At Curriculum Associates, we believe in the potential of every child and are changing the face of education technology with award-winning learning programs like i-Ready that serve a third of the nation’s K–8 students. For more than 50 years, our commitment to making classrooms better places, serving educators, and supporting accessible learning experiences for all students has driven the continuous improvement of our innovative programs. Our team of more than 2,500 employees is composed of lifelong learners who stand behind this mission, working tirelessly to serve the educational community with world-class programs and support every day.

*This is NOT a remote position.

*You must live within 30 miles of the posting location

* Bilingual Spanish candidate preferred

Professional Learning Specialist – ELA – Chicago, Illinois 

Are you an educator transitioning out of the classroom? This is an excellent opportunity to join a mission-driven company focused on creating equitable classrooms for students and still be part of a school community! Curriculum Associates seeks a Professional Learning Specialist to join our team. The ideal candidate has a background in teaching and/or coaching ELA or Reading, as well as experience leading professional development with school and district leaders.   

Successful candidates will show flexibility and synergy with different team members including our Sales team, teachers, students, and school districts as part of day-to-day interactions. The Professional Learning Specialist will be responsible for providing targeted professional development, ongoing in-classroom support, data analysis, daily project management, and communication with district and site leaders. Dynamic, engaging leaders who are interested in making a lasting and direct impact with the way schools teach ELA/Reading to students from grades K–8 are encouraged to apply.  

Why join this team: 

• Work with multiple stakeholders across large audiences. 

• Attend educational conferences related to your role. 

• Experience new environments and challenges on a day-to-day basis. 

• Collaborate in a supportive environment filled with feedback loops, a strong virtual community, and shared best practices. 

• Help districts choose and implement a product with lasting impact on learning. 

The impact you'll have:  

• Become an expert on the company’s online Diagnostic and Instruction program, as well as core and supplemental products, with an emphasis on ELA or Reading 

• Support districts in selecting and implementing a product with lasting impact on learning  

• Work with multiple stakeholders across large audiences  

• Support district-wide adoptions of Curriculum Associates’ products 

• Help to ensure equity in the classroom by delivering professional learning to teachers, coaches and leaders on how to effectively implement Ready and i-Ready to impact classroom learning  

• Meet teachers where they are and provide tailored on-site support to teachers, coaches and leaders. This may range from providing lesson planning and pacing support, to helping educators analyze data and apply it to instruction, to working with leaders to identify evidence of implementation successes and challenges  

• Collaborate with district leader and site leaders to develop and revise annual professional learning plans and schedules  

• Serve as a thought leader for Curriculum Associates, exemplifying the company’s mission-driven approach and commitment to creating better classrooms for students and teachers  

• Stay current and attend company- provided educational conferences related to your role, when scheduling permits, and participate in team-provided development  

• Experience new environments and challenges on a day-to-day basis  

• Collaborate in a supportive environment filled with feedback loops, a strong virtual community, and shared best practices  

Who we're looking for:  

• Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of experience in teaching ELA or Reading, coaching teachers of ELA or Reading, or providing ELA or Reading professional development learning. A Master's degree in ELA or Reading is preferred 

• Fluency using digital tools including online assessments, and a high level of comfort discussing and applying data with teachers and leaders  

• An understanding of principles of adult learning and how to apply them to professional learning 

• Ability to manage, monitor, evaluate, and ensure integrity of program implementations  

• Ability to provide high-quality classroom coaching to ensure teachers have the skills necessary to deliver CA solutions effectively  

• Willingness to travel within designated territory as well as to company meetings several times throughout the year (once safe to do so)   

• Candidates with a strong working knowledge of the State Standards for ELA or Reading for Grades K–8 (or comparable state standards), including both the content standards and the practice standards  
• Bilingual and biliterate (English/Spanish) preferred.

Benefits: Benefit eligible employees (and their families) are covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees can enroll in our company’s 401k plan and receive an employer match. Employees have access to a flexible vacation and sick policy in addition to twelve paid holidays and a winter office closure between Christmas and New Year's, as well as a number of additional perks and benefits. Ability to keep all travel points for flights and hotels booked for work-related travel. Mileage reimbursement may be available for applicable travel. 

Salary Range for this role: $60,750 - $99,750 

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that Curriculum Associates considers in making compensation decisions based on our Compensation Philosophy. Actual base pay within that range will vary based upon several factors including, but not limited to, prior experience and relevant skill sets. At Curriculum Associates, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances for each case. 

Benefits: Benefit eligible employees (and their families) are covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees can enroll in our company’s 401k plan and receive an employer match. Employees have access to a flexible vacation and sick policy in addition to twelve paid holidays and a winter office closure between Christmas and New Year's, as well as a number of additional perks and benefits. Ability to keep all travel points for flights and hotels booked for work-related travel. Mileage reimbursement may be available for applicable travel. 

Travel: Travel up to 80% is required and considered an essential function of the job for all educator-facing positions. Travel may include overnight stays at hotels and transportation via car, plane, and/or public transportation. Out-of-state travel may be required based on business demand 

Location:  This position is based in Chicago, Illinois.  Candidates must either currently live in, be near, or be willing to relocate to Chicago, Illinois. Additionally, a valid driver's license is required for this role.