Lead Instructional Coach; SY

Title: Lead Instructional Coach
Location: West Belden 2245 N McVicker Ave, Chicago, IL 60639
Reports To: Principal
Salary: Starting at $80,000, commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: August 2026

Company Mission

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

The Lead Instructional Coach is an exemplary educator who plays a critical role in building teacher capacity and their understanding of best instructional practices resulting in positive gains in student growth and achievement. The Lead Instructional Coach may also lead Tier 2 or 3 interventions for campus areas of focus.

• Maintain a student-centered perspective in decision making
• Believe that all students and teachers can learn and can achieve great things
• Contribute to the equity work of the campus and network and engage in culturally responsive decision making
• Build and foster a culture of belonging through positive and professional teacher-coach relationships
• Honor teacher voice and autonomy
• Cultivate a strengths-based, equity focused mindset
• Celebrate teacher growth and development

• Facilitate Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions to support campus growth plan goals and increased student achievement
• Monitor progress of interventions and maintain accurate records
• Intervention assignments are based upon caseload size in alignment with DS Coaching Model

• Move the performance of individual teachers through goal-setting, observation, co-teaching, modeling, and goal-specific feedback
• Engage in student-focused coaching cycle towards an established goal that leads to improved instructional practices and increase student growth and achievement
• Provide weekly (minimum) coaching for those teachers actively participating in a coaching cycle
• Provide directive coaching as an extension of the formal observation process at the request of the Principal or Assistant Principal
• Prioritize support and coaching on classroom organization, structures, routines, and management, instructional planning, delivery of effective, and student-centered instruction
• Leverage use of video to support coaching and self-reflection
• Analyze classroom data in order to identify strengths and address and act upon areas of focus
• Implement and monitor action steps as determined in the Campus Growth Plan
• Utilize Grow to document feedback, meetings, coaching priorities, action steps, and accomplishments
• Dedicate and schedule time for instructional coaching in alignment with the DS Instructional Coaching Model and in partnership with the Assistant Principal and/or Principal
• Create a weekly coaching schedule that reflects coaching caseload and priorities and submit to the Assistant Principal
• Perform other duties as assigned

• Meet with the Assistant Principal/Principal weekly to review coaching cycles, receive feedback, and make mid-course corrections
• Participate in instructional coach collaboration opportunities and meet with Academic Team designee as requested
• Lead with equity-driven, evidence based practices
• Serve as a member of the school’s Instructional Leadership Team and perform other ILT duties
• Contributes to the development of and implementation of the campus growth plans
• Participate in all required professional development
• Contribute to the design, planning, and facilitation of New Teacher Institute, Welcome Week, Regional Collaboration Days, and campus professional development
• Facilitate Data & Design Meetings and planning meetings for assigned teams
• Maintain personal commitment to professional growth by remaining current in research and best practices, and engaging in continuous professional learning

Education: Bachelor s Degree

• Valid Professional Educator License or equivalent in state of employment Valid Professional Educator License or equivalent in state of employment
• Content Area Endorsement…