Middle School ELA Teacher - 26-27 School Year

About the role

Launch EL Charter School is seeking a passionate and skilled Middle School ELA Teacher to join our instructional team. At Launch, literacy is not a subject. It is a schoolwide commitment and a social justice imperative. We believe every child has the fundamental right to read, and that expanding literacy is one of the most powerful tools for advancing educational equity.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver standards-aligned ELA lessons grounded in the Red Thread curriculum and EL Education's instructional model, with intentional attention to all four literacy domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening
• Design and facilitate expedition-based learning experiences where students engage with complex texts, develop original ideas, and present and defend their thinking to authentic audiences
• Provide explicit writing instruction across an ambitious range of forms — literary analysis, argumentative essays, personal narratives, research papers, poetry, persuasive media, and social impact plans — guiding students through an iterative process of drafting, peer and teacher feedback, and revision that builds academic courage and a genuine understanding of craft
• Teach close reading as a transferable skill across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and primary sources — building students' ability to slow down, notice what a text is doing, and construct meaning from evidence rather than instinct
• Facilitate structured academic discourse, Socratic seminars, and oral presentations that build students' confidence and skill as speakers, listeners, and critical thinkers
• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners, including students in ICT settings, students with IEPs, English Language Learners, and extension groups, using small group instruction, flexible grouping, and targeted intervention and enrichment
• Use formative and summative assessment data, including reading level data and writing benchmarks, to drive small group work, adjust whole-class instruction, and document student growth over time
• Prepare students for NYS ELA assessments through targeted, data-informed test preparation that builds skills without sacrificing the depth and joy of the broader literacy program
• Establish consistent expectations and routines in a student-centered classroom that is organized, welcoming, and celebratory, using a restorative justice framework to build relationships, repair harm, and keep students connected to the community rather than removed from it
• Lead a Crew, EL Education's student advisory structure, serving as a consistent, trusted adult who guides a small group of students in their academic growth, character development, and sense of belonging
• Plan and analyze student work alongside your colleagues in department and grade-level meetings, using data to ask hard questions and make better instructional decisions together
• Engage in quarterly coaching cycles built on an asset-based approach — you will be observed, given feedback, and supported to grow, with the expectation that your practice improves and students feel it
• Prepare students to lead their own Student-Led Conferences and Passages, putting student voice at the center of the learning community
• Build and sustain genuine relationships with students and families, communicating honestly and regularly about growth, challenges, and what students are capable of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred
• Valid New York State Teaching Certification in ELA
• Deep knowledge of ELA pedagogy including close reading, writing process, and structured academic discourse
• Experience teaching writing as a craft, not just a skill — middle school experience preferred
• Teaching experience in an urban setting preferred
• Unwavering commitment to equity, Launch's mission, and the EL Education model
• Documented success moving student reading and writing achievement, with clear evidence of growth over time
• Familiarity with Red Thread or a similar thematic, inquiry-driven ELA curriculum is a plus; experience with project-based or expedition-based learning where students produce work for real audiences is strongly preferred

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) and/or Roth IRA with employer match
• Flexible spending accounts (Health Care FSA, Dependent Care FSA, Transit)
• Short- and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program with mental health, family, and wellness support
• Professional development funding and ongoing coaching
• Parental leave
• Summer benefits

Pay

$65,000 - $115,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Salaries at Launch are set through a lens of equity and based on an individual's skills, education, and years of relevant experience.

Schedule

School calendar follows the NYC academic calendar with additional professional development days.