Job Title: Director of Educator Development
Location: 910 W. Van Buren St., Chicago, IL
Reports To: Executive Director of Principal Support
Salary: Starting at $110,000, commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: June 2026

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

Overview

The Director of Educator Development is an experienced educational leader responsible for coordinating and implementing comprehensive professional development, specifically focusing on instructional coaching, new teacher induction, and Assistant Principal (AP) development, to support curriculum implementation across the Distinctive Schools network. This role also oversees the strategic partnership to strengthen the teacher pipeline and instructional capacity across the network. This role requires a deep understanding of adult learning principles and a proven ability to design and facilitate impactful professional development that drives lasting change in practice. The Director of Educator Developmentwill work in partnership with campus and network leaders to monitor and strengthen the implementation of the Distinctive Schools instructional coaching model and Teaching Framework.

Responsibilities:

Partnership Management & Residency Support:

• Serve as the liaison between Distinctive Schools and strategic partnerships (training teams/university partners) to ensure the organization fulfills all residency requirements and to ensure consistent communication from school placement through onboarding.

• Partner with the Director of Talent to ensure the hiring and placement of Resident Teachers based on both candidate qualifications and campus staffing needs.

  • Note: Resident Teachers are aspiring educators who are part of a yearlong residency program and co-teach in our schools, learning alongside our best teachers.

• Identify and vet high-performing teachers within the network to serve as mentors for residency participants.

• Partner closely with the Talent team to ensure recruitment and onboarding of residents are equitable and meet compliance requirements.

• Support the goal of building a reliable, mission-aligned pipeline of new teachers, already familiar with DS students and culture, who are ready to be hired full-time after residency.

Leadership Development and Coaching:

• Lead the network's direction and provide leadership for the Distinctive Schools (DS) instructional coaching model.

• Develop the capacity of Instructional Coaches, Mentor Teachers and Assistant Principals (APs) through ongoing learning opportunities, direct campus support, network-based coaching academies, reflection, and feedback.

• DS teacher leaders will get access to strategic partnerships coaching, reflection tools, and leadership development—enhancing their own growth.

• Become the Lead Real Time Teacher Coach and train all new coaches in the four-step model and other instructional strategies.

• Oversee and monitor the formal observation process and conduct ongoing observations (formal, informal, instructional rounds) with campus and network leaders to ensure a common understanding of best practice as defined by the DS Teaching Framework.

• Lead student-focused coaching cycles towards an established goal that leads to improved instructional practices and increased student growth and achievement.

• Guide the implementation of the Professional Growth Plan process and leadership performance standards protocol to provide actionable and concrete feedback.

• Partner closely with the Talent team to ensure equitable review and promotion for Instructional Coaches, Mentors and APs.

New Teacher Onboarding and Development:

• Lead new teacher and coach onboarding, while ensuring ongoing, year-long opportunities for direct coaching, support, and professional learning.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of a new teacher onboarding program to ensure first-year teachers receive appropriate support and to increase retention.

• Partner with campus leaders to ensure new teacher onboarding reflects organizational needs and priorities.

• Maintain a current and detailed understanding of all local and state requirements for onboarding and teacher development.

• Coordinate quarterly check-ins with Mentor Teachers and Instructional Coaches to reflect on leadership development and leading from within the classroom.

Academic Team Member:

• Partner with Academic Team members to lead key initiatives related to the role of the teacher leaders and teacher onboarding and development.

• Uphold and contribute to the implementation of the DS Model, strategic plan, campus growth plans, and network priorities.

• Design, implement, monitor progress, and provide updates on key instructional coaching decisions with a specific focus on new teacher development.

• Partner with Academic and Student Services Team members to ensure parity and cohesiveness in philosophy, pedagogy, systems, structures, and protocols among all initiatives and content areas.

• Establish tasks and timelines and develop strategies to support projects through from beginning to end.

• Plan, design, and implement network initiatives and participate in regularly scheduled network and campus meetings and professional learning.

• Maintain a current and detailed understanding of all local and state requirements for onboarding and teacher development.

• Participate in ongoing professional learning opportunities in order to better support network growth and ensure that instructional coaching practices reflect current research.

• Contribute to grant applications and other professional writing.

• Check-in regularly with the Executive Director of Principal Support to collaborate, set and refine goals, review project progress, share feedback and support, and build rapport.

• Participate in the formal and informal coaching observation process and personal goal-setting with the Executive Director of Principal Support. Leadership practices will be measured and developed using a universal framework.

• Perform the assigned responsibilities of an Academic Team member and other duties as assigned.

Requirements (minimum):

Education:

• Bachelors degree

Qualifications:

• Valid Professional Educator License (PEL) or equivalent

• Five (5) years’ teaching experience

• Three (3) years’ school leadership experience

• Knowledgeable of the ways in which adults learn

Technology & Travel Demands:

• Proficient in cloud based solutions - GoogleSuite

• Demonstrated understanding of AI principles and potential in education

• Travel to campuses daily basis

Physical Demands:

• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 30% sitting, 50% walking, and 20% standing.

Benefits:

• 25+ Paid holidays & reasonable (no limit) PTO
• 12 weeks family paid leave
• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• 403b match
  • Fully match up to 3%
  • 50% match up to 5%
  • Professional development including tuition reimbursement
• Gym and wellness discounts
• And more

Job Description Disclaimer: Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.

EEO: Distinctive Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

Distinctive Schools is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Distinctive Schools will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact talent@distinctiveschools.org or call 773.828.4191