Job Description

XQ Institute is the nations leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in life. We work in communities throughout the country, with individual schools and entire school systems, to help them dream big about what high school could be, turn their innovative ideas into action, and create more rigorous and equitable schools. We share whats working with other schools and districts, so they can tailor new models to the needs of their own students and communities. We know that seeing is believing, so we meet people where they are to share the importance and possibility of change through listening, learning, and storytelling. And our open-source tools, based on research and design thinking, empower people to take up the challenge of transforming their high schools with a unifying goal: unlocking the American promise of a high-quality education for everyone.

The Role XQ is developing a new generation of high-quality, powerfully engaging learning experiences and tools that exemplify XQs commitment to innovation, rigor, and educational equity. As part of that effort, we have launched a new group, XQ Labs, to help incubate R&D initiatives for XQ schools and for high school more broadly. We are seeking a curriculum writer to support the creation of the first major initiative of XQ Labs, a project-based learning curriculum we are calling XQ Math, and to contribute to the development of a wider suite of innovative curricular tools.

For many students, high school is filled with meaningless and disconnected work. "Project-based learning"where people work on real projects which matter to themhas often been put forward as a promising approach that offers students relevant learning that builds knowledge, skills, and capacities in an integrated way. But projects are hard and messy, and experience has demonstrated that many projectsespecially in technical domainsfail to strike the balance between genuine engagement and genuine rigor.

XQ aims to change that by creating a collection of tools, materials, and professional development experiences to support project-based work. We're beginning to build this library by focusing on one of the weakest spots of project-based practice: Algebra I.

We are seeking a MATH CURRICULUM WRITER AND DESIGNER to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a deep knowledge of math content and pedagogy and a strong and empathic understanding of students math learning needs and challenges. The candidate should also possess a commitment to anti-racism and culturally responsive teaching, a flair for experimentation and innovation, and a passion for making transformative math learning accessible to all students, particularly those who are disaffected from math.

The math curriculum writer and designer will be the architect of the curricular materials that will allow students to engage successfully in project workand their teachers to facilitate those projects. This individual will transform draft materials provided by our project development team, and revise and refine them into a student- and teacher-facing kit for each project frame. This individual will also author just-in-time resources illustrating critical algebraic concepts and will work closely with product management and field research team members to adjust curricular materials to incorporate user feedback and experience.

In addition to authoring content, the curriculum writer and designer will edit and coordinate the work of other writers (external contractors), collaborate with fellow members of XQs Educational Content Team (ECT) to develop standards and style guides for XQ curricular content, contribute to XQs emerging product strategy, and partner with the ECT team on other writing and editorial projects.

REQUIREMENTS

Key Responsibilities

• Develop frameworks and models for program content
• Manage publication schedules for content, staffing plans, and recruiting of outside writers, as needed
• Write and edit core program content
• Absorb feedback from the field on content and adjust and refine to accommodate those learnings
• Develop scaffolds and accommodations to meet the needs of diverse learners, including English language learners, students with special needs, and those performing below (or above) grade level
• Author content for active learning prototypes and technology-enhanced learning tools
• Set editorial standards, including copy editing and DEI
• Collaborate with colleagues on the ECT team and across XQ to develop compelling content, tools, messages, and initiatives that support high school transformation, advance educational equity, and meet the needs of students, educators, and other audiences in original ways

Qualifications and Experience

• Five or more years of curricular writing experience in mathematics OR a demonstrated track record of either hands-on curriculum development and delivery in classrooms and schools OR an advanced degree in mathematics education
• Superior writing and editorial skills; excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills
• Ability to write about complex concepts in a genuine, empathetic tone and an accessible manner, with a lively authorial voice sounding more like a friendly tutor than a conventional math teacher
• Demonstrated experience editing the work of others and managing production schedules, on time and within budget
• Classroom teaching experience preferred, particularly in secondary school or community college/developmental mathematics
• A degree in mathematics or mathematics education preferred
• Experience in teaching or writing for project-based learning environments preferred
• Experience writing for interactive educational activities preferred
• Experience writing performance assessments for mathematics, particularly in secondary school or community college/developmental math preferred
• Experience with and empathy for the diverse high school communities XQ serves
• Be open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism.
• Flexible and adaptable; ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment

BENEFITS

XQ Institute offers competitive benefits and salary for this role.

To Apply Please apply online. In your cover letter, please address why your skills, interests, and experience align with the requirements for this role. If you are selected to interview, we will request samples of your work.

XQ is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. At XQ, promoting, celebrating, and supporting diversity is a core value. Individuals are considered without regard to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression, religion, color, veteran status, disability, marital status, or ancestry.