Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
In 2009, Career Ladder roles were introduced as part of the Empowering Effective Teachers plan, co-written by Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. The Math Academic Coach position is a Career Ladder promotional opportunity which offers increased leadership responsibilities for teachers with a track record of success for students. The Math Academic Coach position enables teachers to use their leadership skills to increase learning for Pittsburgh students and their colleagues, and to earn additional compensation for assuming these roles.
The Math Academic Coach is directly supervised by the Executive Director of STEM and is responsible for promoting access and equity for all students by providing job-embedded coaching and professional learning. The Math Academic Coach uses the support coaching cycle and are grade band content experts that can provide intentional, and targeted support to PPS teachers in multiple buildings/schools across the district. The Math Academic Coach is a centrally assigned role that carries a caseload of schools, and specific grade bands, to support with varying coaching cycle lengths based on support needs. The Math Academic Coach works with the grade band specific Math Curriculum Coordinator on coaching support deployment and maintaining focused and intentional coaching cycles.
WORK MONTHS
10 months
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
1. Provide job-embedded coaching and professional learning to build teacher capacity in mathematics content, evidence-based instructional strategies, and equitable teaching practices which include but is not limited to modeling, co-teaching, side-by-side coaching, and support cycles.
2. Develop detailed support cycles of data-based coaching with specific measurable goals, coaching strategies, and progress monitoring.
3. Facilitate collaborative planning and/or professional learning communities to support teachers in studying the curriculum and planning culturally responsive lessons that meet all students' needs.
4. Support teachers in the effective use of a variety of formative assessment data and student work to inform instruction and plan responsive lessons.
5. Facilitate District-wide professional development and learning sessions based on math initiatives and assessed teacher needs.
6. Assist school leadership in developing and implementing a school-wide professional development plan.
7. Collaborate with school and district leaders to gather input and insights on instructional priorities, educator needs, and implementation challenges in order to inform the design and delivery of professional development
8. Serve as a content specialist to assist school leadership in the development and implementation of improvement plans that align with district goals.
9. Support curriculum and assessment writing and review.
10. Lead progress monitoring and continuous improvement processes by ensuring timelines for data collection and analysis are met and that resulting data is leveraged to inform instructional practice and to monitor and adjust student achievement and teacher practice while supporting the district math team in conducting Math Walks to assess progress toward curriculum implementation goals.
11. Maintain and improve professional competence by staying knowledgeable about current research in math instruction, general teaching practices, and adult learning, and participating fully in district professional growth opportunities.
12. Support the organization and distribution of district curriculum and instructional materials.
13. Establish professional relationships with colleagues, students, families, and the community that reflect recognition of and respect for every individual.
14. Support school-based math events and initiatives.
15. Maintain accurate records of coaching activity and impact, ensuring on-time submission of all required documentation and reports.
16. Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor in support of the department's or school’s goals and objectives and the District's mission and Superintendent's Priority Goals.
EDUCATION REQUIRED
Bachelor’s Degree
CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE REQUIRED
· Pennsylvania Department of Education Instructional Certification, Level II in relevant content area and grade level.
For more information on Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Education Certification Requirements visit the a href="https://www.education.pa.gov/Educators/Certification/PAEducators/Pages/PACerts.aspx">PA Department of Education’s Certification Types and Codes webpage .
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
3 years of experience teaching mathematics
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES
· Earned an overall rating of Proficient or Distinguished in the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 end-of-year evaluations (Individuals without rating information from any of these years are not excluded from eligibility).
· Experience creating and implementing strong problem-based math lessons that lead to demonstrated student learning and growth.
· Demonstrated evidence of instructional effectiveness resulting in student achievement and growth.
· Experience analyzing formative and summative math assessment data, identifying data trends to inform training and support, and using data to develop instructional strategies to meet student needs.
· Experience analyzing, developing, implementing, and evaluating action plans.
· Evidence of being able to design and deliver effective professional development sessions to teachers and staff.
· Demonstrated leadership capabilities and knowledge of adult learning theory to influence adult practice.
· Evidence of working constructively with teachers, principal(s), and other school staff
· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain effective peer-to-peer relationships.
· Demonstrated professionalism and excellent oral and written communication skills.
· Enthusiastic about the fundamental goal of advancing student achievement in an urban public school district.
· Value, demonstrate, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The working conditions and physical requirements described here are representative of, but not limited to, those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made.
