Curriculum Leader - Leadership Development

Detroit Public Schools Community District; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 103,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

Detroit Public Schools Community District is seeking a Curriculum Leader for Leadership Development to drive districtwide programs that elevate instructional leadership. You will design professional learning, coaching systems, and succession pathways in close partnership with the Senior Director of Leadership Development.

The role strengthens principals, builds Lead Teachers, and aligns with district priorities to improve student outcomes through coherent leadership development.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in educational leadership or related field.
• Valid Michigan school administrator certification (or ability to obtain).
• Minimum 5 years of successful experience as a school leader (e.g., principal or assistant principal).
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate adult professional learning.
• Strong knowledge of instructional leadership and data-driven instruction.
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills.
• Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• District-level leadership experience (preferred).
• Experience designing coaching systems or developing instructional leaders (preferred).
• Background in leadership pipeline or talent development (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Design and facilitate high-quality professional learning experiences for principals and assistant principals, including monthly leadership meetings and summer academies, with a clear focus on strengthening instructional observation, feedback, and coaching practices.
• Build and refine a districtwide leadership development scope and sequence that ensures coherence across the school year, integrates adult learning principles, and reflects the instructional priorities of DPSCD.
• Design and facilitate monthly Coaching Academy sessions for School Support Team (SST) members, School Directors, and Executive Directors that build shared language and consistent coaching moves across all levels of school support.
• Develop and implement tools that help SST members, School Directors, and Executive Directors observe instruction with precision, deliver actionable feedback to principals, and track growth in instructional leadership over time.
• Design and facilitate learning experiences that build Lead Teachers' capacity to lead content-specific planning, model high-quality instruction, and support teacher growth within their buildings.
• Create practical structures and tools such as collaborative planning protocols, instructional look-fors, and coaching conversation guides that Lead Teachers can use immediately to drive improvement in classroom practice.
• Design and facilitate the Aspiring Assistant Principals program, including selection criteria, learning sequences, and performance-based assessments that identify and develop candidates ready to step into school leadership roles.
• Partner with Human Resources and school leaders to build a coherent pipeline that connects aspiring leader development to real vacancies, succession planning, and placement decisions across the district.
• Establish and maintain structured partnerships with Assistant Superintendents, School Support Teams, and central office content coaches to align professional learning with instructional supervision and school improvement priorities.
• Coordinate with external partners to source, vet, and integrate high-quality leadership development opportunities that complement and strengthen the district's internal programming.
• Analyze data from instructional walkthroughs, coaching logs, leader surveys, and student outcome trends to identify gaps in leadership practice and adjust programming in response.
• Establish a regular cycle of review for all leadership development programming, using evidence of leader growth and school impact to drive refinement and ensure district priorities remain central.

Skills

Adult professional learning design

Instructional leadership

Data-driven instruction

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Written and verbal communication

District-level leadership experience

Coaching systems design

Talent development / leadership pipe

Education

Master's degree in educational leadership or related field

Job description

Job Title

Curriculum Leader - Leadership Development

Location

The Fisher Building

Salary

$103,409 - $115,574

Reports to

Senior Director of Leadership Development

Bargaining Unit

OSAS

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Telecommuting Eligibility

Not eligible for telecommuting

Position Summary

A key member of the Office of Academics, the Leadership Development Curriculum Leader drives the design and execution of a districtwide system for developing instructional leaders across Detroit Public Schools Community District. In close partnership with the Senior Director of Leadership Development, this role strengthens the instructional leadership practice of current principals and assistant principals, builds the capacity of Lead Teachers to drive improvement at the classroom level, and develops a robust pipeline of future school leaders. Through high-quality professional learning, structured coaching systems, and cross-functional collaboration with Senior Directors, Executive Directors, School Support Teams, and central office content coaches, this role ensures that leadership development across DPSCD is coherent, data-informed, and directly connected to student outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in educational leadership or related field
• Valid Michigan school administrator certification (or ability to obtain)
• Minimum 5 years of successful experience as a school leader (e.g., principal or assistant principal)
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate adult professional learning
• Strong knowledge of instructional leadership and data-driven instruction
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills
• Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills
• District-level leadership experience (preferred)
• Experience designing coaching systems or developing instructional leaders (preferred)
• Background in leadership pipeline or talent development (preferred)

Essential Functions

• Design and facilitate high-quality professional learning experiences for principals and assistant principals, including monthly leadership meetings and summer academies, with a clear focus on strengthening instructional observation, feedback, and coaching practices.
• Build and refine a districtwide leadership development scope and sequence that ensures coherence across the school year, integrates adult learning principles, and reflects the instructional priorities of DPSCD.
• Design and facilitate monthly Coaching Academy sessions for School Support Team (SST) members, School Directors, and Executive Directors that build shared language and consistent coaching moves across all levels of school support.
• Develop and implement tools that help SST members, School Directors, and Executive Directors observe instruction with precision, deliver actionable feedback to principals, and track growth in instructional leadership over time.
• Design and facilitate learning experiences that build Lead Teachers' capacity to lead content-specific planning, model high-quality instruction, and support teacher growth within their buildings.
• Create practical structures and tools such as collaborative planning protocols, instructional look-fors, and coaching conversation guides that Lead Teachers can use immediately to drive improvement in classroom practice.
• Design and facilitate the Aspiring Assistant Principals program, including selection criteria, learning sequences, and performance-based assessments that identify and develop candidates ready to step into school leadership roles.
• Partner with Human Resources and school leaders to build a coherent pipeline that connects aspiring leader development to real vacancies, succession planning, and placement decisions across the district.
• Establish and maintain structured partnerships with Assistant Superintendents, School Support Teams, and central office content coaches to align professional learning with instructional supervision and school improvement priorities.
• Coordinate with external partners to source, vet, and integrate high-quality leadership development opportunities that complement and strengthen the district's internal programming.
• Analyze data from instructional walkthroughs, coaching logs, leader surveys, and student outcome trends to identify gaps in leadership practice and adjust programming in response.
• Establish a regular cycle of review for all leadership development programming, using evidence of leader growth and school impact to drive refinement and ensure district priorities remain central.

Security Clearance

Internal Applicants

If you are a current Detroit Public Schools Community District employee, you do not have to submit a new security clearance, unless your new role requires a different type of criminal background check.

External Applicants

In alignment with Michigan law, if you are hired to fill a position, you will be required to submit to a Detroit Public Schools Community District criminal background check. Information regarding required background checks will be shared at the point of hiring.

DPSCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, Contact the Civil Rights Coordinator for more information at [phone] or detroitk12.org/compliance.