Director of Instructional Practices

The Chapin School, an independent K-12 day school for girls located in New York City, seeks a student-centered, collaborative, and innovative educator to serve as Director of Instructional Practices , a 12-month role beginning July 1, 2026.

All candidates are encouraged to be familiar with Chapin’s website and mission .

Job Overview

Reporting to the Director of Academic Program, and working in partnership with Division Heads and Department Heads, Chapin’s Director of Instructional Practices serves as a key academic leader in advancing the School’s mission and core values through exceptional teaching and learning. Working collaboratively across Chapin’s three divisions, the Director will foster a culture of professional growth rooted in reflective practice by developing structures, systems, and strategies for ensuring shared values and expectations around excellence in classroom instruction. This is a 12-month position.

Joining a team of Chapin educators that is working with the School’s K-12 faculty to define a research-based, mission-aligned Framework of Instructional Practices, the Director of Instructional Practices will lead the further articulation of standards of effective classroom practice. The Director will then design a sustainable model of coaching and faculty support, embedding Chapin’s codified standards in a professional growth and development plan.

Primary Responsibilities

Instructional Leadership

• Co-design and implement Chapin’s Framework for Instructional Practices, a shared vision for innovative, inquiry-driven, and student-centered teaching that reflects the School’s mission and values.

• Partner with the Director of Academic Program, Division Heads, Department Heads, and teachers to ensure that instructional practices support student engagement and serve curricular goals across grade levels.

• Lead faculty in adopting evidence-based practices that promote critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and confidence in students.

• Conduct regular classroom observations and informal visits, providing formative feedback to support continuous instructional improvement.

Faculty Growth and Professional Learning

• Co-create and lead a comprehensive professional learning program that deepens faculty understanding of research-based instructional design and pedagogy.

• Work alongside faculty in aligning instructional approaches with the School’s mission, core values, and Framework for Instructional Practices.

• Coach department heads and other academic leaders in observation and feedback methods that reflect Chapin’s Framework for Instructional Practices.

• Mentor faculty and emerging leaders through coaching, collaborative planning, and reflective dialogue.

• Coordinate new teacher orientation and mentoring programs to sustain a culture of professional excellence and belonging.
  

Chapin’s Director of Instructional Practices will be

An educator who promotes, often through co-teaching, the growth of all faculty by modeling 

• classroom instruction that reflects Chapin’s Framework for Instructional Practices.

• effective techniques for differentiating instruction.

• the use of student-level data to guide instructional decisions.

A partner to colleagues in teaching and learning by

• building strong, cooperative relationships, creating and nurturing a professional community of adult learners who communicate openly about teaching and learning.

• prioritizing clear, consistent communication, whether speaking or writing.

• promoting and designing professional development opportunities rooted in current research in the field.

A student-centered educator who values each faculty member’s and student’s voice, experience, and history by

• understanding and appreciating Lower, Middle, and Upper School learners and their distinct developmental needs.

• embracing a range of teaching and learning strategies that enable all students to thrive, including students with learning differences.

An educator who actively cultivates classrooms and our community of belonging by

• motivating colleagues to advance their inclusive teaching practices by modeling such practices and developing a culture where innovative inclusion efforts are the norm.

• examining teaching practices and policies to ensure they are equitably designed and applied.

How to Apply: Candidates must submit a current résumé, cover letter, and statement of educational philosophy through this link: Apply

The search committee will prioritize candidates who submit materials by December 8 and will consider applications on a rolling basis thereafter. 

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or field relevant to this role.

• Minimum of 7-10 years of exemplary classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience, preferably in independent schools.

• Demonstrated success in designing and facilitating professional learning and in coaching educators.

• Experience across multiple divisions of the K-12 learning environment.

• Deep understanding of girls’ education, student development, and effective pedagogy.

• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills with the ability to inspire, support, and hold others accountable.

• Commitment to equity, innovation, and the holistic development of girls.