University of Missouri-Kansas City

Division of Curriculum and Instructional Leadership

Tenure-Track Faculty Position

Assistant/Associate Professor of Urban Teacher Education and Language and Literacy
The School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) announces a tenure-track faculty position in Urban Teacher Education & Language and Literacy at the Assistant, Advanced Assistant, or Associate level beginning in Fall 2015. The UMKC School of Education’s Language and Literacy Program, fully accredited by the International Reading Association, is one of a wide range of accredited programs in the division of Curriculum and Instructional Leadership (CIL). The Language and Literacy division offers two graduate degrees (Master’s and Education Specialist,) striving to prepare innovative and knowledgeable literacy teachers and coaches. The scholar filling this position will join a collaborative and dedicated faculty who emphasize excellence in education and commitment to urban schools and communities. The scholar filling this position will conduct and establish a research and publication agenda in Language and Literacy; participate in innovative curriculum development at the graduate level; teach undergraduate and graduate literacy methods courses; advise graduate candidates; participate actively in local, state, and national professional organizations; and contribute to the service missions of the School of Education and the University. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The School of Education is one of 11 academic units at UMKC and is located in the heart of Kansas City’s energetic and diverse urban environment. The Kansas City metro area has a growing population of almost two million people, representing diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, linguistic and racial backgrounds. The School has an undergraduate enrollment of about 500 students and a graduate enrollment of more than 800. Approximately 45 full-time faculty are organized into three divisions (Counseling and Educational Psychology; Curriculum and Instructional Leadership; and Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations) and a cross- division and campus Teacher Education Coordinating Council. The School houses the Urban Education Research Center, whose mission is to create and disseminate knowledge to promote excellent schooling in urban communities. The School offers baccalaureate degrees in early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary teacher preparation, as well as graduate degrees at the master’s, specialist and doctorate levels. The School’s teacher education programs are fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association, and the Counseling MA programs are accredited by the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council.

Major Responsibilities:
 Provide innovative program development at the graduate level.
 Advise graduate students in the Language & Literacy Master’s and Education Specialist
programs.
 Provide significant program leadership, innovative program development, and coordination
if hired at the advanced assistant or associate professor level.
 Establish a significant externally fundable program of research informing the field of
Language and Literacy that also advances the School’s mission of urban education and its
social justice, diversity and democracy values.
 Teach undergraduate and graduate courses (e.g., Methods of Teaching of Language and
Literacy, Literacy Assessment; Adolescent and/or Elementary Practica; Content Area
Reading, Children’s Literature).
 Engage in research and scholarship consistent with our promotion and tenure guidelines.
 Engage in school, campus, university, and community activities aligned with the School’s
mission.
 Actively participate in local, state, and national professional organizations.
Minimum Qualifications:
 An earned doctorate in Language and Literacy Education or closely related field.
 An established scholarly and professional record in language and literacy consistent with
University promotion and tenure guidelines.
 At least three years of successful PK-12 public school experience as a classroom teacher,
preferably in an urban setting.
 Demonstrated experience and interest in conducting research in urban settings.
 Demonstrated grant productivity and scholarship. If applying at the assistant professor level,
demonstrated potential for grant productivity.
 Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to social justice and urban education.
 Demonstrated commitment to national/professional organizations and local community
service.

Preferred Qualifications
 Experience and interest in critical and/or sociocultural perspectives on the teaching of literacy, children’s literature, literacy assessment and/or adolescent literacy.
 Experience in teaching in diverse and urban communities.
 Experience in working with English language learners.
 Experience in teaching with technology.
For further information about this position, please contact the chair of the search committee, Dr. Rita Barger via email at bargerr@umkc.edu or 816-235-5655.

To apply:
Applicants should submit a letter expressing interest in and perspectives on the position, curriculum vita, two writing samples or publications, as well as contact information for four references. References will not be contacted until advanced stages of screening, and candidates will receive
prior notification. For a Full Job Description and to Apply: See position #00038864 at www.umkc.edu/hr/jobsearch.

Application deadline: December 15, 2014. Formal review of applications will begin January 1st and continue until the position is filled. UMKC is an equal access, equal opportunity, affirmative action employer that is fully committed to hiring a diverse faculty and staff.
It is the fundamental policy of UMKC to provide equal opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status or disability status in all education, employment and contracted activities.
All inquiries and materials will be treated in confidence. All final candidates will be required to pass a criminal background check prior to beginning employment.