The posting
Background
Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation (branded as Leadership for Equity, LFE) is a non-profit organisation based in Pune, Maharashtra, working to strengthen India’s public education system so that every child learns and thrives. We envision public education systems that refuse to let children down.
LFE partners with state and district governments across multiple states - including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana - to improve teaching practices and build sustained academic support structures within the public system. Our work is anchored in the belief that public education systems are the gatekeepers of social equity, and strengthening them is essential to ensuring that every child has access to strong foundational and future-ready learning.
Approach
LFE’s systems-change approach focuses on improving classroom practice and enabling government ownership through three core levers:
- Co-creating high-quality curricular resources and building teacher capacity
- Developing academic leadership to coach and mentor teachers
- Providing data-driven advisory support and policy implementation guidance
Our model empowers teachers as instructional leaders and embeds long-term support through government-run mentor cadres, continuous classroom observation cycles, and in-system academic structures. Technology plays a critical role, including an in-house Classroom Observation App for real-time monitoring and a WhatsApp-based teacher support chatbot for contextual resource delivery.
The approach is iterative and context-responsive, grounded in classroom realities and tailored to state and district needs. Implementation varies across geographies - whether working directly with teachers or through government-appointed mentors - ensuring relevance and feasibility within existing structures. A continuous feedback loop of training, observation, and coaching moves beyond one-time interventions toward sustained practice change. All programs are co-designed and co-implemented with government partners to ensure scale, sustainability, and systemic ownership, ultimately leading to improved student learning outcomes in foundational and future literacy.
About the Academic Excellence Program
The Academic Excellence Program for APSWREIS schools aims to strengthen the quality of classroom interactions and improve learning outcomes for students studying in 20 APSWREIS residential schools across Andhra Pradesh by building the instructional capacity of 166 teachers across English, Maths, and Science. The program addresses persistent learning gaps in foundational literacy, numeracy, and subject learning, which are further compounded by language barriers, socioeconomic disadvantage, and system-level constraints affecting teacher support and professional development.
This program focuses on a professional learning model that combines intensive in-person training with sustained coaching and peer learning. Rather than relying on one-time workshops, the program provides continuous support through classroom observations, instructional coaching, demonstration lessons, collaborative Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and blended learning courses.
Teachers will participate in subject-specific training, focusing on conceptual understanding, inquiry-based pedagogy, formative assessment, and addressing misconceptions in English, Mathematics, Science, and related subjects. Teacher coaches will provide personalized support through classroom observations, structured coaching conversations, lesson co-planning, classroom demonstrations, and mentoring tailored to individual teacher needs.
By strengthening instructional practices, improving classroom interactions, and promoting collaborative professional learning, the program seeks to shift classroom instruction from rote memorization towards conceptual understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving, and application-based learning. Ultimately, the program aims to create high-quality learning experiences for students while establishing a sustainable model of continuous teacher professional development that can be integrated within the broader APSWREIS and state education systems.
Roles and Responsibilities
Subject-Specific Progression Planning
- Design a subject-specific, month-wise progression plan for the academic year with clear indication of input, output, and expected outcomes.
- Align the progression plan to grade-level learning outcomes (Grades 5-9) and to state curriculum requirements.
- Review and adjust the plan periodically based on classroom observation data and teacher/student performance trends.
Content and Module Development
- Create subject-specific content for use across in-person training, sample classroom demonstrations by Academic Coordinators, Peer Learning Circles (PLCs) templates, and blended/online learning modules.
- Ensure content reflects modern, research-backed pedagogical practices, with concrete and relatable examples for both teachers and students.
- Build in assessment for learning and checks for understanding as an integral part of every module, not as an afterthought.
- Create or review supplementary support materials such as lesson plans and the state-provided Teacher Handbook (THB), adapting them where needed.
- Develop monitoring and observation rubrics that Academic Coordinators can use during classroom observations, including subject-specific look-for.
Capacity Building of Teachers
- Design and conduct subject-specific, in-person capacity-building workshops for teachers (typically 4-day sessions, twice a year).
- Focus training on conceptual understanding, inquiry-based pedagogy, formative assessment, and common student misconceptions in the subject.
- Co-facilitate subject-specific Peer Learning Circles (PLCs) as needed, based on gaps identified by Academic Coordinators.
Capacity Building of Academic Coordinators
- Build the subject-specific content knowledge of Academic Coordinators so they can support teachers effectively in the classroom.
- Train Academic Coordinators on the use of monitoring/observation tools and rubrics, including the Teach tool framework and subject-specific metrics.
- Provide need-based technical guidance to Academic Coordinators on subject content questions arising from the field.
Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement
- Periodically review classroom observation data, teacher feedback, and student assessment trends to identify content or training gaps.
- Recommend refinements to training design, content, or monitoring tools based on evidence from the field.
- Support the design of, and provide subject expertise for, baseline and endline academic assessments used to track student learning outcomes.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in the relevant subject (English / Mathematics / Science) or in Education, with strong subject-matter depth.
- Minimum 5-8 years of experience in curriculum design, teacher training, or instructional coaching, ideally within a school education or government systems context.
- Demonstrated experience designing teacher training content and/or classroom observation tools.
- Prior experience working with government or residential school systems (e.g., APSWREIS, Social Welfare Residential Schools, or similar) is an advantage.
- Working knowledge of English and Telugu language proficiency will be an additional advantage. Ability to travel to schools and training venues across Andhra Pradesh if required.
Location and Compensation
Location: This is a remote role with travel involved during capacity building sessions.
Compensation: In addition to being part of a young and dynamic learning team, the individual will receive healthy compensation at par with the non-profit sector benchmark for this position, commensurate with the individual’s prior experience and qualifications.
The current compensation band offered, based on fit and experience is 4.8 to 8.4 lakh INR per annum CTC.
Leadership for Equity is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind. We do not discriminate on the basis of caste, race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor.
