Purpose
The Grade Level Lead is a teacher leader responsible for fostering a strong adult and student culture, managing grade level teams to ensure they meet their grade-level goals, and building a community around the core values, vision, and mission of Veritas Prep. The Grade Level Lead receives a stipend for additional work outside of their teaching role and hours.
What You’ll Do
Meeting Plan and Facilitation
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Plan and facilitate effective weekly grade-level meetings with the culture team, grade level leads, and an Assistant Principal and/or Principal focused on Tier 1 culture systems and Veritas values
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Effectively communicate clear grade-level goals at each meeting
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Ensure space for multiple voices/perspectives at all grade-level meetings while also being transparent about decision-making, leading to concrete decisions, next steps, and progress toward goals
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Model a solutions-oriented mindset when tackling challenging issues and decisions
- Ensure assessment and consideration of preferences, traditions, and requirements (from The Management Center) as it relates to team meetings, workflows, and delegation
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Develop skills around facilitating difficult conversations
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Utilize an anti-racist lens when looking at data to help identify equity strengths and gaps: ensure student data compilations, meetings, and reports provide data for subgroups including but not limited to race, gender, language learners, and students with learning disabilities
Community Building
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Collaborate with an AP and grade-level team to ensure orientation for staff and students runs smoothly and effectively
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Organize and lead monthly grade-level community meetings or other grade level team events that support and inspire a vision of academic excellence in collaboration with an AP
- Support the Operations Team in organizing and leading in-school family engagement events
- Grow, support, and model the Veritas vision around equity and anti-racism
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Set up brief, regular checkpoints with grade-level team members, ensuring they feel supported, heard, and seen
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Encourage team collaboration around anti-racism and equity work at Veritas using key tools such as the Veritas Anti-racism Standards and the Teaching for Equity Framework from Leading Educators
Project Management and Operations
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Coordinate the grade-level calendar and ensure strong communication with team members around deadlines and important dates
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Leverage the strengths of team members by delegating project-based tasks, monitoring progress, and holding people accountable (i.e. the delegation cycle from The Management Center)
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Collaborate with Operations Team to ensure classrooms have appropriate materials and supplies
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Work closely with the Director of Culture to reset tier 1 systems and procedures throughout the year as needed
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Ensure the grade level data bulletin boards are updated (Attendance/Homework Completion/Honor Roll)
- Collaborate with the Director of Operations to support last-minute coverage needs
Data Analysis and Problem-Solving
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Collaborate with the student success team to review data (referrals, Deanslist data, VIPER den, etc.) and problem-solve regarding grade-level in-class interventions
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Review student, family, and staff surveys to identify strengths, challenges, and next steps to address gaps
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Pull reports from student information systems for the weekly grade-level meeting and add to Grade Level Goals Tracker
- Attendance
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Parent Communication Log (contact is 2 weeks or more recent for every family)
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CV/ Referrals (Deanslist)
Communication
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Collaborate with student success, operations, counseling, and the student support team to ensure important message are communicated to the grade level teams
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Ensure timely, appropriate, clear communication with grade-level team members, staff, students, and parents/families about new initiatives, important events, meetings, updates, deadlines, and announcements
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Check in with an AP to debrief grade-level meetings and ensure progress toward grade-level goals
- Check in on key procedures and routines for the grade and how they are aligned to school expectations and share reflections, glows, and grows with team members
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Openness to collaborate/share best meeting practices with Grade Level Leads across both Veritas schools
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Model positive, assets-based communication around student strengths and growth areas
Requirements
What You’ll Need (Key Qualifications)
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Ability to collaborate across teams (culture, operations, etc.)
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Ability to utilize data to make decisions
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Ability to positively influence and support peers
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Commitment to creating clear, simple systems for organization
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Solutions-oriented mindset when navigating challenges
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Excitement to grow one’s leadership skills with a community of other teacher leaders
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Willingness to learn from and alongside other grade level leads
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Ability to take feedback in order to improve one’s meeting facilitation skills
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Ability to see themselves as a change agent who can influence the practices of peer
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Commitment to anti-racism and ability to utilize the Veritas Anti-Racism Standards to promote change
Time Commitment (In and Out of School)
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There will be two summer training dates scheduled 7/14 & 7/28
- After-school meetings with other Grade Level Leads (monthly or bimonthly)
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Quarterly after-school professional development
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Weekly tasks and preparation related to the role, as described above
Benefits
What You’ll Get
- $3,000 stipend
- Regular feedback from peers around facilitation
- Access to additional professional development from outside providers