· Employees of Pittsburgh Public Schools engage in the extremely important and fulfilling job of educating students in the City of Pittsburgh. Employees must believe in, value and be committed to the educability of all; must promote the school and District vision of high standards of learning and academic rigor, continuous school improvement, and the inclusion of all members of the school community; must be willing to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining the energy necessary to meet the responsibilities and expectations of the position; may be required to work in close collaboration with staff at multiple sites and multiple disciplines; show considerable concentration and creativity; and promote and appreciate diversity in the organization.
ADA
The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Other Information
This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities may change. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modifications permitted by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
ADDITIONAL JOB INFORMATION Term
Math Academic Coach positions have a two (2) year term.
Seniority
Math Academic Coaches are centrally based roles serving a caseload of schools. As a result, teachers serving in a centrally based Math Academic Coach role will not accrue building seniority but will accrue special category seniority. Upon term completion, a teacher serving in this role will be entitled to return to the school in which he or she most recently served, if there is a vacancy. If there is no vacancy at the time of term completion, he or she will have the rights of a displaced teacher, but will possess the right to return to the school in which he or she most recently served at the first available future vacancy.
Existing provisions regarding building seniority in cases of a voluntary transfer will apply if a teacher transfers schools to assume a Career Ladder role. As with all teachers who voluntarily transfer to another school, teachers who transfer schools to assume Career Ladder roles would take with them half of their system seniority as their new building seniority. However, in order to incentivize movement into the District's highest-needs schools, teachers who transfer in to a school designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as Focus, Priority, or among the bottom 15 percent in the state to assume a Career Ladder role would receive credit for all of their building seniority or half of their system seniority, whichever is greater. As with all teachers, however, a Career Ladder teacher‘s building seniority may not be greater than the age of the school. A teacher moving into a Career Ladder role in his/her current building maintains his/her building seniority.
1. Math Academic Coaches are centrally based roles serving a caseload of schools. As a result, teachers serving in a centrally-based Math Academic Coach role will not accrue building seniority, but will accrue special category seniority. Upon term completion, a teacher serving in this role will be entitled to return to the school in which he or she most recently served, if there is a vacancy. If there is no vacancy at the time of term completion, he or she will have the rights of a displaced teacher, but will possess the right to return to the school in which he or she most recently served at the first available future vacancy.
2. Centrally-assigned Math Academic Coaches will accrue special category seniority District-wide. In cases of reduction in force within the program, special category seniority will be applied at the end of each term. Therefore, any individual who does not continue as a Math Academic Coach due to a reduction in force will have the rights to any vacant Math Academic Coach position during the subsequent school year. A Math Academic Coach whose position is not continued due to a reduction in force will continue to accrue special category seniority while not serving in the role but will not earn the Career Ladder differential until they are serving in a Math Academic Coach role. As with other Career Ladder teachers who are impacted by a reduction within a Career Ladder program, their ability to remain in the current school assignment will be based on the building seniority rules established in Articles 33, 142 and 143.
Training
Teachers in Career Ladder roles have a longer work year, which includes up to 10 additional workdays. These days include a combination of planning time and leadership opportunities, as well as training and support. When starting a new role, Career Ladder teachers will participate in orientation and training before the start of school. Career Ladder teachers will also participate in professional development throughout the school year and will document best practices, lessons learned, areas for further growth, and goals for the following school year.
Evaluation
Career Ladder teachers must maintain overall performance at the Proficient or Distinguished level to continue in a Career Ladder role. In addition to the performance threshold established for the past three school years, offers will be contingent on the same criteria based on 2024-25 evaluations. In addition to receiving end-of-year ratings, Career Ladder teachers will be evaluated using the 5th Domain of RISE, which was collaboratively developed by Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. Career Ladder Teachers must receive the following minimum ratings in Domain 5 in order to continue as a Career Ladder Teacher: at least two components Proficient or Distinguished, no more than one Unsatisfactory component in their first year in the role, and no Unsatisfactory components ratings in the second year and beyond.
CITY OF PITTSBURGH RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
This position does not have a residency requirement.
Type : INTERNAL & EXTERNAL
Location : CI-CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Grade : TR POST10 G1 BW
Group : PFT TEACHE
Posting Start : 02/03/2026
Posting End : 12/31/9999
MINIMUM PER PAY RATE: $2,246.91-$2,246.91
