Job Description
Job Title: Middle Grades Supervisor (Grades 5-8)
Employment Status: Full-Time, 12-Month (Exempt)
Reports To: Director of Schools
Job Summary
The Middle Grades Supervisor provides strategic leadership, administrative oversight, and instructional support for grades 5-8 across the district. This 12-month position ensures that all middle-grade schools align with Tennessee State Board of Education policies, state academic standards, and district achievement goals. The supervisor leads curriculum implementation, analyzes student data, supports professional development, and mentors building-level administrators to optimize student success during the critical transitional years.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Instructional Leadership & Curriculum
• Align Curriculum: Align the implementation of Tennessee Academic Standards for grades 5-8 across all core and elective subjects.
• Select Materials: Support district-level textbook adoption and instructional material selection in compliance with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) guidelines.
• Monitor Instruction: Conduct regular school visits and classroom walkthroughs to ensure high-quality instructional practices.
• Bridge Transitions: Coordinate articulation between elementary (K-4) and high school (9-12) tiers to ensure smooth student transitions.
Data Analysis & Assessment
• Evaluate Data: Analyze TCAP, TNReady, and local benchmark data to identify achievement gaps and growth areas.
• Drive Intervention: Support the district's Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI²) framework at the middle school level.
• Formulate Strategy: Help principals use data to create targeted school improvement plans.
Professional Development & Support
• Plan Training: Support district-wide professional development tailored to middle-school educators and administrators.
• Support Literacy: Implement state-mandated literacy and numeracy initiatives specific to upper-elementary and middle-grade students.
• Mentor Leaders: Provide ongoing coaching to middle school principals, assistant principals, and instructional coaches
District & Central Office Collaboration
• Align Cross-Functional Goals: Collaborate regularly with Central Office supervisors (including Elementary, Secondary, Special Education/IDEA, Federal Programs, and CTE) to align goals and objectives, ensuring a unified, seamless academic continuum for student success.
• Integrate Support Services: Partner with the Student Services and Attendance supervisors to sync academic interventions with social-emotional, behavioral, and attendance initiatives.
• Coordinate Funding: Work with the Federal Programs and Finance departments to ensure that Title I, Title II, and IDEA fund allocations directly support middle grade strategic goals.
• Streamline Communications: Act as a cohesive liaison between the Central Office administration and building-level leaders to ensure clear, consistent messaging regarding district objectives.
Administrative & Program Management
• Ensure Compliance: Maintain district adherence to the TN State Board of Education Middle Grades Policy (2.102).
• Operate Year-Round: Utilize the 12-month schedule as defined by the Director of Schools
• Engage Community: Serve as the district liaison for middle school parental concerns, community partnerships, and state-level meetings.
Student Discipline, Safety & School Climate
• Enforce Policy: Support the district's student code of conduct across all 5-8 buildings to ensure fair and consistent enforcement.
• Support Administrators: Coach middle school principals and assistant principals on handling complex discipline cases, managing parent grievances, and processing formal student suspensions or expulsions.
• Support Interventions: Support the district-wide implementation of positive behavior frameworks, such as Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), tailored to early-adolescent development as needed.
• Monitor Disproportionality: Analyze district-wide discipline data (referrals, in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions) to identify trends, address disproportionality, and implement corrective action plans.
• Coordinate Hearings: Serve as a key member of the district Disciplinary Hearing Authority (DHA) for middle school placement appeals and alternative school assignments.
Qualifications and Requirements
Education & Experience
• Degree: Master's degree or higher
• Licensure: Valid Tennessee Administration/Supervision or Professional Administrator License (ILL-A or ILL-B).
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of successful classroom teaching or administrative experience, specifically within grades 5-8.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Deep understanding of the TDOE accountability model, TVAAS (Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System), and TEAM evaluation model.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the developmental, social, and emotional needs of young adolescents.
• Proficiency in data management systems (such as Eduphoria, Skyward, or local SIS) and Excel.
• Strong communication, public speaking, and conflict-resolution skills.
Physical Demands & Work Environment
• Must possess a valid driver's license and reliable transportation for frequent travel between district schools and state conferences.
• Periodic evening work required for school board meetings and community events.