Thursday, September 2, 2010

Program Officer at Knowles Foundation

The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF), a rapidly growing multimillion dollar foundation located in Moorestown, New Jersey (just outside Philadelphia), is currently seeking a Physical Sciences Teacher Developer to work as part of a team developing, implementing and refining the KSTF Physical Sciences Teaching Fellowship Program.
KSTF Teacher Developers are committed to the belief that teaching is a critically important, complex, intellectually challenging profession that demands the best efforts of our nation’s finest. Teacher Developers have experience teaching at the high school level as well as knowledge and experience in teacher mentoring and development and substantial knowledge of their subject matter. A team of nine Teacher Developers in physical sciences, mathematics, and biology work together to design, implement, refine and study the KSTF Teaching Fellowship Program, which offers support and professional development for 150 of the nation’s best new high school science and math teachers for five years. Teacher Developers work at the center of a broader national learning community that includes Teaching Fellows and KSTF Staff as well as expert teachers and teacher educators, researchers and evaluators.
The primary responsibility of the Physical Sciences Teacher Developer will be the mentoring and development of up to two groups of about 15 KSTF Physical Sciences Teaching Fellows each. The position requires in-person and on-line mentoring of fellows and working collaboratively with experts in various aspects of science education to implement and evaluate a comprehensive and cohesive professional development experience for beginning teachers. Teacher Developers are expected to contribute to KSTF efforts to synthesize and use existing research, as well as contribute to the research literature on effective teaching and learning of math and science at the high school level. The Physical Sciences Teacher Developer will be a crucial contributor to the success of the KSTF Teaching Fellowship and must be committed to continually developing his or her own professional knowledge and skills.
Requirements
The ideal candidate for this position has a combination of the following strengths and abilities:
· High school teaching experience in one or more of the physical sciences (REQUIRED)
· Experience mentoring beginning high school teachers, educating pre-service teachers and/or developing and providing professional development to high school science teachers (REQUIRED)
· Experience teaching innovative and inquiry-based approaches to science and coaching or mentoring other teachers in those methods
· Working knowledge of and capacity to produce educational research relevant to the development and support of new teachers
· Deep and extensive content knowledge in one of the physical sciences
· A passion for science education and a desire to work on its improvement
· Experience and expertise in designing, facilitating, implementing, evaluating and refining innovative programs, courses or professional development workshops
· An advanced degree in a physical science, education or a related field (or anticipating such), doctorate preferred

Position is full-time, on-site in NJ and reports to the Associate Director for Teaching Fellowships. Some travel is required. Salary based on education and experience. Search will remain open until position is filled. Interested applicants should review the KSTF website (www.kstf.org) and send a letter of interest and a resume or vita to: Laraine Venuto, HR Manager, careers@kstf.org or 856-608-0008 (fax).