Electives and World Language Program Leader

Williamsburg Learning Program Leaders are an integral part of the WL team. They are counted on to ensure that each program is of the highest quality, the mentors within the program feel valued and supported, and that the curriculum is expertly maintained and updated as necessary.

Roles

Program Leaders are a part of the Academics Team and report directly to the Director of Academics. This is a year-round position. Each is responsible for the following:

1) Lead, Manage, and Hold Accountable (LMA)

Lead - Live WL’s Core Values and inspire others with your example. Provide inspiring and effective meetings and PD for the subject you have been entrusted with overseeing and the mentors who deliver it. Ensure that the WL culture is reinforced with positivity, right action, and plentiful opportunity for feedback.

Manage - By following the outlined PD schedule below, ensure that all mentors are engaged and keeping on top of their assignments and given the opportunity to collaborate. Approve time cards for staff in your program.

Hold Accountable - Ensure that mentors within your program are prepared each week with their ‘Scorecard Numbers’ for grading turnaround and other important indicators and that they are observed regularly to encourage improvement. Assist with minor discipline issues within the program as needed (plagiarism, etc). Hold teaching assistants or tutors in your department, if applicable, accountable for their performance.

2) Program Administration and Optimization

Assist with hiring within your program. Optimize your team by capitalizing on the unique talents of each team member, motivating team members to do their best work, and focusing on results. Adjust roles, responsibilities, and procedures to provide student outcomes.

Assist with registration in your program. Answer program questions from counselors and registrars. Ensure students are registered for the right courses.

Motivate team members to do their best work. Communicate a compelling vision and clear goals that unify your team. If you’re doing it right, team members will find their work personally meaningful and see how their work is positively impacting students, the organization, and the world.

Be results oriented. Every team member should know exactly what is expected. Help team members prioritize work and remove roadblocks. Reward productivity, not politics.

Create a safe and authentic team culture. Team members must feel comfortable sharing alternative perspectives, mistakes, successes, and insecurities.

3) Program-Specific Professional Development

Lead regular team meetings. These include weekly program L10 meetings, one-on-one quarterly conversations, and annual reviews.

Assist with training new mentors, welcoming staff back during annual staff kickoff, and be the go-to person for new mentors as they’re learning their roles and responsibilities.

Lead regular program professional development, program workshops, mentor observations and evaluations, and annual curriculum debriefs.

4) Oversight of Curriculum Changes within Program

Be familiar with The Williamsburg Curriculum overviews, combined with the Program Overviews for all courses within your program.

Scrutinize curriculum. Ensure that every reading, project, and assignment within your program is optimized to engage, challenge, and inspire students.

Honor the big picture. Know the role your program plays in the overall student experience. Only say “yes” to changes that clearly justify themselves. Get clearance for big changes.

Implement new changes down to the last detail. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

Ensure that all mentors in your program upload their slides and course documents to the appropriate shared folders on WL’s Google Drive in a timely manner.

Ensure mentors are tracking changes to the curriculum (both proposed changes and corrections) in the syllabus and updating the master course.

Ensure that all curriculum documents and Canvas courses within your program are free of errors and kept up to date. 

Ensure that all curriculum in your program is aligned to relevant state, national, and other required standards and that alignment documents are up to date if any changes are made.

Oversee large course revisions as approved by the Director of Academics.

Propose new courses within your program. May assist with new course development as approved by the Director of Academics.

5) Embody WL Core Values

Demonstrate company values with students, parents, and team members: Make a concerted effort to grow both professionally and personally both inside and outside the Williamsburg community.

Serve as a model to students of what it means to live a meaningful life, practice right action, being a team player, and cultivating a culture of belonging.

Program Leaders may be called upon to present at Team Huddles or other PD events and at Inspiration Hour for students.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Must be licensed in their area of expertise, if required
• Experience in WL curriculum and have mentored at WL for at least one year in their program area
• Must teach at least one live section in designated program
• Ability to:
• Inspire confidence in others
• Be detail-oriented and highly organized
• Simplify and explain complex issues
• Communicate clearly 
• Respond positively and proactively to feedback
• Identify outcomes and execute strategies to achieve them
• Initiate and cultivate a relentless desire to refine and improve
• Help team members feel safe, valued, and engaged
• Support others while holding them accountable for deadlines and continuous improvement
• Inspire and teach others in large and small group settings, and one on one