Director of Teaching and Learning at The International School of Kenya

Responsibilities of the Director of Teaching and Learning

• The Director of Teaching and Learning (DTL) is responsible for inspiring and empowering all learners at
• ISK to reach our Mission, Vision and Educational Aims. Together with the Leadership Team, they ensure alignment of actions and measurement of progress on this learning journey.
• The Director of Teaching and Learning is responsible for monitoring the school’s accreditation status and managing accreditation processes, ensuring that the school’s foundational documents guide the work in all divisions and departments.
• The Director of Teaching and Learning also has oversight of external assessments with the exception of the IB Diploma Programme. Subsequent data analysis and inservice for faculty and leadership is required to support teachers as they use the data to inform instructional practices.
• Professional Learning for faculty, leadership, and teaching assistants is key to this role. 
• Organizing and managing internal and external professional learning includes working with consultants, coordinating on-site conferences and workshops, working with AISA, and collaborating on the broader needs of professional learning with the leadership team.
• To fulfll these broad responsibilities, they will be an active member of the Learning Leadership Team.

Leading for Learning 

• Provide vision and leadership for school-wide curriculum and instructional practices in the context of ISK’s Mission, Vision, and Educational Aims.
• Lead the systematic, rigorous review and refnement of ISK’s Pre-K to 12 curriculum, including cocurricular programs, to ensure consistency with the Educational Aims.
• Guide ISK’s Principals as instructional leaders, as they implement and monitor best classroom and collaborative practices.
• Work closely with the Principals, the Director of Technology, the Head of Student Support
• Services, and the Learning Coaches to ensure the alignment of ISK’s learning standards, instructional practices, assessment systems, and reporting practices.
• Guide the Principals, Director, and teacher-leaders in the effective collection and analysis of appropriate data on student learning at ISK, including comparator or benchmark data from external tests, for the purpose of improving student learning.
• Provide training and support to teacher-leaders in collaborative planning, strategy sharing, and data analysis. This includes management of the Wednesday IMPACT sessions (early release for professional learning) and the all-school orientation schedule.
• Support Principals in setting long-term learning goals, appropriate to their respective divisions, and their guidance of team leaders in the setting and achieving of annual subject or grade-level learning goals.
• Lead the development of appropriate structures that support ISK’s foundational statements.

Managing for Learning

• Monitor ISK’s accreditation and authorization status with CIS, MSA, and IBO.
• Provide leadership to school-wide accreditation processes and support the IB Coordinator in DP authorization processes.
• Coordinate administration of external testing (other than IB), including recommendations for most appropriate tests, and analysis of results.
• Collaborate with the Leadership Team in setting professional learning priorities, implementing PL
• initiatives in cooperation with teacher-leaders, and allocating resources to support PL activities.
• Manage the curriculum and feedback modules for the purpose of collecting data on standards and student progress towards meeting the academic standards and performance areas connecting how the school measures the effectiveness of its Mission, Vision, and Educational Aims.
• Manage the professional learning history and funding for teachers as well as assist with US teacher recertifcation as needed.
• Communicate ISK’s curriculum developments, instructional/assessment practices, and performance results with the faculty, parents, and the broader community.
• Prepare leave schedules for employees under the Director of Teaching and Learning’s supervision in August, to provide anticipated leave dates in order to allow proper planning and alignment with respective work plans.
• Manage the Teaching and Learning Center, including supervision of the administrative assistant and the Center’s budget.
• Other reasonable duties as assigned.

Required Qualifcations, Skills, and Qualities

• Master’s degree in curriculum development or assessment
• Minimum of seven years experience as a teacher
• Minimum of three years experience as a teacher-leader or other leadership role
• Experience developing, implementing, and assessing a standards-based curriculum
• Experience on an accreditation self-study steering committee or visiting team
• Demonstrated team-building skills and success leading and participating in collaborative learning teams
• Excellent organizational and technology skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Commitment to a student-centered, inquiry-based approach to learning
• Experience administering external tests and analyzing the results
• Energetic, goal-oriented, and self-motivated, with an optimistic, “can-do” approach to challenges and change
• Integrity and clarity in personal values—which must include a love of learning and valuing students as individuals

Demonstrated qualities of:

• Cultural profciency
• Adaptability, resilience, and fexibility
• Appropriate levels of humility, confdence, and refectiveness
• Strong work ethic
• Openness to advice, suggestions, and a willingness to ask for help when needed
• The ability to think critically and strategically

Preferred Qualifcations, Skills, and Qualities

• Demonstrated skill in statistical data collection and analysis to improve learning
• Teaching or leadership experience in a culturally diverse international school
• Experience in elementary, middle, and high schools.
• Experience with the IB Diploma Programme, Common Core State Standards, C3 Framework, NGSS Standards and other recognized curricula
• A sense of humor