ESOL Newcomer Specialist

10 month position

International and ESOL Program

Are you looking to work in a school division where students are engaged in authentic, challenging, and relevant learning experiences, becoming lifelong contributors and leaders in our dynamic and diverse society? Then look no further! 

In Albemarle County Public Schools, we work together as a team to end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children’s success through high-quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds. We will know every student! 

We are the first public school division in Virginia, and among the first in the country, to develop and implement an Anti-Racism policy with the expressed purpose of building school communities that share the responsibility to recognize and end racism, eliminate inequitable practices that result in achievement gaps, and support the unique gifts, talents, and interests of every child. In ACPS, “all” really means all.

ACPS employees enjoy competitive pay and benefits, including health & dental coverage, retirement, flexible spending accounts, paid time off, wellness program, discounts on gym memberships, and more! Be sure to check out our website to learn more about our Division and our Schools.

GENERAL DEFINITION OF WORK:

The ESOL Newcomer Specialist is responsible for the implementation of an integrated, comprehensive response to support recently arrived English Learners (ELs) in Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS). The ESOL Newcomer Specialist supports the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Lead Coach by providing direct classroom/transitional support for recently arrived ELs with limited or interrupted formal education, and ongoing formal and job-embedded professional development for schools. During the first year, the ESOL Newcomer Specialist will play a key role in helping to design a structured transitional program that is flexible enough to meet the needs of our schools and students.

Similar to Instructional Coaches who have a deep familiarity with Albemarle County Public Schools, the ESOL Newcomer Specialist will work side-by-side with teachers as an equal partner. The ESOL Newcomer Specialist will spend the majority of his or her time in classrooms, observing, modeling, co-teaching, and debriefing in order to provide advice, consultation, assistance, training, and reflection to school personnel around newcomer needs.

The goal is for the ESOL Newcomer Specialist to serve as the lead teacher for our transitional program while building capacity in the schools for the cultivation of supportive school environments that promote academic success for recently arrived ELs.

Finally, the ESOL Newcomer Specialist will collaborate with the International and ESOL Family Engagement and Support Teams in order to build bridges between the home and school, and facilitate the parental engagement of newcomer families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Participating in required professional development related to recently arrived ELs and Instructional Coaching;
• Teaching a cohort of recently arrived ELs in order to accelerate their transition to US schools
• Providing transitional support for students with limited and interrupted formal education and their receiving schools;
• Collaborating with ESOL and classroom/content teachers to provide supportive environments for newly arrived ELs;
• Engaging in reflective conversations with teachers in order to think and problem-solve collaboratively;
• Building and maintaining meaningful and confidential relationships with teachers through collaboration, listening, and questioning to formulate next steps and solutions;
• Collaborating across schools to identify student learning needs and barriers as schools organize and implement problem-solving actions;
• Designing and offering a variety of ongoing professional development experiences with the International and ESOL Instructional Liaison to build capacity of teachers across the division for working with recently arrived ELs;
• Providing professional development and increasing parental engagement of newcomer families in collaboration with the International and ESOL Family Engagement Team;
• Performing other duties as assigned by the ESOL Lead Coach.

The ESOL Newcomer Specialist is supervised and evaluated by the ESOL Lead Coach.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

The ESOL Newcomer Specialist must have:

• Knowledge of best practices in education, including linguistics, reading and mathematics instruction;.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills in both English and Spanish;
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills;
• Comprehensive instructional technology experience;
• The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County employees and work effectively with all levels of staff;
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills
• An excellent work ethic and personal integrity.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

A Virginia teaching certification and demonstrated expertise in ESOL is required. A Master's degree in Reading and prior experience as an ESOL teacher or instructional coach in ACPS is preferred. The candidate needs to have demonstrated:

• knowledge and use of a rich array of instructional approaches, resources, and technologies;
• skills in analyzing and using data for instructional decision-making;
• commitment to understanding action research and inquiry as processes for building instructional capacity;
• interpersonal, problem solving, and organizational skills required to effectively facilitate coaching and staff development;
• an ability to design and broker (individually or collaboratively) high-quality, job-embedded professional development for teachers and school staff; and
• knowledge and understanding of equity issues in school cultures.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND NATURE OF WORK CONTACTS:

Duties performed typically in school settings to include: classroom, gym, cafeteria, auditorium, and recreational areas. Operation of automated computer office equipment is required. Frequent travel to school sites throughout the County and occasional statewide or regional travel is required. Attendance to meetings outside the normal duty hours is sometimes required. Regular involvement with teachers throughout the School Division. Usually there is a need to motivate, establish rapport, gain support, and persuade or influence individuals or groups. Occasional debate is often characteristic of the professional interaction and may require considerable skill in diplomacy, tact, and discretion.