Curriculum Specialist

Position Type:
Administration

Date Posted:
6/28/2026

Location:
District
Curriculum Specialist

This position will be for the 2026/2027 School Year and will start on July 1st.

About HOPE Community Academy

HOPE Community Academy is an accredited, public co-educational charter school comprising primary, intermediate, middle school, and high school levels. The entire school community seeks to provide a safe and trusting learning environment where each student is valued and challenged to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

Mission:

To inspire students to achieve high academic success while embracing Hmong language and culture.

Vision:

To be a public school of excellence, with high quality staff, diverse programs, and successful students.

Culture Statement reflects who we are:

HOPE is a safe space where all feel valued, empowered, and inspired. Learning at HOPE promotes cultural appreciation, character, and lifelong growth. Our scholars leave ready to lead with purpose and contribute to their community.

HOPE's Values:

High-Impact; Scholar-Focused; Sense of Belonging; Leadership; and Joyful Excellence.

Our work for the next two years is illustrated in our 2026 2028 Strategic Plan focused on four priorities - Radical Growth, Stabilizing Operational Systems, Being Data-Centered, and Building Community Impact. All employees are expected to operate with high impact to continue improving the experiences of HOPE's community.

Position Details

Position Title:

Curriculum Specialist

Salary Range:

$55,000 - $75,000

Reports To:

Chief Academic Officer

Status:

Exempt, Full-Time

40+ hours a week

Contract Type:

11-month contract

About this Role

At HOPE, we believe that great teaching begins with great curriculum. The most talented, passionate teachers in the world cannot deliver consistent, rigorous instruction without a guaranteed and viable curriculum that tells them what to teach, when to teach it, and how to know if scholars have learned it. Without that foundation, instruction becomes inconsistent, expectations vary from classroom to classroom, and the scholars who pay the price are the ones who can least afford it. For HOPE to achieve the academic growth and proficiency goals laid out in our 2026 2028 Strategic Plan, we must build a school-wide curriculum infrastructure that does not yet exist - and that is exactly what the Curriculum Specialist is here to do.

The Curriculum Specialist is a new, purpose-built role at HOPE designed to lead the development of a consistent, standards-aligned curriculum design process across the school. This is not a coaching role and it is not an administrative role - it is a curriculum architecture role. This person will build the foundational documents that teachers need to deliver rigorous, standards-based instruction with confidence and consistency: scope and sequence documents, pacing guides, unit plans, instructional priority frameworks, and standards-aligned assessment blueprints. The work will be grounded in Minnesota academic standards, aligned to MCA expectations, and developed in close partnership with the teachers and instructional leaders who will bring the curriculum to life in their classrooms.

This role is intentionally designed to complement - not duplicate - the work of HOPE's Instructional Coaches and academic leadership. While coaches focus on how teachers deliver instruction, the Curriculum Specialist focuses on what is being taught and in what sequence. The Curriculum Specialist builds the map; the coaches help teachers navigate it.

The work will be phased by content area, beginning with Secondary Math in the 2026 2027 school year. This approach is intentional - it allows the Curriculum Specialist to go deep rather than wide, establishing a sustainable, repeatable process that can be expanded to additional content areas in subsequent years. In some areas, the work will build upon what teachers have already started; in others, it will begin from the ground up. Regardless of the starting point, the outcome will be the same: a rigorous, guaranteed, and viable curriculum that strengthens teaching and learning across the school and advances HOPE's goal of building a true culture of learning.

This role is central to HOPE's Radical Growth and Data-Centered strategic priorities - because sustainable academic improvement requires that every classroom, in every grade, in every content area operates from a shared, standards-based instructional foundation. The ideal Curriculum Specialist is someone who thinks in systems, leads with standards, builds with teachers, and understands that the most important work in a school is the work that ensures every scholar receives the rigorous, high-quality instruction they deserve - every day, in every classroom.

Primary Duties

Standards-Aligned Scope & Sequence Development.

Lead the design and development of comprehensive, standards-aligned scope and sequence documents for each targeted content area, beginning with Secondary Math. Map the full progression of Minnesota academic standards across grade levels and courses, identifying what scholars need to learn, in what order, and by when. Ensure vertical alignment so that each grade level and course builds intentionally on the one before it. Use established frameworks and state resources - including MDE's Scope & Sequence Templates, Standards Alignment Charts, and Curriculum Planning Tools - to guide the development process.

Pacing Guide Development.

Create detailed, teacher-friendly pacing guides that translate the scope and sequence into a realistic instructional calendar. Ensure pacing guides account for instructional minutes, assessment windows (including FASTBridge and MCA testing), professional development days, and school calendar considerations. Build pacing guides in collaboration with teachers to ensure they are both ambitious and achievable, and adjust based on implementation feedback.

Unit Planning & Instructional Priority Frameworks.

Develop standards-based unit plans that identify priority standards, learning targets, essential questions, instructional sequences, and embedded assessment checkpoints. Establish a clear instructional priority framework that helps teachers distinguish between endurance standards, leverage standards, and readiness standards so they can allocate instructional time where it matters most. Ensure unit plans are rigorous, culturally responsive, and accessible to the full range of learners at HOPE - including English Learners and scholars with IEPs.

Standards-Based Assessment Design.

