High School - English Language Arts Teacher

Be a LEADer. Teach High School English at LEAD Public Schools. LEAD Public Schools seeks high school English teachers who possess an unwavering belief that all students can achieve at high levels and a strong commitment to going above and beyond to meet their students’ needs to prepare them for college and for life.

About the Role

Our English teachers work relentlessly with their teammates to ensure that all of their students not only are able to read, interpret, and pull relevant information from text, but also meet the established Tennessee standards by the end of the year. This work is supported through coaching and administrative support, implementing regular feedback, collaboration with colleagues, data analysis, and targeted efforts to help students who come in below grade level rise above the challenges they face.

Successful teachers at LEAD Public Schools are committed to putting in the extra effort to ensure our students have access to a high-quality education. Our teachers persevere through challenges, set ambitious goals for students, and continuously strive to improve their practice to meet students' needs.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement rigorous unit plans and lessons that meet the needs of all students, with clear, standards-aligned objectives and appropriate assessments to gauge comprehension.
• Participate in bi-weekly coaching meetings to refine content delivery, teaching strategies, and classroom management.
• Engage in a collaborative learning environment through grade-level teamwork, content teams, and ongoing professional development.
• Execute school-based duties, including student conferences, arrival/dismissal supervision, transitions, lunch duty, and other tasks assigned by school leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (required).
• Must hold or be on track to obtain one of the following:
  • A valid Tennessee teaching license with an English endorsement.
  • A valid out-of-state license transferable to Tennessee within 90 days of employment.
  • Certification in progress for teaching in Tennessee.
• Minimum of two years of teaching experience preferred, but not required.
• Previous experience with diverse student populations or in an urban setting is a plus.

Qualifications

• Passion for developing young learners and working with students who need the most support.
• Flexibility, coachability, and a growth mindset as an educator.
• Strong belief in LEAD’s mission: all students are capable of success and deserve preparation for college and life.
• Self-motivation and a collaborative team-player attitude.

Benefits

• Compensation: Innovative performance-based pay plan rewarding impact on students and schools. Competitive base salary with potential signing bonus and up to 10% annual increase based on performance. After three years, eligible for the Master Teacher program, offering salaries up to $100,000 and a $1,500 professional development stipend.
• Health & Wellness: Robust benefits package including medical, dental, vision, disability, supplemental insurance, life insurance, and mental health benefits. Coverage begins the first of the month following employment.
• Retirement:
  • Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) pension plan: Mandatory 5% employee contribution with up to 6% employer match.
  • 401k: LEAD contributes 5% for eligible staff.
  • 403b plan: LEAD matches 50% of the first 6% of employee contributions, with additional annual contributions after one year based on budget performance.
• Time Off:
  • School-year employees (teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals): 30 paid days during the school year (including holidays, fall break, Thanksgiving, winter break, and spring break), plus summer break. Up to 10 accrued PTO days.
  • Calendar-year employees (central office, instructional managers, assistant principals): 32 paid days during the school year, plus up to 12 accrued PTO days.
• Parental Leave: 16 weeks of paid maternity leave and 6 weeks of paid parental leave (adoption, foster care).
• Laptop provided with internet/email access for job responsibilities.