, and curriculum mapping across the disciplines.
• Work with Instructional Coaches to provide teachers with ongoing robust constructive feedback related to lesson plans, instructional techniques and classroom management.
• Provide individual, classroom, and community-wide training regarding arts integrated learning strategies effective for all students (e.g., reinforcement schedules, prompt hierarchies, and general classroom management techniques). Ensures that integrated instructional techniques address the needs of all students and develops and implements plans to assess student engagement, participation and performance.
• Review and assess Arts Integration lesson designs requiring all integration lessons to have a depth of understanding of the integrated subjects and authentic rigorous connections between the subjects.
• Coordinate individual, classroom, team, and community-wide meetings as needed to discuss programming, student needs, and other important information
• Set up regular workshops for teachers, staff and parents on instructional methodologies and curriculum as needed
• Serves as a resource to the program leadership and staff in order to help generate an environment conducive to the creative, intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of students.
• Designs and leads co-curricular programs that can be used in a variety of special school events and regular activities.
• Conducts and coordinates professional development opportunities that focus on Integrated Arts teaching and learning.
• Support staff’s personal growth as arts and/or in arts appreciation through leading and providing arts experiences.
• Manages program’ professional development calendar, communications, and preparations.
• Participates in budget planning, tracking, and reporting.
• Keep current on research surrounding effective learning for all types of learners including: English Learners, Standard English Learners, and historically underserved populations.
• Perform all other duties as assigned by the Chief of Arts and Learning Academies

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills)

• A Bachelors degree in Education, Arts Education, Special Education or a related field. Masters degree preferred.
• Must have at least three (3) years’ experience as a state certified classroom teacher.
• Must have experience delivering engaging and meaningful adult professional development as demonstrated in years or feedback results.
• Requires a high level of interpersonal and professional skills to interact effectively with YA staff, parents, school system personnel, teaching artists and other professionals
• Excellent oral, written and presentation skills
• Demonstrate a strong knowledge base in curriculum development, art integration, educational pedagogy, strategies and technology, elementary/middle school English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Preferred Qualifications

• A passion for the arts, arts integration, and the role of developing teachers and teaching artists/community artists in education.
• A self-starter with a proactive approach to problem-solving with strong decision-making skills.
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• An understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and bias, and its impact on policies and practices, especially related to the administration of public education.
• Competency in analyzing policies, systems, and structures through a race equity lens, which results in the advancement of equity and minimizing biases and injustices.
• Must have strong customer service skills.
• Must be extremely detail-oriented, and be skilled with budgeting and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Must have professional-level written and verbal communication skills, as well as proven interpersonal skills. Ability to work across teams and with a variety of constituencies.
• Data entry/computer experience is required. Skilled with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, and/or an ability to become familiar with organization-specific programs and software.
• Must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Effective project management skills.

Compensation:

We offer a starting annual salary of $70,000 and an attractive benefits package which includes medical, dental, and vision health care coverage, retirement contributions, paid sick leave, and vacation time.

To Apply:

For consideration, please apply on our website, https://www.yamd.org/join-us/internship-and-employment-opportunities/art.... Please do not send applications that include headshots or photos of yourself. No phone calls or recruiters please.