Job Title
Professional Learning Specialist

District Name
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA

Job Description The School District of Philadelphia is committed to having schools staffed with great teachers and principals.  Professional Learning Specialists are responsible for supporting the continuous development of teachers, principals, and support staff.  Using data from the Educator Effectiveness System, Professional Learning Specialists design, align, and facilitate, professional learning opportunities for educators throughout the School District of Philadelphia (SDP).  Work involves formulating and implementing plans to meet the short-term and long-term needs of the District’s teaching and administrative staff. Work additionally involves determining training and personnel development needs on a learning network, school and individual level.  Professional Learning Specialists are tasked with providing high-quality professional growth opportunities that will enhance educators’ leadership, cultural competency, organizational, communication, problem-solving, and outcomes-oriented skills.  Their work also involves supporting the District’s curriculum, assessment, and instructional goals. 

Essential Functions

• Designs and facilitates professional learning and development sessions and courses on a variety of topics to support the School District’s Educator Effectiveness framework.
• Conducts professional learning and development sessions by learning network, grade band, and school type to bolster educator effectiveness and student progress.
• Research new trends in education in an effort to keep staff aligned with the Pedagogical shifts and SDP instructional practices.
• Partners with the Office of Academic Supports, the Office of Student Supports, Assistant Superintendents, Principals, and other administrators to ensure the intentional, proactive, and responsive design of professional learning opportunities.
• Thoughtfully creates customized professional learning modules for educators.
• Creates customized professional learning plans for educators and schools.
• Support District initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Demonstrated knowledge of:

• the Pennsylvania Core Standards, National Standards, National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.
• Culturally responsive pedagogy and teaching.
• Adult learning theories, techniques, and coaching/mentoring models.
• Group processes, effective oral and written communications, adherence to deadlines and action plans, and organizational planning.
• Solid Teaching and Learning methods, principles and practices.
• Exemplary performance evaluations from rating officers.
• Asynchronous learning and various on-line platforms preferred.

Demonstrated ability to:

• Inform and design the scope and sequence of professional learning for educators.
• Align educational and training initiatives with the District’s mission and action plan.
• Analyze issues, shift priorities, and cope with ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Be open and direct without being intimidating.
• Support adult learning and professional development strategies.
• Plan, organize, and direct professional learning targets.
• Be punctual and follow through in work related projects and responsibility.
• Work collaboratively. 
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Selection Process
Selected candidates will participate in an interview process.  Please note that not all qualified candidates may be selected for an interview. The selected candidate must have no anecdotal record on file and have not been subject to any disciplinary action within the past eighteen (18) months, and have an excellent record of attendance and punctuality during the last three (3) years (defined as no more than eighteen (18) occasions of lateness or absence for personal illness in the last three years (3) years with the exception of one extended long-term absence).

Disclaimer
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

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