Consultants play an important role in the education system because they often help school’s maintain a specific school or district’s curriculum. It is the consultant’s job to work with administrators and alongside educators in an effort to identify student need, monitor a teacher’s method of instruction and improve school programs that are currently being rolled out. Here are some of the other duties of a consultant: assessment of student performance in a specific subject area, implementing changes to the curriculum based on where the students need to place more emphasis, surveying students to change programs or curriculum, purchasing new books and supplies for new school programs, designing new training programs for teachers to improve their teaching, meetings with administrators and teachers to discuss performance and budgets.

One of the confusing things about the professional term educational consultant is that it can be used to describe three very different career paths within the field of education. Some use the term educational consulting to refer to state employees who have an expertise and consult for government agencies. Others use the term for professionals who work on their own and help parents with their child’s educational planning. These professionals are termed educational planners as well. Finally, some use the term to refer to independent contractors who are hired by schools, educational organizations or parents to help them develop content or skills in a specific area of studies. A majority of professionals who are interested in working in consultancy are interested in working as independent consultants.

If you want to work in instructional coordinating or consulting, the first step is to get experience as a teacher. Once you have experience in a public school, you can get more training at a Master’s level so that you specialize in curriculum development and other relevant areas of study. It can also help to join a professional organization like Higher Education Consultants Association so that you can access more job opportunities.