Lake County Teacher Development Coach (TDC)

Organization Overview 

The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) is a non-profit organization that recruits, trains, and supports new teachers in underserved communities to ensure every student has a great teacher and a transformative education. Founded in Chicago, IL, AUSL became the first urban teacher residency in 2001. Building on 25 years of transformative impact, AUSL is entering into a period of rapid expansion as we work to address the nation’s critical teacher shortage. As part of AUSL’s Vision 2030 plan, we’re committed to training 500 new teachers a year by 2030. 

Role Overview

At AUSL, we believe instructional coaching is the primary lever for ensuring every student has access to a high-quality educator. The Teacher Development Coach (TDC) is an instructional expert dedicated to ensuring Teacher Residents are "Day 1 Ready" upon completion of their year-long residency.

Spending 80% of their time in the field, TDCs provide intensive, data-driven support through weekly or bi-weekly observations and collaborative meetings with both Residents and Mentors. This role focuses exclusively on the foundational clinical "teacher moves" and high-leverage practices that drive student achievement and long-term teacher retention in high-needs urban environments.

Essential Job Functions

• High-Impact Resident & Mentor Coaching (80%): Accelerate teacher development for a caseload of 20–30+ residents through high-frequency observation, real-time side-by-side coaching, and evidence-based feedback using the Teacher Development Guide and Residency Competencies. This includes evaluating mentor effectiveness, monitoring program benchmarks (attendance and performance tasks), and designing targeted improvement plans to ensure all participants meet rigorous program standards.
• Instructional Strategy & Professional Development (10%): Facilitate high-leverage Professional Development sessions throughout the summer and academic year, utilizing program data and observation trends to address instructional gaps. Provide expert guidance on diverse curricula to ensure residents can plan and execute lessons with high levels of rigor and student engagement.
• School Leadership & Strategic Alignment (10%): Partner with school administration to align resident growth with school-wide needs through quarterly classroom walks and calibration sessions. Collaborate with leadership to identify and develop a sustainable pipeline of high-quality future mentors.

Core Professional Qualifications

• Instructional Leadership & Urban Education: 4+ years of proven ECE-12 teaching success in high-needs urban schools, supported by a Master’s degree (preferred) and a valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL). Early Childhood Education experience is a plus. Must demonstrate a core belief that student outcomes are driven by high-quality teacher development and culturally responsive instruction.
• Data-Driven Coaching & Evaluation: 2+ years of formal coaching or adult leadership experience (e.g., Department Head, Mentor) with the ability to manage high-volume caseloads. Proficiency in using student data to drive intervention planning, coupled with specialized knowledge in the Danielson Framework, Elena Aguilar’s coaching model, and High-Leverage Practices for diverse learners.
• Strategic Communication & Relationship Management: Expert facilitation and interpersonal skills necessary to navigate complex coaching relationships. Ability to build trust through high emotional intelligence and align school teams around a common instructional focus and district-wide initiatives (e.g., High Quality Instructional Materials/Curricula; Examples include: Skyline, CKLA, Eureka Math, etc.).
• Operational Excellence & Growth Mindset: Highly organized project manager proficient in G-Suite (Classroom, Meets, Slides) with a proven ability to prioritize responsibilities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. Demonstrates a commitment to continuous professional growth through feedback and collaborative learning.

General Responsibilities

• 80% Local Travel Time: Travel to multiple Partner School Sites to observe the caseload of resident teachers in and around Lake County, IL. District partners include Zion 6, Waukegan, North Chicago, and Round Lake.
• Proactive Leadership & Team Collaboration: Proven willingness to assume leadership roles while maintaining a positive, collaborative presence within a team to drive collective success.
• Professional Growth & Operational Excellence: Highly organized and efficient communicator dedicated to continuous professional reflection, learning, and the consistent mastery of deadlines.
• Collaborative Systems Management: Cultivates collegial partnerships with instructional coaches and district specialists while maintaining a flexible, highly organized schedule designed to maximize teacher availability and professional learning impact.

Benefits

• Annual Salary Range  $74,000 - $80,000 
• Paid Time Off (15 days annually)
• Paid Sick Time (10 days annually) 
• Paid Holidays
• Medical Insurance - Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance 
• Short-Term Disability 
• Long-Term Disability
• 403(b) Retirement Savings - Annual Matching
• Health Savings Account
• Flex Spending Account - Medical
• Flex Spending Account - Dependent Care 
• Employee Assistance Program
• Parental Leave
• Accidental Insurance
• Perks at Work Discounts
• Annual Professional Growth Plans