Lead Teacher - Houston, Texas

BACKGROUND · Arcadia High School is a new open-enrollment public charter school serving students in the Alief community of Southwest Houston. Arcadia's model is built around a reimagined Teacher Team structure with differentiated roles, Expert Teacher, Lead Teacher, and Teaching ...

Job description

BACKGROUND
Arcadia High School is a new open-enrollment public charter school serving students in the Alief community of Southwest Houston.

Arcadia's model is built around a reimagined Teacher Team structure with differentiated roles, Expert Teacher, Lead Teacher, and Teaching Fellows, that creates a clear career ladder and daily embedded coaching for adults, while providing small learning communities and strong support for students.

Lead Teachers are a key part of this ladder, growing toward the Expert Teacher role while mentoring Teaching Fellows on their team.

MISSION

Arcadia High School students are empowered to achieve their highest potential and graduate prepared for college, careers, and leadership in their communities.

Through a research-based team-teaching model, high-quality instruction and student-centered learning, we provide consistent, targeted support to meet the unique needs of every student.

Our collaborative classrooms inspire academic excellence, critical thinking, and passion for lifelong learning, equipping students with the skills, confidence, and resilience to succeed.

Teachers receive continuous professional development, fostering exceptional instruction and a thriving educational community. Strong partnerships with families and the community ensure students benefit from a supportive environment that drives achievement and growth.


SCHOOL VALUES
Arcadia's school culture and daily work are grounded in four core principles:
Aspiring for Big Dreams - We believe every student can set and achieve ambitious goals for their future.

We hold high expectations for academics, behavior, and leadership, and we support students in turning those big dreams into concrete plans and actions.

Building Deep Connections - Strong relationships are at the heart of our work. We invest in knowing students and families well, creating a community where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued.

Providing Relentless Support for Excellence - We do not give up on students or each other.

We use data, feedback, and targeted supports to help every student and adult grow, and we follow through consistently to ensure excellence in both effort and results.

Preparing for the Real World - We connect learning to life beyond high school through internships, enrichment, and real-world problem solving.

Students build the skills, habits, and mindsets they need to thrive in college, careers, and their communities.


ROLE OVERVIEW
The Lead Teacher is a core classroom teacher on an Arcadia Teacher Team.

Each team includes one Expert Teacher, one Lead Teacher, and three Teaching Fellows supporting a group of approximately sixty students.

The Expert Teacher provides overall instructional leadership; the Lead Teacher co-plans and co-teaches the double class block, provides targeted small-group instruction, and serves as a mentor for Teaching Fellows.

Lead Teachers participate in lesson preparation and rehearsal with the Expert Teacher, receive daily embedded coaching, and support Teaching Fellows to grow as future teachers.

This role is designed as a key step on the career ladder from Teaching Fellow to Expert Teacher, with regular opportunities to take on increasing instructional leadership over time.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Classroom Instruction and Student Learning:

• Deliver highquality, TEKSaligned instruction in a core content area.
• Coteach with the Expert Teacher and Teaching Fellows, using clear roles and smooth handoffs during each lesson.
• Provide targeted smallgroup instruction and support, especially during the second section of the core block when students are regrouped based on data and demonstrated needs.
• Use a variety of strategies to promote deep thinking, discussion, reading, writing, and problemsolving with gradelevel content.
• Maintain a classroom environment that is safe, structured, and focused on learning, with clear routines and expectations.

Collaboration, Planning, and Data Use:

• Participate in weekly lesson preparation meetings with the Expert Teacher to internalize upcoming lessons, rehearse key parts, and anticipate student misconceptions.
• Engage in weekly lesson rehearsal with the Teaching Team, practicing delivery, checking for understanding, and student discourse.
• Take part in daily or weekly data meetings to analyze student work and assessment results, identify trends and gaps, and plan reteach and extension for the next class block.
• Help regroup students for the second half of the double block based on data, ensuring that students receive the right level of support or challenge.
• Maintain accurate, uptodate student data and grades in the school's systems.

Mentoring and Supporting Teaching Fellows:

• Serve as a daytoday resource and informal coach for Teaching Fellows, especially during lesson prep and live instruction.
• Model effective instructional and classroom management practices during coteaching and smallgroup work.
• Provide Teaching Fellows with clear expectations and feedback on their roles in the classroom, including support with planning, materials, and transitions.
• Collaborate with the Expert Teacher to give Teaching Fellows increasing leadership opportunities (e.g., leading parts of lessons, running small groups, facilitating warmups) and help them prepare for those responsibilities.

Student Culture and Relationships:

• Build strong, positive relationships with students, learning their strengths, interests, and goals.
• Reinforce schoolwide expectations and routines in alignment with Arcadia's discipline policy and core principles.
• Partner with the Director of School Culture, Counselors, and other staff to support advisory, gradelevel culture efforts, and individual student needs.
• Communicate regularly with families about student progress, classroom expectations, and upcoming learning experiences.

Professional Growth and Contribution to the School Community:

• Participate fully in Arcadia's professional development, including summer training, weekly PD, data meetings, and quarterly staff development days.
• Engage in regular coaching cycles and T-TESS evaluation, using feedback to refine instructional practice.
• Collaborate with colleagues across content areas and grade levels to align practices and support students.
• Uphold all school policies and professional expectations, including attendance, communication, confidentiality, and timely completion of responsibilities.
• All members of the Arcadia team will perform other jobrelated duties as assigned to meet the needs of the school and our students.