K-12 Facilitation Lead Coordinator (Part - Time)

General Information

The K-12 Facilitation Lead Coordinator plays a central role in the implementation of Teaching Historic Decisions for America's 250th and Beyond: A Deliberative Approach to Civic Education, a national initiative led by the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement in partnership with the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) and JMU CARE.

This position provides instructional leadership and facilitation oversight for the project's K-12 Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)/National Teacher Fellowship program and place-based teacher professional development experiences. The Coordinator ensures high-quality, consistent implementation of deliberative pedagogy across PLCs, supports teacher learning and reflection, supports project evaluation and assessment goals. The role combines program coordination, facilitation, instructional design, and evaluation alignment, with a strong emphasis on deliberation in the classroom.

This is a grant funded position and is contingent upon continued funding.

Duties and Responsibilities

Professional Learning Community (PLC)/National Teacher Fellowship Leadership & Oversight

• Provide overall coordination and instructional leadership for all K-12 Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) associated with the project.
• Design and develop agendas, session plans, and facilitation materials for all PLC meetings, aligned with project goals, deliberative pedagogy, and teacher needs.
• Ensure PLC sessions support teachers in implementing deliberation using the Historic Decisions and What's Next, America? issue guides.
• Coordinate with Madison Center staff, NIFI consultants, and partner organizations to align PLC content and delivery.

Direct Facilitation & Instructional Support

• Serve as lead facilitator for at least 2-3 PLCs per project year, providing sustained coaching and instructional support to participating teachers.
• Model high-quality deliberation facilitation practices appropriate for K-12 classroom contexts.
• Lead and support workshops focused on deliberation in the classroom, including strategies for managing controversy, fostering inclusive dialogue, and scaffolding student deliberation across grade levels.

Summer Professional Development Seminars

• Co-lead in-person summer professional development seminars for K-12 educators, in collaboration with project partners and instructional faculty.
• Support the design, refinement, and delivery of seminar content related to deliberative pedagogy, historical inquiry, and classroom application.
• Facilitate interactive sessions, simulations, and guided reflection aligned with best practices.

Assessment, Evaluation, & Implementation Fidelity

• Ensure participating teachers understand and consistently apply project assessment and evaluation protocols, including pre/post surveys, reflection tools, and implementation documentation.
• Collaborate with JMU CARE and project leadership to support accurate data collection related to PLC participation, teacher learning outcomes, and instructional practice.
• Incorporate evaluation findings into PLC planning and instructional adjustments to support continuous improvement.

Collaboration & Program Alignment

• Work closely with the Project Director/Principal Investigator, Program Coordinator, NIFI consultants, and evaluation staff to ensure alignment across professional development, coaching, PLCs, and evaluation activities.
• Contribute to project documentation, facilitator guides, and internal reports as needed.
• Support national scaling of PLC and coaching models by documenting best practices and lessons learned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Knowledge in education, social studies, civics, or a related area.
• Background in deliberative pedagogy, especially deliberative pedagogy on the NIFI model.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating professional learning for K-12 educators, including PLCs, workshops, or coaching.
• Experience leading or supporting professional development related to controversial issues, civic discourse, or inquiry-based learning.
• Ability to design engaging agendas and learning experiences for adult learners.
• Strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Comfort working in both virtual and in-person professional learning environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel for in-person seminars and meetings.