Instructional Coach at Islamic School

NYCMC Wellspring Schools is an Islamic school operated by the New York City Muslim Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving 2,000+ students and community members. The school's vision is to deliver academic excellence without requiring students to compromise their Islamic identity.

As Instructional Coach, you will serve as the primary driver of instructional quality and teacher development across all grade levels and subject areas. Your role is to develop educators through evidence-based coaching, curriculum alignment, and ongoing professional learning.

**Key Responsibilities:**

• **Ensure Instructional Excellence** — Conduct regular classroom walkthroughs and formal observations across all grades and subjects on a consistent rotation, providing feedback on engagement, creativity, rigor, and differentiation. Identify passive-learning patterns and ensure all lessons meet the school's Creativity Pillars (ideation, higher-order thinking, engagement, real-world application) with Islamic integration.

• **Coach Lesson Planning** — Review educator lesson plans weekly for clear learning objectives, rigorous content, differentiation, and Islamic integration. Guide teachers to use all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Provide written feedback and follow up on missing or substandard submissions.

• **Develop Educators** — Design individualized coaching cycles grounded in observation data. Build growth plans with follow-up dates. Coach educators in the Workshop Model, 5E Instructional Model, and Gradual Release of Responsibility. Model effective instruction and re-observe to verify impact.

• **Design and Deliver Professional Development** — Identify schoolwide instructional needs from observations, lesson-plan trends, and assessment data. Develop and lead practical PD addressing classroom challenges. Build follow-up mechanisms to verify PD implementation. Create instructional showcases and peer-observation networks.

• **Lead Curriculum Alignment** — Review and recommend curriculum, textbooks, and programs. Maintain scope, sequence, and pacing guides aligned with New York State standards, Common Core, NGSS, C3 Framework, and computer science standards while ensuring Islamic integration. Identify and address content gaps and pacing issues.

• **Strengthen Assessment and Data Use** — Ensure assessments measure understanding and application. Monitor performance data, identify patterns and root causes of weak outcomes, and support targeted reteaching and enrichment. Track and report instructional-quality metrics to leadership.

• **Support Differentiation and Student-Centered Learning** — Audit use of Student Interest Portfolios to ensure content, process, and product are modified based on student needs. Coordinate with student-support personnel for integrated approaches.

• **Investigate Instructional Root Causes** — When classroom or behavioral challenges arise, lead educators through root-cause analysis. For escalated cases, conduct independent instructional reviews and coach redesign efforts.

• **Strengthen School Culture** — Model professionalism, accountability, integrity, and humility. Help educators lead strengths-first, evidence-based conversations with families. Actively embody and promote the Islamic values of the school.

**Required Qualifications:**

• PhD in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, Teaching, or closely related field
• New York State teaching certification or strong certification eligibility
• Minimum five years of successful full-time classroom teaching with demonstrated strong instruction and student outcomes
• Proven experience coaching, mentoring, or supervising educators
• Deep knowledge of curriculum design, standards alignment, assessment, and instructional planning
• Expertise in differentiated instruction and engagement strategies
• Ability to provide clear, actionable feedback and conduct difficult conversations respectfully
• Skill in analyzing student-performance data
• Ability to facilitate and design professional development
• Strong grasp of Bloom's Taxonomy and evidence-based instructional frameworks
• Ability to work across elementary, middle, and high school contexts
• Demonstrated alignment with Islamic values and school culture

**Preferred Qualifications:** Prior experience as Instructional Coach, Dean of Instruction, Department Chair, Curriculum Lead, or Assistant Principal; formal observation/improvement cycles; schoolwide PD design; curriculum and assessment development; project-based or inquiry-based instruction; schoolwide data analysis; private, charter, religious, or college-prep school experience; multilingual learner support; and experience helping educators use technology and AI responsibly.

**Compensation & Work Environment:** $120,000–$140,000 per year, full-time, in-person. Located at 9020 191st St, Hollis, Queens, NY 11423.