What are the responsibilities and job description for the Middle School Instructional Coach position at Portland Public Schools, Maine?
- Lead coaching cycles of inquiry (planning, co-teaching, reflecting) and common planning time with teachers to jointly plan units with students at the center. Set clear goals for students, co-teach classes, and analyze student work to reflect on instruction and plan next steps.
- Ensure effective collaboration between classroom teachers, special educators, Chapter 104, Ed Technicians, and other building-based support staff.
- Meet during teacher planning blocks in grade-level teams regularly, and/or based on coaching cycles.
- Establish consistent routines around goal setting, unit planning, co-teaching, data reflection, and additional planning based on student data.
- Support implementation of school or district-wide curricula or practices, such as science phenomena, Social Studies Wabanaki Studies units, or Illustrative Mathematics, i.e. unit planning, co-teaching, data-reflection, collaboration, and professional development cycles.
- Facilitates ongoing unit internalization and lesson preparation with teachers, and facilitates protocols to look at student work or analyze data.
- Work with the school leadership team to develop clear school-wide success goals and criteria in your School Success Plan.
- Ensure teachers have choice and agency in how they will work to achieve these goals. Provide opportunities to get feedback from teachers about how best to spend their time.
- Facilitate any PD to launch new learning in a way that is engaging, collaborative, reflective, and just-in-time for what teachers need to support students.
- Ensure there are structures that support a cycle of learning, including new learning, supported practice, and data-driven reflection.
- Deliver high-quality PD to teachers in small groups or large groups, depending on need. Run data meetings with small and large groups.
- Participate in collaborative work with other Instructional Coaches to ensure coherence across all middle schools.
- Assist principal and building leadership teams in utilizing student performance data to develop school-wide goals, professional development, and implementation plans.
- Attend leadership team meetings, and contribute in developing the School Success Plan as well as other school-wide instructional leadership projects or initiatives.
- Lift up best practices and support consistent sharing and collaborating across all middle schools.
- Collaborates with Principal to train teachers on pacing calendars, instructional blocks, expectations for planning, curriculum use and coaching, process for walkthroughs, and meets regularly to align on progress.
- Coordinate assessments like ACCESS and MEAs and manage school-wide data.
- Help to address and redress inequitable structures, practices, and mindsets in the school and district.
- Meets weekly with principal to review data, walkthrough trends, and align on progress.
- EQUITY: Strong equity orientation and an openness to personal reflection on deepening awareness of personal bias and being culturally responsive. Demonstrated conviction of high expectations for all students, with the knowledge that both culturally responsive and standards-aligned curriculum and instruction are key levers for student achievement. A deep-seated belief that all teachers have the capacity to ensure students can achieve at high levels.
- CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: Extensive experience developing and/or supporting curriculum development. Expertise in analyzing formative, benchmark/interim and summative assessment to increase student achievement. Deep understanding of the 6-8 Common Core Standards, as well as Next Generation Science Standards. Expertise in proficiency-based (or competency-based) and culturally relevant education. Strong understanding of what high quality curriculum, instruction and assessment looks like.
- COACH: Supports and engages teachers to realize the school’s instructional vision of teaching, learning and quality curriculum that is aligned to district beliefs in each and every classroom. Fosters a culture of feedback and learning, modeling a growth mindset, and creating consistent structures to support the work. Develops and delivers high quality PD that furthers teacher development. Uses high-leverage coaching strategies to elevate teacher and student learning such as coaching cycles, learning labs, and professional learning communities. Adjusts course and measures impact based on student and teacher success and engagement data, such as achievement data and teacher observation.
- RELATIONSHIP BUILDER: Great relationship builder. Demonstrated ability to build trust with students, teachers and administrators. Strong advisor to students. A great teammate. Someone who lifts people up rather than bringing them down. Someone who has a “go-getter” attitude about work. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Bachelor's degree in an applicable field of education from an accredited college or university
- Master’s degree preferred
- Successful track record as a teacher
- Experience supporting adult learners
- Experience designing and/or implementing high quality curriculum and assessment
- Experience implementing restorative practices and/or leading adults to implement restorative practices
- Preferred: Experience as an instructional coach or other school leadership role
- Maine State fingerprint (CHRC) authorization (more info)
- Currently holds or is eligible for a Maine State Teacher Certification in any area (more info)
- School-year position
- Permanent
- Full Time, 1.0 FTE
- Salaried position, not eligible for overtime
- Covered under the PEA contract (see 2022-2025 CBA here; new contract forthcoming)
- Salary based on education and experience, as outlined in CBA
- Eligible for benefits as outlined here
JobID: 5256
Position Type:
TEACHER-NON CLASSROOM/INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIST
TEACHER-NON CLASSROOM/INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIST
Date Posted:
8/20/2025
8/20/2025
Location:
Lincoln Middle School
Lincoln Middle School
Date Available:
08/25/2025
08/25/2025
Closing Date:
Open until filled
Open until filled
TITLE: Middle School Instructional Coach – Lincoln Middle
POSITION OVERVIEW:
An Instructional Coach (a.k.a. Teaching Strategist) is charged with ensuring that all students in their school have access to quality curriculum, instruction, and assessment and that all teachers have the support they need to deliver high quality instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards, the Maine Learning Results, and the Next Generation Science Standards. This person will work collaboratively with teams of teachers through coaching cycles to strengthen their collective efficacy, agency, and voice around teaching and learning so teams feel empowered to work collectively to achieve the goals of the school’s School Success Plan. An Instructional Coach facilitates ongoing professional development during collaborative planning time with teachers which includes observations and co-teaching during classes, and leading a reflective instructional cycle based on student work and classroom data to make responsive next step decisions. The Instructional Coach works closely with the school's administrators and is part of the school's leadership team charged with meeting the school's goals.
An Instructional Coach (a.k.a. Teaching Strategist) is charged with ensuring that all students in their school have access to quality curriculum, instruction, and assessment and that all teachers have the support they need to deliver high quality instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards, the Maine Learning Results, and the Next Generation Science Standards. This person will work collaboratively with teams of teachers through coaching cycles to strengthen their collective efficacy, agency, and voice around teaching and learning so teams feel empowered to work collectively to achieve the goals of the school’s School Success Plan. An Instructional Coach facilitates ongoing professional development during collaborative planning time with teachers which includes observations and co-teaching during classes, and leading a reflective instructional cycle based on student work and classroom data to make responsive next step decisions. The Instructional Coach works closely with the school's administrators and is part of the school's leadership team charged with meeting the school's goals.
An Instructional Coach must be oriented towards valuing and lifting up teacher expertise, honoring the powerful models in place, and seeing opportunities to strengthen and improve. They should be deeply grounded in the philosophy and structure of an instructional coach in supporting teachers to build and ensure consistent quality and lift up teacher expertise and creativity across the school. An Instructional Coach must hold high expectations for all students and understand how access to rigorous curriculum, instruction, and assessment is a critical aspect of closing opportunity gaps and ensuring equitable outcomes for all students. Finally, an Instructional Coach must have a growth mindset about themselves and others, be open to feedback, and be a highly effective collaborator who can build trust with diverse stakeholders across the entire district.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Lead coaching cycles with teacher teams in small professional learning communities to elevate planning and instruction to be collaborative, innovative, and high quality.
2. Collaborate with others to ensure teachers receive high quality professional development aligned to best practices around adult learning and professional learning systems.
3. Provide leadership in the area of curriculum and instruction to support the school in their instructional vision, goals, and results for all students.
Other duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:
CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:
ABOUT LINCOLN:
Lincoln Middle School is in the midst of a transformation. We need educators who are excited to engage in reimagining and rebuilding our school’s identity to suit the students and staff here now. We have a diverse and amazing student population and an incredible core of educators deeply committed to the school community.
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Lincoln Middle School is in the midst of a transformation. We need educators who are excited to engage in reimagining and rebuilding our school’s identity to suit the students and staff here now. We have a diverse and amazing student population and an incredible core of educators deeply committed to the school community.
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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.