Guide the development of standards-aligned formative and summative assessments that are embedded within the curriculum and connected to the scope and sequence. Ensure assessments measure what scholars are expected to know and be able to do at each stage of the instructional sequence. Support teachers in understanding how to use assessment results to inform instruction, identify gaps, and adjust pacing. Utilize MDE's Process for Developing Standards-Based Assessments and Assessment Practice Charts as guiding frameworks.

Curriculum Mapping & Documentation.

Create and maintain clear, organized curriculum maps that provide a visual overview of what is being taught, when, and how it connects across grade levels and content areas. Ensure all curriculum documents are living documents that are regularly reviewed, updated, and accessible to all instructional staff. Develop a documentation system that allows HOPE to track curriculum development progress and ensure fidelity of implementation over time.

Standards Audit & Gap Analysis.

Conduct thorough audits of existing curriculum materials, instructional resources, and teacher-developed plans to assess alignment with Minnesota academic standards. Identify gaps, redundancies, and misalignments in what is currently being taught and use findings to prioritize curriculum development efforts. Utilize MDE's Self-Assessment of Standards-Based Education and Curriculum Preparation tools to guide the audit process.

Teacher Collaboration & Capacity Building.

Work in close partnership with classroom teachers throughout the curriculum development process. This is not a top-down role - it is a collaborative one. Facilitate curriculum design sessions where teachers contribute their expertise, review and provide feedback on draft documents, and take ownership of the curriculum they will deliver. Build teacher capacity to understand and use curriculum documents effectively, and ensure the process respects and builds upon the work teachers have already done. Partner with Instructional Coaches to ensure alignment between curriculum design and instructional coaching priorities.

Phased Content Area Expansion.

Establish a sustainable, repeatable curriculum design process during Year One (Secondary Math) that can be scaled to additional content areas in subsequent years. Document the process, tools, templates, and lessons learned so that each new content area benefits from the work that came before. Collaborate with academic leadership to determine the sequencing of future content area development based on data, strategic priorities, and school needs.

Collaboration with Academic Leadership.

Serve as a key partner to the Chief Academic Officer, Educational Leaders, and Instructional Coaches in building HOPE's curriculum infrastructure. Participate in academic leadership team meetings, school improvement planning, and data review cycles. Ensure all curriculum work is aligned with HOPE's 2026 2028 Strategic Plan, academic proficiency goals, and the broader vision of building a culture of learning. Maintain clear boundaries between the Curriculum Specialist role (what is being taught) and the Instructional Coach role (how it is being delivered) to ensure both functions complement each other without overlap.

Professional Responsibilities & School Community Involvement.

Fulfill all professional responsibilities including accurate documentation, timely reporting, and participation in school-wide events and initiatives. Stay current on Minnesota academic standards, MDE curriculum resources, and research-based curriculum design practices. Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and growth-oriented school culture where staff feel supported and empowered. Each staff member will participate in at least three or more school events throughout the school year.

In the 2026 2027 school year, the Curriculum Specialist will focus exclusively on the Secondary Math department. This includes:

• Building a complete, standards-aligned scope and sequence for all Secondary Math courses.

• Conduct full standards audit of current curriculum, identify existing, missing and realignment required.


• Developing pacing guides that align instruction to MCA testing windows and the school calendar.

• Creating unit plans with priority standards, learning targets, and embedded assessment checkpoints.

• Establishing a standards-based assessment framework for Secondary Math.

• Documenting the full process to create a replicable model for future content areas.

This focused approach allows the Curriculum Specialist to build deep, high-quality work in one area rather than spreading thin across many - and establishes the standard for what curriculum development looks like at HOPE going forward.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Mathematics Education, or a related field required. Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, or a related field strongly preferred.

• Valid Minnesota teaching license required. Licensure in mathematics or a secondary content area preferred.

• Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of successful classroom teaching experience, with a demonstrated record of standards-based instructional planning and strong scholar outcomes.

• Deep knowledge of curriculum design principles, including scope and sequence development, backwards design, standards alignment, vertical articulation, and assessment design.

• Strong understanding of Minnesota academic standards and MCA assessment frameworks, particularly in mathematics.

• Experience developing or leading the development of curriculum documents such as scope and sequence guides, pacing guides, unit plans, or curriculum maps.

• Familiarity with MDE curriculum resources and standards-based education frameworks.

• Ability to facilitate collaborative curriculum design sessions with teachers and build consensus through a respectful, teacher-centered process.

• Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills; ability to audit existing curriculum, identify gaps, and design solutions that are both rigorous and sustainable.

• Experience working with diverse student populations, including English Learners and scholars with IEPs; ability to design curriculum that is accessible and equitable for all learners.

• Excellent written communication skills; ability to create clear, well-organized, teacher-friendly curriculum documents that are practical and usable.

• Experience working with or in Hmong and/or other diverse communities is strongly preferred; proficiency in Hmong is a significant asset.

• Deep commitment to educational equity, culturally responsive pedagogy, and HOPE's mission and strategic priorities.

• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders across all levels of the organization while maintaining clear role boundaries.

Work Environment

Duties are primarily performed in a Hmong immersion classroom and school building environment. The school building is a multi-level building that has an elevator and is accessible. This role requires consistent daily presence in the classroom and active participation in the broader school and Hmong community. - The Hmong Immersion Teacher carries the responsibility of language preservation and cultural transmission with pride, purpose, and joy in every interaction.

Note: Nothing in this job description restricts the school's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise. It does not alter the "at will" employment relationship between the school and the employee.

EEO Statement: Hope Community Academy is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are valued, respected, and have equal opportunities for advancement. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.