Curriculum Writer
Job Description
CommonLit is a nonprofit EdTech organization dedicated to providing high-quality literacy instruction that prepares all students — and especially low-income students and students of color — for success in college and careers.
Founded in 2014 as a free instructional tool, CommonLit has grown into a reading and writing program offering a free digital library with over 2,500 high-quality reading passages, a free English Language Arts curriculum for grades 6-12, and a suite of wrap-around services designed to enhance educators’ instructional capabilities. Today, CommonLit’s platform serves 30 million teachers and students in over 100,000 schools across the United States and Latin America.
The ELA Curriculum Writer will be a pivotal part of a team working at the intersection of curriculum and technology. Responsibilities will include: working in teams to write new content, revise and edit existing units and lessons, and support content-related projects and cross-team initiatives. The candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding of a teacher’s workflow and current best practices in reading and writing instruction.
The ideal candidate for this role has 5+ years of experience in education (preference given to experience teaching reading, writing, and/or ELA) and a track record of measurable success working with a diverse population of students.
Ideal candidates also have collaborative experience, such as working in school- or district-wide initiatives, projects, and/or curriculum development, and experience with both in-person and remote instruction. The ideal candidate also has a wide working knowledge of educational technology currently in use in American classrooms.
This is a new role on an existing team, and there will be many opportunities to be a part of and lead new projects. The candidate should be extremely flexible, excited to learn new skills quickly and pitch in on varied efforts, and highly motivated to collaborate with other mission-driven professionals in a fast-paced work environment.
The ideal start date for this role is June 16th. Educators who are currently working in schools are welcome to join the team when their school year ends, and should not feel pressure to leave mid-year. CommonLit is a remote team with headquarters in DC for optional use. The job is open to remote candidates and asynchronous work is possible; please note that most synchronous work activities adhere to an East Coast schedule.
Responsibilities
- Plan, write, and review high-quality curriculum for grades 6-12
- Use expertise and creativity to invent new approaches to curriculum design
- Provide direct feedback to colleagues to improve quality of tools with end-user in mind
- Choose rigorous and high-quality texts for curriculum
- Work collaboratively to meet curriculum development deadlines
- Manage and organize new projects
- Implement feedback to continuously improve the quality of curricular products
- Manage workflow and multiple priorities with creativity and a solutions-oriented mindset
Qualifications
- 5+ years of teaching and/or other curriculum writing experience
- Bachelor's degree in English, history, or other humanities field
- Strong writing, editing, and analytical skills
- Strong attention to detail and desire for feedback
- In-depth knowledge of college and career-readiness standards
- Familiarity with trends and best practices in literacy instruction
- Lived experience or work experience in communities of color
- Deep understanding of the challenges facing teachers and students
- Able to work collaboratively on cross-functional teams
- Able to balance consistency with innovation
- Exemplifies humility in authorship: willing to generate multiple drafts and navigate multiple sources of feedback
- Creative problem-solver with a desire to work in a fast-paced environment
- Preferred: Familiarity with challenges of rolling out curriculum and technology across a school or district
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary is $75,000 - $85,000 commensurate with experience. CommonLit also provides the following benefits:
- Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
- 401k and retirement services
- Free telehealth services
- Pre-tax commuter benefits (for employees based in the metropolitan D.C. area)
- Small Necessities Leave
- Full time employees have 15 company holidays, 15 personal leave days, 5 paid sick days, and paid parental and family leave.
How to Apply
- Please go to the CommonLit Careers page at https://jobs.lever.co/commonlit to complete the application. Be sure to include your resume and answer the application questions.
- In order to be considered for this role, please submit your application by Friday, April 21.
As an equal opportunity employer, CommonLit values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics. If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us atcareers@commonlit.org.