Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning, the Director of Teacher Preparation Programs provides strategic, administrative, and academic leadership for the institution's educator preparation programs. This position partners with faculty and the department Chair to ensure program quality, compliance with state and national accreditation and certification requirements, continuous improvement, and the recruitment and support of teacher candidates. The strategic role of this position is to innovate and design relevant, current, and sustainable credential programs in collaboration with Associate Deans. The Director serves as a key liaison among the School of Education, K-12 partner schools, state education agencies, and accrediting bodies, fostering collaborative relationships that advance the program's mission to prepare highly effective, equity-centered and culturally responsive educators.

Position Specific Responsibilities/Accountabilities

Program Leadership & Administration

Provide strategic vision and day-to-day administration for all teacher preparation programs and pathways, including alternative certification pathways, in consultation with department faculty and program leads, if applicable.

• In consultation with department faculty, oversee curriculum development, program design, and course sequencing to ensure coherence, relevancy, compliance with state standards and accreditation requirements, integration of state-mandated assessments, and alignment with current pedagogical research and trends in the field.
• Supervise adjunct faculty and staff within the teacher preparation programs, including hiring, mentoring, and facilitating professional development.
• Coordinate and facilitate professional development of mentor teachers and clinical supervisors as needed.
• Develop and manage allocated operations budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility, compliance with institutional priorities and university policies
• In collaboration with Director of Assessment and Accreditation, develop and implement continuous improvement and assessment plans aligned with institutional goals, state standards, and national best practices.

Partnership Innovation and Development

Initiate, cultivate, and maintain partnerships with schools, districts, and organizations to support program growth, pursue external funding opportunities, and collaborate on initiatives in alignment with the strategic priorities of SOE.

• With institutional support and guidance, identify and pursue grant opportunities
• Host or represent SOE at internal and external events
• Collaborate with academic units across the university to develop and support single-subject credentials or other content-specific alternative certificates.
• Collaborate with external organizations, school districts, and other organizations to design and implement responsive continuing learning opportunities for P-12 educators.
• Maintain current knowledge of the latest trends and best practices in teacher preparation

Accreditation & Compliance

In collaboration with the Director of Accreditation and Assessment, co-lead accreditation and program reporting and approval processes with credentialing and accreditation agencies

• Ensure compliance with state certification requirements, Title II reporting mandates, and other applicable regulations
• Co-design and implement systems to collect, analyze, and report program data to support evidence-based decision-making and accreditation documentation.
• Monitor changes in state policy and accreditation expectations and lead programmatic adjustments

Clinical Practice & Partnerships

• Oversee the clinical practice and experience of candidates across a variety of pathways, including placement of candidates, development and implementation of supervision protocols, and professional development for mentor teachers and clinical supervisors, ensuring program alignment with clinical experiences mandated by the state of California.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with school districts, charter schools, and community organizations to expand clinical placement opportunities and strengthen the clinical experience of candidates
• Contribute to the development and management of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and placement contracts with partner schools, districts, or other organizations.

Student Recruitment, Advising & Support

• Collaborate to design and participate in recruitment initiatives to attract diverse, high-quality teacher candidates
• Collaborate with the Academic Advising unit to provide comprehensive support to candidates throughout their program of study.
• In collaboration with department faculty, design and implement retention strategies, including academic support for state-required performance assessments and certification exams (e.g. edTPA and CSETl),

Requisite Qualifications

• Typically an earned doctorate (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, or a closely related field. Incumbent will be expected to continue upgrading knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of regulation/policy changes.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in educator preparation, including at least two (2) years in a leadership or administrative capacity.
• At least three (3) years of graduate teaching experience, including online and hybrid modalities.
• Current state of California teaching credential. At least three (3) years of teaching experience in California public schools, in multilingual and diverse settings, and in underserved schools.
• Experience with data collection, analysis, and reporting in support of program accreditation, improvement, and accountability.
• Demonstrate knowledge of teacher education research, including culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy, and the capacity to apply findings to program design and systems-level improvement
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of California CTC program standards, Teaching Performance Expectations, and state educator preparation program approval processes.
• Strong record of building collaborative partnerships with California P-12 schools and community stakeholders, especially schools and organizations serving multi-lingual students and students on the margins of success
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a CTC accreditation self-study or state program review.
• Knowledge of multiple educator preparation pathways (e.g. intern, residencies, etc.)
• Record of successful grant writing and external funding acquisition, including from state agencies.
• Experience supporting and coordinating support for edTPA or other performance-based assessment systems for teacher candidates.
• Published research or scholarship in the field of educator preparation or teacher education

#HERC# #HEJ#

Staff Term (Fixed Term)

Salary range
$115,100.00 - $155,400.00 Salary commensurate with education and experience.

Please note that this position may not be eligible for visa sponsorship now or in the future.