Job Description

Level: Experienced
Job Location: University School of Nashville - Nashville, TN 37212
Position Type: Full TimeEducation
Level: 4 Year Degree
Travel Percentage: None
Job Category: EducationClassification: Full-time, i2i, Exempt.  Starts August, 2026.
Reports to: Head of Middle School, Assistant Head of MS for Academics
Purpose: To increase student achievement by enhancing our academic enrichment programming, establishing an academic intervention program, and building teacher capacity through regular coaching and collaboration.
: The Middle School Instructional Specialist at University School of Nashville is a full-time, exempt position that supports student achievement by strengthening academic enrichment, designing and implementing targeted intervention programs, and building teacher capacity through instructional coaching and collaboration. Reporting to the Head of Middle School and the Assistant Head of Middle School for Academics, this role partners closely with faculty and instructional leaders to promote evidence-informed teaching practices, inclusive and culturally responsive instruction, and alignment with Middle School Signature Practices. The Instructional Specialist serves as a key instructional leader, collaborator, and resource, working across disciplines to enhance curriculum, support teacher growth, and ensure high-quality learning experiences for all students.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Expand, refine, and strengthen our existing academic enrichment programming across content areas.
- Design and implement a mission-aligned academic intervention program.
- Design and implement a mission-aligned instructional coaching program.
Secondary Responsibilities:
- Serve as a faculty resource for evidence-informed teaching practices by maintaining and sharing up-to-date knowledge of research-based instructional strategies that improve student learning.
- Collaborate with teachers through co-planning, consultation, and/or co-teaching to foster instructional curiosity, curricular innovation, cross-curricular alignment/needs, and effective differentiation to meet the needs of individual students.
- In collaboration with the K-12 Director of Experiential Learning, cultivate partnerships with community organizations and co-design/co-teach experiential learning units with teachers; model experiential learning practices when appropriate.
- In collaboration with our K-12 Director of Diversity and Community Life, work with teachers and the Middle School Instructional Leadership Team to ensure inclusive, diverse, and culturally responsive practices are embedded throughout academic programming.
- Support teacher observation, feedback, and goal-setting as part of the Middle School Instructional Leadership observation team.
- Partner with the Middle School Assistant Head of Academics to align instruction, curriculum, and planning with our Middle School Signature Practices.
- Support our substitute teachers to facilitate quality instruction.
- Perform other duties as determined by the Head of Middle School and Assistant Head of Middle School for Academics.

Qualifications

Qualifications and

Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in education or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
- Middle school teaching experience.
- Experience in mentoring or coaching teachers is desirable.
- Experience in intervention work (mathematics, ELA, or both) is desirable.
- A broad and established professional network.
- Experience within a diverse school community.
Skills and Abilities:
- Communicates clearly and effectively with students, colleagues, and other members of the school community, both verbally and in writing.
- Works collaboratively and effectively with students, colleagues, and other members of the school community.
- Maintains a positive and professional demeanor.
- Displays a large appetite for learning and the ability to adapt to change.
- Demonstrates professionalism, a strong work ethic, and integrity at all times.
The School
University School of Nashville is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational day school with enrollment of over 1,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 1915, the George Peabody College for Teachers opened Peabody Demonstration School, USN’s predecessor, which earned acclaim for its curriculum and faculty. In 1974, Peabody College announced plans to close PDS, and a group of parents, alumni, students, and teachers reconstituted and re-chartered the school as University School of Nashville.
USN’s midtown location adjacent to Vanderbilt University and its Peabody College for Teachers reminds us each day of our beginnings over 110 years ago in the demonstration school culture of innovation and educational best practices. It’s a vibrant educational community for both students and teachers in the midst of a dynamic city.
In the USN community, students expect much of each other, and faculty benefit from that high standard. We seek educators who are enthusiastic about their own learning to complement their work and we offer many opportunities for professional growth. USN is committed to creating an institutional environment that mirrors the cultural and ethnic composition of greater Nashville. USN encourages a diverse applicant pool and provides equal employment opportunities for employees and job applicants.
To Apply:
Please provide:
- a cover letter
- your resume
- a written Philosophy of Education statement