Job Description

ABOUT OUR DISTRICT:

The Syracuse City School District is undergoing a new phase of innovation and transformation with the goal of ensuring that all students graduate high school with the skills needed to be ready for college and career. For Syracuse, all means all. The School Board and Syracuse community have charged the Superintendent with improving student achievement, and she is seeking a dedicated and diverse team of educators to partner with her in moving the district toward its goals.

The Syracuse City School District represents 35 schools and programs, including 6 high schools, 6 middle schools, 6 K-8 schools, 13 elementary schools, and 4 alternative education programs, serving approximately 19,000 students Pre-K–12. Of these students, 82.3% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 20.1% are served by the Office of Special Education, and 83% are students of color.

The Syracuse City School District is seeking a forward-thinking and experienced instructional leader to serve as the Director of Mathematics, PreK–12. This critical leadership role is for a passionate educator committed to equity, instructional excellence, and fostering a love for mathematics and learning across all grade levels. The Director will lead innovation to ensure student learning and growth for all students by engaging with teams, teachers, and leaders to ensure effective mathematics instruction. They will develop and implement strategic plans to enhance the mathematics curriculum, provide professional development for educators, and utilize data-informed approaches to monitor and improve student performance. Additionally, the Director will foster a collaborative environment, encouraging the sharing of best practices and continuous improvement in teaching methodologies, while leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a rigorous, culturally responsive, and standards-aligned mathematics curriculum. This role is pivotal in driving academic excellence and ensuring student learning for all students within the district.

WHO WE WANT:

Successful SCSD employees are passionately committed to urban education and all in for Syracuse students. They:

• Believe strongly that all students can learn at high levels.

• Demonstrate commitment to serving urban students, schools, or communities, and to improving achievement for all.

• Demonstrate willingness to put the interests of students above all others.

• Actively contribute to a culture of high expectations in schools and the district.

• Adapt seamlessly to the complexities of the urban school and district environment.

• Follow current trends in education policy, research, and best practice.

REPORTS TO: Chief Academic Officer and Deputy Chief of Curriculum and Instruction.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Focus on Learning

• Facilitate adult learning related to:

  • Best practices in mathematics instruction.

  • Implementation of curriculum.

  • Mathematical practices.

• Lead the design, coherence, and implementation of PreK–12 mathematics curriculum aligned to New York State requirements, recommendations, and the Next Generation Learning Standards.

• Support learning of adults in collaboration with the professional development office.
  

Focus on Collaboration

• Collaborate with leadership and teams to ensure implementation of a Guaranteed and Viable curriculum.

• Communicate effectively with various leaders and all departments.

• Facilitate committees.

• Guide the selection of relevant resources and materials to support mathematics learning.
  

Focus on Results

• Regularly analyzes data to measure student achievement related to mathematics.

• Use data to inform programmatic decisions and resource allocation.

• Regularly celebrates growth.

• Facilitate learning on the use of data to provide intervention and extension.

• Use student achievement and teacher performance data to inform instructional strategy and provide targeted support.

• Support schools and district level teams as Professional Learning Communities in using data to inform instructional decisions and improve student outcomes.

• Present information to various constituent groups including the Board of Education as directed by the Chief Academic Officer.
  

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

Curriculum

• Provide leadership and coordination for the development of mathematics curriculum PreK-12.
• Facilitate the ongoing monitoring, revision, and supports for mathematics curriculum PreK-12.
• Coordinate the work of District Mathematics Coaches related to curriculum selection, development, implementation, and revision.
• Provide knowledge and expertise in mathematics curriculum development, instruction, and assessment.
• Coordinate distribution of necessary curriculum materials for schools, including digital and print resources.
• Determine building needs for professional development related to curriculum knowledge and implementation in collaboration with district and building level supports and leadership.
• Support the identification, purchase, and allocation of all district-approved mathematics curriculum resources, including resources for summer programming.
• Develop systems to ensure curriculum is aligned and supports the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE) Framework.

Instruction

• Collaboratively create, implement, monitor, evaluate, and report on the District professional development plan for mathematics.
• Ensure meaningful professional development is provided to leaders, coaches, teachers, and other constituents.
• Develop and deliver monthly instructional leadership sessions to building leaders at Leadership Academies.
• Develop systems to support instruction aligned with the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE) Framework.
• Coordinate the work of District Mathematics Coaches related to high-leverage instructional practices and teacher coaching of those practices.
• Initiate and monitor coaching cycles facilitated by District Mathematics Coaches.

Evaluation

• Oversee completion and submission of all required documentation related to the evaluation of curricular resources, instructional programming, and relevant consultancy contracts.
• Support the coordination and implementation of the District and New York State testing and scoring requirements.
• Respond to requests for mathematics-related research to be conducted within the Syracuse City School District.

Leadership

• Lead and achieve a vision for mathematics excellence for the SCSD.
• Own the facilitation and realization of mathematics components from the strategic plan.
• Be the lead learner for school and district transformation related to core turn-around leadership competencies.
• Lead the development of a relevant mathematics campaign.
• Chair the SCSD Mathematics Expert Team.
• Represent Teaching, Learning, and Growth department on District teams.
• Serve as liaison to the New York State Education Department for mathematics curriculum and instruction.
• Maintain a deep knowledge of current educational trends and determine which may be important to consider in the Syracuse City School District.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervision

• Collaborate with the Director of English Language Arts to complete yearly evaluations for all building instructional coaches (Disciplinary Literacy Coaches) as well as all Mathematics District Coaches.
• Assist the school principals in the supervision of tenured professional staff, as needed.
• Assist the school principals in the supervision of probationary teachers, as needed.

Budget

• Prepare, administer, and monitor the mathematics budget.
• Complete annual contract proposals and monitor implementation of the contract including regular communication and collaboration with vendors and/or consultants.
• Purchase, allocate, and coordinate distribution of all mathematics resources for schools.
• Attend monthly budget meeting check-ins.

POSITION HOURS:

• This is a 12-month administrative position.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• NYS School District Leader (SDL) or School District Administrator (SDA) Certification.

• Master's degree in mathematics education or a related field.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in leadership.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in teaching mathematics or a related role.

• Proven track record of improving student achievement in mathematics.

• Deep knowledge and experience implementing mathematics curricular resources and instructional practices aligned to the mathematical practices.

• Strong leadership and communication skills.

• Ability to integrate and successfully use technology to enhance curriculum development and instructional delivery and efficiency.

• Experience with curriculum development and implementation.

• Ability to analyze and use data to inform instructional, curricular, and professional development decisions.
  
  

SALARY/SALARY RANGE:

• Per the Unit 2 Contractual Agreement. Starting salary for the 2026-2027 school year is $155,256.