Elementary Newcomer Teacher Leader (0.5 FTE) - Melrose Leadership Academy Elementary (2025-26)

Ref. 11317

Work in an intentional and caring community.

We are looking for passionate and dedicated educators, classified staff, and leaders to join us in creating joyful, healing and liberatory spaces of learning for Oakland students, families, and communities.

Oakland educators are passionate, equity-focused, and resilient. Oakland Unified is an incredible place to build and develop your career in service of our core values: students first, joy, equity, excellence, integrity, and cultural responsiveness.

Our Mission and Vision

The Oakland Unified School District’s mission is to build a Full Service Community District focused on high academic achievement while serving the whole child, eliminating inequity, and providing each child with excellent teachers, every day.

Our vision is that all OUSD students will find joy in their academic experience while graduating with the skills to ensure they are caring, competent, fully-informed, critical thinkers who are prepared for college, career, and community success.

Our Strategic Plan

The four key initiatives of our current district wide strategic plan are:

• Ensuring Strong Third Grader Readers ( Accelerating citywide efforts to guarantee literacy for all third graders )
• Supporting Powerful Graduates ( Developing essential skills to secure post-secondary success ),
• Creating Inspiring Schools ( Reimagining schools to be places of joy, inclusion and beauty )
• Growing a Diverse and Stable Staff ( Attract and retain staff reflective of Oakland’s rich diversity )

We are seeking educators who:

• Build and maintain caring relationships with students and families in order to create a safe academic environment.
• Create and support inclusive learning environments by focusing on students’ strengths.
• Maintain high expectations to create improved outcomes for students.
• Believe that our actions as individuals directly impact equitable conditions for students.
• Know our work is most effective in collaboration with colleagues, families, and students.
• Practice anti-racism because it is critical to the educational success of all students.
• Invest in self-reflection and listen to feedback in order to grow.

What we offer teachers:

Oakland Unified has received substantial funding to support Grow Our Own pathway programs including Classified-to-Teacher, Maestr@s, and the Salesforce Recruitment & Retention Initiative for Middle Schools programs. We are invested in creating and maintaining affinity spaces for educators that support retention and socio-emotional support. We provide extensive professional development and training for teachers, innovative curricula, ongoing mentoring and advancement opportunities. Our teachers are also given abundant opportunities to work together in Professional Learning Communities within and across schools in the District.

In addition to professional development and training, we offer a comprehensive compensation package that includes:

• Competitive salaries determined by experience, education level, and credentials
• We accept up to twelve years of full time teaching experience in other school settings on the salary schedule (please see our salary schedule here: OUSD Salary Schedules Ranges - Oakland Unified School District )
• Full medical, dental, and vision benefits, including Flexible Spending Accounts, plus life insurance and long-term disability coverage
• Retirement benefits through the CALSTRS Retirement System
• Read more about benefits here: Benefits Office - Oakland Unified School District

Qualifications:

Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree, must be eligible for employment in the US and pass a criminal background check. Candidates must possess, or be willing to earn, a California teaching credential authorizing instruction in core curriculum.

Additional requirements:

• Completed online application (in job portal )
• Resume and cover Letter
• Two current professional references, including from a supervisor

You can also learn more about our teaching opportunities and hiring events here: https://www.ousd.org/careers

If you have questions or would like more information, please email recruitment@ousd.org

To hear about news and events to support you in becoming an OUSD educator, please fill out this form .

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The Oakland Unified School District does not discriminate in any program, activity, or in employment on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, gender, sex, or sexual orientation.