Instructional Support & Differentiation Specialist (Contractor)

About inquirED inquirED was founded by teachers to bring rigorous and joyful learning to every student. We’re a fast-growing start-up, serving more educators and students every day. Inkwell, our integrated ELA and social studies curriculum, brings two core subjects studies together into one coherent instructional experience that builds knowledge and literacy skills, saves time and resources, and supports meaningful learning for both students and teachers. Inquiry Journeys, our elementary social studies curriculum, is used in schools and districts across the country to help students develop deep social studies knowledge and the inquiry skills essential for a thriving democracy. Join our team of designers, advocates, guides, thought leaders, and makers to help us make an even greater impact. Together, we can shape the future of education. About the role Description We’re building an integrated K–5 Core ELA and social studies curriculum designed to meet the needs of diverse learners while making it easier for elementary teachers to meaningfully incorporate social studies without sacrificing literacy goals. As part of this work, we are developing curriculum-embedded learner supports and a suite of supplemental Flexible Learning Supports. The goal is to provide practical, teacher-friendly resources that help educators differentiate instruction, support multilingual learners, and respond to student needs in real time. We’re looking for part-time contractors with expertise in supporting multilingual learners to help design these instructional supports. This engagement focuses on creating classroom-ready materials that help teachers meet the needs of students at varying levels of English proficiency. A central part of the work is ensuring that supports are not only instructionally strong, but also clearly aligned to English Language Development frameworks (such as WIDA or CA ELD) in ways that are visible and meaningful to educators and stakeholders. Initial engagement through August 2026, with potential extension based on project needs. Ideal Candidate Profile: In this contract, you'll collaborate with our curriculum team on a defined scope of deliverables related to designing and developing instructional materials that help teachers support a wide range of learners. You are someone who believes all students can access knowledge-rich, grade-level, complex texts and curriculum when the right supports are in place. You have a strong understanding of how language proficiency impacts access to grade-level content across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and can design supports for multilingual and diverse learners and in response to hypothetical performance data. You understand that effective instructional supports are not only research-based and instructionally sound, but also practical and teacher-friendly, designed with real classroom constraints, structures, and implementation in mind. Deliverables:

• Design and contribute to instructional supports with a strong emphasis on multilingual learner access and language development, including:
• * Designated and integrated ELD supports
• Scaffolds aligned to varying English proficiency levels across listening, speaking, reading, and writing
• Small-group and intervention activities
• Ensure that supports reflect a clear understanding of language development progression and are aligned to ELD frameworks (e.g., WIDA, CA ELD), including making those alignments explicit within materials
• Provide clear guidance on the types of supports that should be embedded within daily Tier 1 instruction versus designed as proactive support to supplement Tier 1 instruction.
• Use student data scenarios to design targeted and responsive instructional materials
• Ensure deliverables align with core lessons, standards, and learning goals
• Contribute to content development using a mix of curriculum design practices, feedback cycles, and AI-supported workflows

Requirements

• Strong understanding of differentiated instruction, scaffolding, and small-group learning
• 5+ years of experience supporting multilingual learners across varying levels of English proficiency, including designing or implementing supports across listening, speaking, reading, and writing (K–2 experience especially valued)
• Multilingual Learner expertise (required):
• Training or certification in multilingual learner instruction (e.g., ESL/ENL licensure, TESOL certification, or degree in Bilingual Education)
• Familiarity with frameworks such as WIDA or CA ELD, with the ability to design supports that clearly reflect and communicate alignment to these frameworks
• Experience with instructional models such as SIOP, GLAD, or other research-based approaches to language development
• Ability to design supports that integrate language and content learning
• Strong project management skills; able to manage timelines, juggle multiple deliverables at once, and maintain momentum on a fast-moving project.
• Additional helpful experience (not required):
• * Background in special education, UDL, MTSS, or RTI
• Experience with intervention blocks, centers, or modular instructional structures
• Familiarity with structured literacy approaches

Tools You’ll Likely Use:

• AI content generation and editing platforms (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, in addition to potential proprietary internal tools)
• Google Suite and collaborative content development systems (e.g., Airtable)
• Curriculum tagging systems and rubrics aligned to focus standards

Why Work For Us

• Remote Opportunities: Most positions are remote, supporting work-from-home flexibility
• Learning and Development: Educational and development opportunities, monthly Brunch and Learns, and more!

The base compensation range for this role is $60/hour. Hours range from 10-20hrs per week based on experience and availability. Must be U.S. based. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job