The Opportunity: PLA teacher assistants are passionate and devoted assistantsbringing creativity and rigor to our classrooms to support an improved learning experience for our scholars. Our teacher assistants are compassionate and committed to building a caring environment that nurtures the success of our school community. As a Teacher Assistant at Phalen Leadership Academies, you will work with individual and/or small groups of scholars under the supervision of a certified teacher. You will do this by following educational and behavioral plans and modeling appropriate behaviors and interactions with students and staff. During non-classroom time, you will function in other support capacities (learning labs, hallway monitoring, lunch duty, etc.) and then implement the academic curriculum during designated blocks of time. 

The Details

Key Deliverables:

• Assist certified teachers with implementation of differentiation plans for small groups
• Provide instruction and support for classroom teachers and/or one-on-one tutoring for eligible students
• Provide instructional support in the library, media center, and/or cafeteria
• Perform administrative tasks such as filing, answering the phone, etc.
• Contribute feedback and data on scholar progress, behavior, and performance
• Assis with supervision of scholars in the lunchroom and on the playground
• Work in collaboration with teachers and administrators

Experience and Education Requirements:

• A passion for working with students and families in under-served communities
• High school diploma or its equivalent
• Analytical ability to plan individual and group activities that stimulate growth in scholars
• Prior experience with small group instruction, preferred
• Interpersonal skills necessary to establish and maintain effective relationships with scholars, parents/guardians, and other staff members

The Network:PLA is a transformative education nonprofit changing communities across the country by providing a depth of resources not found in the traditional education model. In addition to serving as one of the country’s best turnaround school operators and successfully launching charter school start-ups, PLA also provides our school communities with a successful, research-based summer learning program (Summer Advantage), a successful Reading and Math Intervention program (Reading and Math Advantage), and a workforce development program (PLA University) that provides expanded opportunities for our high school graduates, along with the family members of our current staff and students. This menu of programs and services is unique to our network, sets us apart from other organizations, and provides expanded opportunities for our staff through career advancement opportunities, and expanded income opportunities.

The Campus:

Promise Prep, managed by PLA, is located on the Northeast side of Indianapolis. Promise Prep is a tuition-free public charter elementary school in Indianapolis, IN. We opened our doors in August 2021 with our founding Kindergarten, First and Second Grade classrooms. We are now serving scholars, K through 4th grade. Promise Prep is a comprehensive school with the mission of serving the needs of a very diverse population. This diversity is one of the qualities that make Promise Prep a great environment for learning.

Compensation and Benefits:

PLA Teacher Assistants receive a base salary that is competitively aligned with the market. In addition to a base salary, PLA School Teacher Assistants receive: 

• Competitive Compensation
• Benefits – Healthcare, vision, and dental insurance
• Professional development opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and being a part of professional communities within the school
• Incentive and bonus opportunities 

PLA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristics as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.