Elementary Teacher - Texas Connections Academy

Description School Summary Texas Connections Academy is a Texas Online School that offers 100% virtual instruction to public school students across Texas in grades 3-12 who are not physically present on campus during instruction. The TxVSN OLS program is authorized by Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 30A and administered through TEA. Connections Education, LLC is in partnership with Houston ISD to provide this high quality and rigorous virtual instruction through TCAH. Texas Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. Position Summary and Responsibilities The certified teachers will utilize the Pearson Online Classroom to support and motivate students in working through their curriculum, deliver synchronous instruction, provide intervention and enrichment, and use data to diagnose student learning needs. The Elementary Teacher will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks: Represent a commitment to equitable practice in all areas within the job description; this includes use of evidence to make decisions, holding high expectations for all students and committing to providing individualized support to all students to meet those expectations; Manage a homeroom of students; Support the instructional program with asynchronous recorded lessons and synchronous instruction, along with individual communications and intervention; Provide clear, constructive, and consistent feedback for all student work, create progress reports and conduct parent conferences in a timely manner; Communicate with parents, students and other teachers on a regular basis to develop and update Personal Learning Plans and schedules, score assessments, provide feedback on student work, suggest instructional approaches and strategies, monitor completion of assignments and coach special projects; Develop a general knowledge of the entire program’s 3-8 curriculum and a very detailed knowledge of the grades for which responsible; Operate within the Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered System of Supports model, using data and evidence to provide Tier 1 differentiated instruction to all students while working with a team of teachers to develop and implement Tier 2 and 3 interventions; Support students and parents with alternate lessons, assessments, and strategies and provide additional assistance with daily assignments and projects in order to meet individual learning goals; Build strong relationships with students and families to provide direct instruction and intervention that meets the needs of the individual student; Work collaboratively with other staff within a professional learning community to ensure that all students are successfully progressing through the program, that parents have a central point of contact, and that tasks are distributed among staff; Collaborate within the school’s professional learning community to continuously monitor student data to make strong instructional decisions that have direct impact on student learning Collaborate with other teachers, team members and staff learning specialists to develop alternate interventions and extensions to students’ programs to ensure all students learn at relatively high levels of achievement; Keep student records and data up-to-date, including cumulative files, online student and family information, attendance accounting, and logging all student and parent contacts; Work with Advisory Teachers and School Counselor(s) to ensure students and families are receiving appropriate communications, students are making adequate progress and established goals are being met; Work with other teachers to coordinate and attend social activities, required school events (Graduation, for example), and relevant field trips for students, making consideration for integrating these trips into the curriculum; Actively engage with students and families at school events and field trips; Devise and implement virtual methods of creating and maintaining a “school community”; Collaborate in a Professional Learning Community (PLC); Attend required school and district professional development, in addition to seeking professional growth within curriculum field(s) of study; Participate in the organization and administration of State Testing, as directed; Proctor state testing, under the supervision of the Campus Test Coordinator, the Field Administrator and the Test Site Director at a physical location; Participate in student recruiting sessions and other marketing efforts that require teacher representation; Other duties as assigned. Requirements Highly qualified and certified to teach Elementary in Texas appropriate to subject area responsibilities ( must have certification for grades EC-6 or 4-8 ); ACP candidates seeking an internship are not eligible Must hold or be willing to immediately obtain TxVSN Certification Gifted certification is preferred; If you do not currently hold a Gifted certification, you must commit to completing the certification requirements prior to the end of the school year Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite) Excellent communication skills, both oral and written Highly organized and punctual Student and family focused approach High degree of flexibility Demonstrated ability to work well in fast paced environment Team player track record Strong interpersonal skills which include the ability to work effectively with students, parents, staff, and community members from diverse backgrounds. Ability to travel 15-20% for school-related business (state testing, marketing, professional development, and school meetings); May require overnight travel Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families Ability to work remotely Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication.