Job Description: Lead Teacher

 

Background

Libertas School of Memphis is a Montessori, liberal arts public charter elementary school serving a high-need neighborhood in Memphis. Our mission is to be a school for human flourishing: cultivating minds, hands, and hearts for lives of wonder, work, and love. We offer students from preschool through fifth grade a rich, rigorous, and personalized education through Montessori learning, supported with rich liberal arts content through Core Knowledge, and the best practices of high-performing urban schools. This work is done within an attachment village of supports between school, families, and our community.

 

Role summary and information

• Lead a peaceful, orderly, rich, nurturing classroom that cultivates children’s minds, hearts, and hands for lives of wonder, work, and love.
• Foster relationships with families to enable open and responsive communication about student growth and needs.
• Full-time role. Work hours will vary with the published school calendar; instructional hours roughly 7:35 AM - 3:30 PM (faculty meetings until 4:30 on Wednesdays). Assist with periodic school events outside of the normal schedule.
  
• Start date: In-house professional development begins in late July for most employees. Montessori teacher training begins in June for teachers pursuing Montessori training or state licensure.
• Leadership roles available based on interest and capacity.  
• Measures of success for position to include student academic growth, family satisfaction, observation feedback, performance evaluations, and related indicators.
• Meaningful professional development and advancement opportunities.
• Reports to Principal. Provides direction to Assistant Teacher, who is formally evaluated by a school leader.
• Key relationships: Students and Families; Teachers; support staff.

 

Key responsibilities

Planning and Instruction

• Preparing the environment: Plan and implement high-quality instruction for daily individual student lessons in alignment with the Montessori method, Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum, and other school plans.
• Submit individual student lesson plans weekly for review and incorporate feedback into planning
• Regularly observe students to inform instruction. Record daily observation notes and collect assessment data as needed
• Prepare Montessori works and literacy materials and organize the classroom
• Create and implement remediation plans using the Response to Intervention and Instruction model from observational, academic, and behavioral data
• Teach children of diverse needs in an inclusive environment; implement appropriate IEP goals with support from Student Support Team / special education staff. Participate in Child Study process, including presenting data and implementing plans.

Classroom Culture

• Foster habits of excellence, including order and grace & courtesy, through schoolwide and classroom-level practices and rituals, such as connecting before redirecting, using a warm and firm tone, matching children with works in the environment, tending the heart of virtue through presenting beautiful literature, and sharing responsibility for all our children
• Be a model of character and striving toward virtue for students
• Supervise students within the classroom and outside of the classroom: on the playground, during bathroom breaks, at lunch time and on field trips

Family Communication

• Lead classroom family communication and meetings
• Prepare monthly progress reports and quarterly report cards to share what students are doing in class

Professional Development and Relationships

• Observe and provide feedback at least twice per term to peers/assistant teacher
• Lead formal check-in with assistant teacher at least weekly. Conduct informal conversations and collaborative activities daily.
• Participate in formal check-in with assigned academic support team member at least biweekly
• Engage in teacher meetings, team planning, professional development, and data reviews
• Other duties as assigned

 

 

 

Qualifications and Traits

• Two or more years of effective teaching experience in urban schools in high-need communities and/or Montessori environment (preferred)
• Willing to serve all children, regardless of background or needs, in an inclusive and supportive setting
• Knowledge of curriculum content and children’s developmental needs
• Skills in instructional practices and classroom management for student achievement
• Interest in and commitment to Montessori and liberal arts
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Bachelor’s degree and appropriate teacher credential
• Love of learning
• Flexibility, initiative, and personal responsibility to work in fast-paced, startup environment
• Fortitude for the challenges we will face
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Work collaboratively, with a growth mindset. Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship.

 

Compensation

• Salary/wage competitive with the local school district and nearby charter schools.
• Eligible for increases, bonuses, or stipends for performance or additional duties.
• Investment in faculty professional development and growth. We also offer to eligible applicants our Teacher Residency program, which provides financial sponsorship and additional coaching and support to achieve state licensure and/or Montessori certification. Please contact us for more details.
• Paid sick leave. Deferred pay model distributes salary throughout the year (including breaks and vacations).
• Full time employees are eligible for health insurance benefits, which we sponsor at an above-market rate (including family coverage). We also offer dental, vision, and other benefits, and retirement plans similar to local schools.

Application process

Interested candidates should apply online at www.LibertasMemphis.org, where candidates can also learn more about our school. Please submit a resume, at least three references, and a cover letter (required) explaining why you would be a good fit for this position. Please direct any questions to info@LibertasMemphis.org. Libertas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.