Ascend Schools
Director of K-12 English
🇺🇸
Hybrid - Brooklyn, NY
🕑
Full-Time
💰
$105K - $150K
💻
Operations
🗓️
March 1st, 2026
K-12
Edtech.com's Summary
Ascend Charter Schools is hiring a Director of K-12 English. The Director will lead the development and implementation of the K-12 English Language Arts curriculum, oversee assessments, provide professional development, and use data to drive improvements in literacy outcomes across all Ascend schools.
Highlights
- Lead the selection, design, and pacing of K-12 English Language Arts curriculum ensuring vertical alignment and coherence.
- Oversee English assessments development and refinement aligned with instructional priorities and standards.
- Design and deliver professional development and coaching to school leaders and teachers in English instruction.
- Analyze literacy data to identify strengths, gaps, and devise data-informed improvement plans.
- Collaborate across Teaching & Learning, Schools, and School Leadership teams for curriculum and instructional coherence.
- Manage curriculum integration within academic operations and digital platforms.
- Require a Bachelor's degree (advanced degree preferred) and 5+ years of successful K-12 English/ELA teaching experience.
- 3+ years of experience leading curriculum development or instructional coaching in English or literacy.
- Deep knowledge of K-12 ELA standards, assessments, and literacy progressions with strong curriculum writing skills.
- Salary range: $105,000 - $150,000 with comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision insurance, and 403(b) with employer matching.
Director of K-12 English Full Description
Director of K-12 English
Full time • Ascend Charter Schools
Salary
Salary
$105,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year
About Ascend
Ascend is Brooklyn’s premier K–12 public charter network, committed to graduating high-achieving students who have access to boundless choice in their futures—not only through college acceptance, but through meaningful preparation for career readiness and thriving adult lives.
Across our schools, we pair rigorous academics with strong systems, supportive adult culture, and a deep belief in students’ brilliance and potential. Our work is grounded in the understanding that preparing students for long-term success requires excellence in instruction, intentional culture-building, and disciplined execution at every level of the organization.
At Ascend, adults are held to high standards because our students deserve nothing less. How we teach, lead, collaborate, and make decisions every day directly shapes the opportunities our students will have tomorrow.
Join us in shaping learning environments where curiosity is nurtured, excellence is the norm, and every student is prepared for a lifetime of boundless choice.
To learn more about Ascend, visit our website: https://www.ascendlearning.org/about/
About the Role
The Director of English K–12 is an academic leader responsible for the vision, coherence, and quality of Ascend’s English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning across grades K–12. This role ensures that all students develop strong literacy skills—including reading comprehension, writing, speaking, listening, and critical analysis—through a rigorous, culturally responsive, and joyful English program.
The Director of English K–12 oversees the selection, design, adaptation, and implementation of ELA curricula and assessments; leads English‑focused professional development for school leaders and teachers; and uses data to drive continuous improvement in literacy outcomes.
The Director of English K–12 works closely with Teaching & Learning, Schools, and School Leadership teams to ensure high‑fidelity implementation of the English curriculum and instructional practices across all Ascend schools.
This role is intentionally scoped below the Senior Director of K–12 Humanities, with exclusive focus on English/ELA rather than the full Humanities portfolio, while maintaining K–12 responsibility and strong cross‑academy coherence.
Key Responsibilities
Curriculum & Assessment
- Lead the selection, design, adaptation, and pacing of Ascend’s K–12 English Language Arts curriculum.
- Ensure vertical alignment and coherence of literacy skills and content across elementary, middle, and high school grades.
- Oversee the development, implementation, and refinement of English assessments aligned to instructional priorities and standards.
- Collaborate with curriculum writers, directors, and managers to ensure quality, clarity, rigor, and consistency of English materials.
Professional Learning & Instructional Support
- Design and deliver high‑quality English professional development for school leaders and teachers.
- Support principals, literacy leaders, and instructional coaches in strengthening English instruction across classrooms.
- Provide guidance on best practices in reading, writing, discussion‑based instruction, intervention, and enrichment.
Data & Continuous Improvement
- Analyze student‑level, classroom‑level, grade‑level, and school‑level literacy data to identify strengths and gaps.
- Design and support data‑informed response plans to improve student outcomes in reading and writing.
- Partner with data and analytics teams to refine English assessment systems and reporting structures.
- Monitor implementation fidelity and instructional impact to drive continuous improvement.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Teaching & Learning, Schools, and School Leadership teams to ensure alignment between curriculum, instruction, and school‑level execution.
- Partner with academic operations and platform teams to ensure English curriculum and assessments are accurately configured in digital systems.
- Collaborate with other Humanities and content leaders to maintain coherence across disciplines while preserving English‑specific rigor and focus.
Staff and Reporting Relationships
The Director of K-12 English reports to the Senior Director of Humanities(K-12).
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in English, Literacy, Education, or a related field strongly preferred.
- 5+ years of successful K–12 English/ELA teaching experience with demonstrated student impact.
- 3+ years of experience leading curriculum development, instructional coaching, or professional development in English or literacy.
- Demonstrated success in managing and developing educators and academic leaders.
- Experience working with standards‑aligned curricula, assessments, and literacy data systems.
Skills and Traits
- Deep knowledge of K–12 English Language Arts standards, assessments, and literacy progressions.
- Strong command of reading, writing, and discourse‑based instructional practices.
- Exceptional curriculum writing and editing skills, with a high bar for clarity, rigor, and equity.
- Strong project management, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- High level of self‑motivation, humility, and commitment to continuous learning.
- Strong alignment with Ascend’s mission, values, and commitment to educational equity.
Compensation
The salary range for this position is $105,000 - $150,000. Several factors, such as a candidate's work experience, education/training, job-related skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and business considerations, may influence base pay offered. This salary range is reflective of a position based in New York City.
Location & Work Arrangement
- Based in our Brooklyn, NY office
- Hybrid work schedule requiring in-office presence at least three days per week
- In-person work expectations include network office time, stakeholder meetings, school visits, special events, and other role-specific responsibilities as determined by management.
This is a full-time, exempt position that offers a comprehensive benefits package including:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching
- Generous paid time off and additional employee benefits
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