POSITION TITLE:      Director of Professional Development
STATUS:                    260-Day Contract; Exempt
REPORTS TO:            Chief Teaching and Learning Officer

POSITION SUMMARY: This position is integral to an educational system focused on developing the skills, talents, content knowledge, and effectiveness of teachers and staff. The Director will marshal the resources of the District to ensure that all staff have rigorous learning experiences, supportive relationships, and in classroom coaching opportunities to ensure continuous professional growth. Leads the design, implementation, and evaluation of professional learning programs in close partnership with school leaders and instructional coaches to ensure alignment with district goals, state standards, and the diverse needs of staff and students.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The list of Essential Functions is not exhaustive and may be supplemented.

1. Act as a liaison between the Office of Curriculum and Instruction and the teaching staff and administrators in the schools for the purpose of promoting and sustaining the best possible professional development for teachers.
2. Promote the use of best practices in classroom instruction for the continuous improvement in student learning district-wide.
3. Coordinate, schedule and conduct district professional development (PD) workshops, activities and programs throughout the year according to established guidelines, including outside presenters/consultants who deliver PD in the district.
4. Assist with and/or prepare State and District documents relating to professional development as needed or required.
5. Oversee and revise the district’s Professional Development Plan annually, including the training of district mentor teachers and mentoring plans, to ensure compliance with state guidelines and district requirements for enhancing teacher effectiveness.
6. Design and deliver professional development workshops to various groups of teachers and administrators on topics.
7. Collect and analyze survey data about professional development activities, as well as any other relevant data, in order to track program quality and effectiveness.
8. Work with supervisors to create professional development for teachers and to train teachers to deliver PD in their buildings (Train the Trainers).
9. Follow up with professional development in schools throughout the school year. Conduct and/or participate in summer professional development programs as needed.
10. Research, study, and share current information on curriculum, teaching practices, and instructional strategies relevant to district needs.
11. Plan, serve on, and facilitate District Professional Development Committees, as well as large and small group meetings, work sessions, and other district committees as needed or required in the positon.
12. Coordinate and conduct New Teacher Orientation each year and provide an effective Beginning Teacher Assistance Program (BTAP).
13. Coordinate with district and building administrators, a variety of committees, etc., for the purpose of serving as a liaison and resource, identifying training needs, and/or coordinating professional development services within the District.
14. Participate in district and out-of-district meetings, workshops, and seminars for the purpose of researching information (e.g courses, materials, training consultants, etc.) and developing new programs required to perform duties and meet staff training needs. Communicate learned information, data and ideas to applicable stakeholders.
15. Plan, implement, and evaluate instructional programs with teachers and principals, including learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment techniques.
16. Supervise and support instructional coaches which includes, but not limited to, providing ongoing guidance, professional development, and evaluation to ensure alignment with district goals and the effective implementation of instructional practices that enhance student learning outcomes.
17. Facilitate district-wide classroom walk-throughs with building administrators to monitor the impact of professional development.
18. Provide effective staff development activities that incorporate the mission of the district, program evaluation outcomes, and input from teachers and others.
19. Plan, assist with, and implement professional development opportunities for administrators and staff related to district performance evaluation tools.
20. Provide leadership district-wide for K-12 instruction, curriculum, and professional development initiatives and programs.
21. Manage and oversee the budget of assigned programs and related financial activity for the purpose of ensuring that expenses are within budget limits and/or fiscal practices are followed.
22. Monitor professional development services (e.g. consultants, course outcomes, staff training, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring that performance outcomes are achieved within budget, department, and district objectives.
23. Supervise, train, and evaluate professional development office staff to ensure workload and provided support are executed efficiently and effectively.
24. Perform other tasks as assigned.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a variety of clienteles.
2. Physical stamina to handle challenging work schedule.
3. Respect for administrators, students, teachers, parents, and support staff.
4. Possess a strong familiarity with current trends in educational practices and professional development.
5. Demonstrate proficiency in designing and delivering large and small group presentations for the purpose of professional development and consensus building.
6. Possess effective interpersonal skills with the ability to interface diplomatically with administrators, teachers, and other colleagues within the district, as well as with outside professional contacts, using tact, patience, and courtesy.
7. Possess the ability to effectively collaborate, both as a leader and a team member, with various stakeholders.
8. Possess the ability to build relationships and foster open, honest communication with others to encourage expression of ideas.
9. Possess the ability to coach others by accurately assessing strengths and needs of teachers, providing feedback, and encouraging reflective questioning (to improve instructional performance, but not to evaluate staff members).
10. Possess a thorough understanding of curriculum development and of the district’s model of curriculum design, and have the ability to instruct others in how to write curriculum in accordance with this design.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

1. Master’s degree required (Educational Specialist or Doctorate preferred).
2. Missouri Administrator certification preferred.
3. At least five (5) years successful teaching experience preferred.
4. At least three (3) years successful administration experience preferred.
5. Shall have such other qualifications as the Board may deem necessary to perform properly the duties of director.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work setting involves performance in an environment with various levels of staff to supervise and the accomplishment of tasks that are often interrupted by persons with special and/or immediate needs. The employee must be able to regularly work non-
traditional hours, including evenings and weekends. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, hear, and utilize manual dexterity. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, to stoop,
kneel, crouch, or crawl, and to lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. The employee must independently transport him/herself to various sites in the District, as well as other sites out of the District, for various types of meetings and events.