Learning Designer at the Chicago Academy
Elementary School Programming

Job Description

Who We Are

The Academy Group (AG) is a unique enterprise founded to realize the long-term potential of young people from underserved communities across the United States.  Designed to tap into the deep wells of often overlooked talent that exists nationwide, the Academy Group empowers youth to thrive in school, work and life.

In 2017, we launched the Chicago Academy, with an enrollment to grow to 1000 students. We expect to establish Academies in cities across the nation in the years ahead.  Academy students develop the agency and belief to excel. They receive high dosage, individualized academic programming from elementary school through college; a case based business curriculum focused on building entrepreneurial, financial and analytic expertise; college and career counseling; rigorous job preparation and internships and; personalized advising and executive mentoring. Students attend their home schools, colleges and universities – with Academy programming occurring after school, on weekends and throughout the summer.  The core values of the Academy Group are Excellence, Determination and Justice.

The Academy Group is built on a sustainable business model that aligns the commercial and social sectors.  The Academy Group take ownership stakes in a diverse portfolio of commercial companies. The earned revenue generated from the Academy Group Companies funds the education programs, provide apprenticeships for students through college and create employment opportunities to Academy Group graduates.  

Ultimately, the Academy Group aims to generate a new class of innovators and leaders by delivering long-term opportunities for exceptional young people to own, operate and create successful companies across multiple sectors.  

THE ROLE

Learning Designers (LDs) at the Chicago Academy provide direct instructional and advising support to young people during our Summer Academy, after school and weekend programming. They will design and execute innovative education programming, serve as staff developers and coaches to tutors and part time LDs, and drive one of the nation’s most innovative educational and leadership development models.

The LDs will empower young people to build belief and agency in themselves, while ensuring they remain on their path to becoming a leader of the American economy. Learning designers will interface with students and families to identify strengths and areas for growth aligned with the Academy Group’s core values of Excellence, Determination, and Justice, in addition to our “Habits of Mind”.

The Learning Designer will report to the Director of Academics and Assistant Director.

Outcomes

The Learning Designer will be responsible for achieving the following goals within the first three months:

• Work with the Director of Academics to set a vision for school year experiential learning activities
• Analyze school math curriculum guidance to identify key learning priorities for students
• Design and execute Q1 problem-based learning experiences that align to key curricular learning priorities and individual student goals  
• Conduct strength-based student assessments to develop differentiated learning goals for individual students

PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning & Instruction

• Collaborate with the Director of Academics and the Assistant Director to set a vision for and develop the planning frameworks for both school year and summer programming:
  • Five week Summer Academy:
    • Work as a lead designer to provide intensive literacy acceleration, real-world business experiences, social justice seminar, fitness and experiential learning
    • Work alongside program leadership to observe, give feedback to, and develop Summer Fellows
  • Academic school year program:
    • Deliver rigorous, personalized, and student-driven math acceleration experiences to fourth and fifth grade students at partner schools
• Plan and execute the Academy Group pedagogy, project-based and student centered learning experiences that accelerate learning for all students, while breaking from traditional models of teaching and learning
• Coordinate and facilitate experiential learning activities and excursions with Academy Group partners
• Communicate student progress to integral stakeholders, including school partners and families  
• Develop lesson plans in alignment with the Common Core State Standards

• Reflection and Analysis
  • Codify planning frameworks and curricular materials to be used at scale in future years
  • Work with the Director of Academics to design, improve, and reflect on program systems as we scale

• Advisory
  • Collect and analyze data around student academic achievement, habits of mind, and advisory competencies
  • Identify students’ strengths and areas of growth and collaborate with elementary/high school Advisor to provide individualized support embedded within instruction

Shared Responsibilities

• Codify planning frameworks and curricular materials to be used at scale in future years.
• Work with the Director of Academics to design, improve, and reflect on program systems as we scale
• Work alongside program leadership to observe, give feedback to, and develop Summer Fellows

Who we are looking for

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s in Education or related field preferred
• Minimum of three years classroom experience. Preferred candidates have experience in both math and literacy instruction
• Preferred candidate has experience with educational advising

DEMONSTRATED ATTRIBUTES

• Deep content knowledge and demonstrated ability to innovate to achieve exceptional results  
• Ability to write exemplar unit, and daily level plans that can be executed by others
• Experience with key pedagogical structures in math (i.e. guided math) and reading (i.e. guided reading)
• Self-starter who can manage workload effectively with competing demands for time; comfortable working autonomously
• Ability to establish shared goals and purpose with tutors and provide data-based observational and lesson planning feedback towards those goals
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
• Passion, integrity, zest, mission-focus, and autonomous nature
• Knowledge of current community challenges and opportunities relating to the mission of the organization
• Ability to work under dynamic, evolving conditions

LOCATION
This position will be based in Chicago.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The Academy offers competitive benefits and salary for this role aligned to experienced teaching positions.

TO APPLY
Please send your resume and a short (<250 words) note about your interest in the role to careers@theacademy.group.