K–12 Facilitation Lead Coordinator (Part - Time)

About the role

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™.

Duties And Responsibilities

• 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.
• Career Development & Instructional Support:
  • Coordinate with Madison Center staff, NIFI consultants, and partner organizations to align PLC content and delivery.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Collaborate 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

• 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.