Job Description

TK Lead Teacher (25-26SY)

The Organization

Lighthouse Community Public Schools

At Lighthouse Community Public Schools we are engaged in an educational movement that goes beyond our classrooms working to disrupt inequities by providing our students and families exceptional educational opportunities every day. Grounded in our core values of community, integrity, agency, love, and social justice rooted in the EL Education Model, LCPS is a leader in fostering innovative schools achieving exceptional student outcomes where each child is at the center of their own learning. Our mission is to prepare diverse students for college, a career of their choice, and to be lifelong changemakers. Founded in 2002, LCPS operates two high-achieving TK-12 public charter schools whose goal is to be the highest performing schools in East Oakland. Our two schools serve over 1,600 students and are a beacon for public education and our graduates fulfill the promise of a better, brighter Oakland. Learn more at www.lighthousecharter.org.

The Opportunity

TK Lead Teacher (25-26SY) — Competencies and Qualifications

Lighthouse Community Public Schools is looking for a talented Founding Transitional Kindergarten Lead Teacher to join our team who is relentlessly committed to ensuring that traditionally underserved students of color achieve our mission of completing college, securing a career of their choice, and becoming lifelong changemakers in their communities. LCPS teachers believe that this important mission is not only attainable; it is essential to transforming our Oakland community. If you are inspired by our mission and vision and want to be a changemaker in students’ lives here in Oakland, then please apply and join us! You will embody the following Core Competencies to be an effective change-agent:

• Be an anti-racist educator committed to educational justice as evidenced by respectful and supportive relationships, well-planned instruction, rigorous daily assessment, and daily opportunities for students to revise and refine their work.
• Facilitate cognitively engaging student-centered learning.
• Demonstrate a keen belief in and ability to create, collect, and analyze achievement data to drive student learning and outcomes for all students
• Be a strong community builder and team collaborator
• Model and foster a growth mindset with agency, persistence, and flexibility
• Be a collaborative and responsible professional educator

  Your responsibilities will include:   INSTRUCTIONAL VISION

• Specific teaching responsibilities of this role include:
  • Teach a self-contained class of TK students and serve as the lead teacher for the other aides and staff assigned to support TK
  • All elementary math and reading teachers teach small-group phonics/reading instruction.
• The Founding TK Teacher will serve in a leadership capacity and support the direct coaching of the TK aide and TK Teacher in Training. This teacher will also participate in the TK advisory and planning committee to provide input to LCPS instructional leaders regarding curriculum, instruction, assessment and intervention models for TK.
• All LCPS teachers are assigned an advisory (known as a “Crew”), morning or afternoon duty (yard supervision) up to 2 times per week, and either a guided study hall or designated ELD course depending on the need of the school and the teacher’s specific licensure.
• Demonstrate culturally responsive pedagogy which gives students the skills, practice, and daily opportunity to grapple with rigorous content each day and includes unrelenting high expectations and an assets-based approach for every student.
• Plan, internalize, and implement adopted, effective, grade-level standards-based curriculum, units, and lessons that are learner-driven and maintain rigor.
• Differentiate curriculum while still maintaining rigor to provide grade-level access and results for all student subgroups, including students with IEPs, English language learners, African-American, and Latinx students.
• Utilize, collect, and analyze rigorous, student-engaged assessments, both formative and summative, to identify and address students’ areas of growth and mastery of learning objectives.
• Additional Duties, as assigned by Supervisor

  CLASSROOM & SCHOOL CULTURE

• Builds and maintains classroom culture that is supportive and learning-centered, undergirded by strong management, efficient procedures, and systems, but most evident in the full inclusion of African-American boys, students with trauma, and students with IEPs in the social and learning community.
• Create positive relationships by building nurturing and affirming teacher-student, student-student, and teacher-family partnerships with a focus on building a community of risk-taking, collaborative learners.

  PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES/STAFF CULTURE

• Grow and contribute as an educator, colleague, learner, and community member including engaging in professional development and your own growth as a teacher in service of student learning and outcomes.
• Demonstrate advocacy, flexibility, autonomy, and collegiality.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, reflects on practice with self and others, and acts on feedback.
• Demonstrate flexibility, and ownership of our collective results.
• Administer all policies and procedures in a professional and timely manner as mandated by LCPS, and state and federal agencies (i.e., attendance records, dress code, reporting of sexual/physical abuse).

