ELA Curriculum Writer
CommonLit
Marketing & Communications
Washington, DC, USA · Remote
Posted on Tuesday, November 7, 2023
CommonLit is a nonprofit EdTech organization dedicated to providing high-quality literacy instruction that prepares all students — and especially low-income students and students of color — for success in college and careers. Founded in 2014 as a free instructional tool, CommonLit has grown into a reading and writing program offering a free digital library with over 2,500 high-quality reading passages, a free English Language Arts curriculum for grades 6-12, and a suite of wrap-around services designed to enhance educators’ instructional capabilities. Today, CommonLit’s platform serves 30 million teachers and students in over 100,000 schools across the United States and Latin America.
THE OPPORTUNITY: The ELA Curriculum Writer is a pivotal part of a team working at the intersection of curriculum and technology. Responsibilities include: working in teams to write new content, revising and editing existing units and lessons, and supporting content-related projects and cross-team initiatives. The candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding of a teacher’s workflow and current best practices in reading and writing instruction.
The ideal candidate for this role has completed 5+ years of experience in education (including experience teaching reading, writing, and/or ELA) and a track record of measurable success working with a diverse population of students. Ideal candidates also have collaborative experience, such as working in school- or district-wide initiatives, projects, and/or curriculum development, and experience with both in-person and remote instruction.
The ideal candidate also has a wide working knowledge of educational technology currently in use in American classrooms. The candidate should be extremely flexible, excited to learn new skills quickly and pitch in on varied efforts, and highly motivated to collaborate with other mission-driven professionals in a fast-paced work environment.
The ideal start date for this role is February 1, 2024. CommonLit is a remote team with headquarters in DC for optional use. The job is open to remote candidates and asynchronous work is possible; please note that most synchronous work activities adhere to an East Coast schedule.
Responsibilities
Produce high-quality curriculum
* Plan and write high-quality curriculum for grades 6-12, adhering to the style and rigor expected for CommonLit 360
* Curate and choose rigorous, high-quality texts and resources for the curriculum
* Peer review all unit components through the lens of standards, alignment, and overall unit flow
Manage self and projects
* Manage own workflow and multiple priorities/projects with attention to detail and a solutions-oriented mindset
* Iterate by generating multiple drafts and navigating multiple sources of feedback
* Seek and implement feedback to continuously improve the quality of curriculum
* Cultivate personal growth through reflection, research, and personal learning
Work collaboratively and synergistically across team and organization
* Work collaboratively to meet development deadlines
* Communicate in a way that supports the workflow of others
* Collaborate within and across teams to support organizational mission and vision
Qualifications
- 5+ completed years of teaching and/or curriculum writing experience in English language arts
- Bachelor's degree in English, history, or other humanities field
- Lived experience or work experience in communities of color
- Strong reading, writing, editing, and analytical skills and close attention to detail
- In-depth knowledge of college- and career-readiness standards in English language arts
- Demonstrated understanding of best practices in English language arts instruction
- Deep understanding of the challenges facing teachers and students
- Demonstrates humility and growth mindset, including valuing critical feedback
- Experience with challenges of rolling out curriculum and technology across a school or district
- Ability to work successfully on collaborative, cross-functional teams
- Familiarity with the current landscape of research and trends in English language arts instruction
- Familiarity with contemporary, diverse literature
Preferred:
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Salary is $75,000 - $85,000 commensurate with experience.
CommonLit is committed to fostering a positive company culture, promoting work-life balance, and supporting employees through life’s changes. We provide the following benefits:
* Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
* Free telehealth services for all full time employees, from day 1 of employment
* 401(k) retirement plan, with a 4% safe harbor employer match
* Pre-tax commuter benefits for employees based in the D.C. metropolitan area
* Remote home office set-up stipend
* Generous time off including 15 holidays a year, paid time off, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, volunteering and school visitation leave, jury duty leave, and bereavement and compassionate leave. Additionally, we offer 3 hours per month for small necessities leave and flexible work options.
We are a remote-first company, and have employees in 28 states and Washington, D.C. In keeping with our efforts to create a collaborative and constructive workplace, even in a remote environment, we offer many staff engagement opportunities throughout the year. These include monthly remote activities (ie. dumpling making, yoga), a yearly all-staff retreat, and more!
How to Apply: Please complete the application questions. Be sure to include your resume and answer all the questions on the following page.
Apply by Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 by 5PM ET
As an equal opportunity employer, CommonLit values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics. If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at careers@commonlit.org.