Curriculum Developer Roles

• The federal education law "No Child Left Behind," passed in 2001, outlined required curriculum areas for early childhood education. Curriculum developers and designers working in federal, state and local offices of education play a critical role in translating these regulations for the classroom teacher by selecting lesson units and plans that meet the education standards outlined for preschool, kindergarten and grades one through three. Publishers and software designers also hire curriculum developers to assist in designing textbooks, classroom materials, games and computer programs that meet these mandated grade level standards.
  
  

District-Level Jobs

• School districts frequently hire a director of curriculum to supervise the educational materials used in the district schools. The duties of the head of this office include reviewing education materials, making purchase recommendations, soliciting feedback from teachers, students and parents related to the products, and coordinating a district-wide sequential curriculum design that meets local needs, as well as meeting federal and state standards. Large school districts may have a director assigned specificially to early childhood curriculum, but most directors are responsible for all grade levels. In order to be hired as this professional, you will need a doctoral degree in educational curriculum development with at least 10 years of teaching at the early childhood level. Most states require special certification for this job. You will earn a median salary of $87,510 for this job, according to the BLS.
  
  

School-Level Jobs

• Preschools and elementary schools may have a curriculum coordinator, personal development specialist or instructional coach at the school level, in addition to the director working at a district level. These positions are frequently held by teachers who are paid a small extra stipend for the work, typically between $2,000 and $6,000 for the school year. If you work in this position, you will often teach for half a day and offer coaching and educational design instruction to teachers at a specific school site for the remainder of the day. New hires typically have a master's in curriculum development with prior experience as a master or mentor teacher. You will also need a special teaching license to work in this capacity in more than half the states.
  
  

Publishing Curriculum Jobs

• Early childhood curriculum developers also work in the publishing industry. The majority of these jobs are not full-time positions. Experienced classroom teachers are hired under contract to provide suggestions, review curriculum materials or pilot programs in their classrooms. If this job sounds interesting, consider that the stipends paid typically range from $500 to $5,000 for each assignment.
  
  

Technology Curriculum Jobs

• Technology companies hire curriculum developers to assist in designing software and online curriculum programs for students, education professionals and college education majors. These assignments are typically short-term and operate in a manner similar manner to the publishing industry. No specific training is required, but you will need to show that you have the background experience to provide seasoned advice to the publishing house. Technology-savvy teachers are sought after by companies, and the contract pay is determined by mutual agreement with the company.