  Are you ready to join an educational movement that is bigger than one classroom?   If you are excited about the opportunity to foster and facilitate a progressive growth mindset in students and engage in transformational teaching, we are actively looking for student-centered, dedicated and dynamic teachers.   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: We would love to hear from you if your educational toolbox includes the following:

• B.A. or B.S., required
• Valid California Teaching Credential in addition to a TK specific certification or commitment and ability to acquire one (must supply unofficial transcripts to verify eligibility if do not have a valid license) per CTC requirements found here
• In addition to valid teaching credential, TK teachers must have one of the following:
  • (A) At least 24 units in early childhood education, childhood development, or both.
  • (B) As determined by the Local Educational Agency (LEA) employing the teacher, professional experience in a classroom setting with preschool age children comparable to the 24 units of education described in subparagraph (A).
  • (C) A child development teacher permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
• Valid Certificate of Clearance verifying professional fitness for all CA teachers of record, required (if have never held a COC must obtain one before can be fully hired and cleared to start)
• Deep knowledge of California Common Core State Standards, student-centered, mastery-based learning, curriculum planning, and data analysis, preferred
• 2 years teaching urban youth with transformational results preferably in a TK/K/ECE setting, preferred
• Familiarity navigating educational platforms
• Experience teaching in a progressive school model. preferred
• Bilingual in Spanish, preferred

  Environmental Requirements: Able to work in:

• Loud environments such as cafeterias, playgrounds, classrooms, and large professional settings
• Indoor/Outdoor adaptability to all weather conditions related to outdoor activities and/or travel to field trips and school-sponsored events
• Airconditioned and heated environments under fluorescent lighting.

Physical Demands: Ability to: See and hear on a continuous basis and speak frequently. Sit and stand for extended periods of time. Stop, extend, kneel and reach. Lift up to 25 pounds. Walk for long periods of time. On rare occasions, would need to move quickly or run over smooth to uneven surfaces indoor/outdoor. Repetitive movement of fingers and hands for keyboarding and whiteboard usage. Occasional travel to sites for PD within and outside LCPS.   SUPERVISION This position will report to School Principal or principal’s designee.   TIME COMMITMENT This position is 1.0 FTE (full-time exempt) and follows a 10-month (190 day) work year with significant student-free days for professional learning and collaboration with colleagues and interaction with families. All new instructional staff will report in late July/early August, 2025 per the LCPS Calendar for the 25-26SY. Common Building Hours: All teachers are expected to maintain common building hours for their school site. These may be subject to change for the 2024-25SY:

• Campus Building Hours: 8:00 - 4:00 pm M, Tu, Th, Fri and 8:00-5:00 on Wednesdays for Professional Development.
• Occasional evening events during the year including start of year Icecream Social, Back to School Night, Expo, and other events identified by the school calendar in advance.

  OUR COMPENSATION PACKAGE At Lighthouse Community Public Schools we take good care of our employees. We provide a competitive compensation and benefits package, including a competitive salary and generous health and retirement benefits (100% employee health coverage/50% for dependents; 8% employer-matching for retirement program; medical and dependent FSA, Employee Assistance Program, life insurance, optional 403b retirement plan, and other optional insurance benefits).   TO APPLY People of color and/or bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should submit:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing your interest in this exciting position and why you are an optimal fit, including how your teaching philosophy, approach to student learning, and educational expertise would contribute to Lighthouse Community Public Schools.
• 3-5 Professional References: Name, position, phone number, and email address. (Two of which should be current or previous supervisors of your role).
• A list of all prior school-based employers: In accordance with Education Code section 44939.5, Lighthouse is required by law to request information from your former school-based employers about your employment history, including verification of credentialed and/or classified experience and whether you were ever the subject of a credible complaint, substantiated investigation, or discipline for egregious misconduct at your school.

  Application submission screening and initial phone interviews will be completed on a rolling basis. In-person interviews and performance tasks will take place on-site. Lighthouse Community Public School is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity at all levels. #LI-AC1