SY 25-26 3rd Grade Teacher & Upper School Coach Lead

School Mission

Compass Collegiate Academy provides every scholar with the academic foundation and strong habits that inspire and cultivate lifelong learners who lead purposeful, civic lives.

Compass Collegiate Academy strives to create a diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist community. People from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

School Overview

Compass Collegiate Academy (CCA) is a public charter school that opened in Charleston, South Carolina with grades K-1 in August of 2021. Our school is adding a grade each year thereafter until we are a full Kindergarten through 8th grade school. CCA has intentionally built its school model and structured its budget to ensure that the student body is representative of the student population in North Charleston and the Charleston peninsula, the school’s geographic target area. CCA is driven by the following core beliefs for its school model:

All Means All - The school will operate with a non-negotiable belief in the potential of every child. Every adult employed at the school will operate with a daily mindset that every scholar can achieve at high levels irrespective of a scholar’s family income, disability, language proficiency or prior developmental experience.

Rigorous Curriculum - The school’s rigorous curriculum and academic program is designed to assist scholars to acquire a foundation of knowledge and advanced literacy skills in the early grades that will prepare scholars to undertake higher order analysis, evaluation, and critical thinking skills in later grades.

An Intentional Commitment to Scholar Social and Emotional Growth - Preparing scholars for successful secondary and postsecondary pursuits involves growing both sharp minds and big hearts. CCA will focus on helping scholars to better understand their own identities, their communities, and how to successfully build relationships with peers across lines of difference. Scholars will develop character strengths such as kindness, determination, curiosity, gratitude and integrity and will be better equipped to positively impact their diverse local communities and world.

High-quality Staff - The school will have a robust hiring and development model based on some of the nation’s best public schools to ensure a high-quality teaching and learning environment for scholars. Teachers and leaders will be respected as skilled practitioners and professionals in a culture that prioritizes continuous growth and development for adults as well as scholars. 

Personalized Learning through Data-Driven Instruction - Through a continuous cycle of assessment, analysis, and action, the school will identify personalized needs to close academic gaps while also differentiating instruction for scholars with more advanced achievement. 

Parental Involvement and Intentional Community - The school values families as partners in the academic growth and human development of scholars. Families can expect daily updates on scholar progress, weekly phone communication and availability with a scholar’s teacher, open doors to the school, and access to workshops and seminars on childhood human development. The school will intentionally cultivate a supportive school community among diverse families.

Position Overview:
The Teacher & Upper Lead Coach will serve as a key leader in both the academic and operational success of the school. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, this role is responsible for supporting instructional excellence, overseeing scholar achievement, and managing day-to-day operations that ensure a safe, productive, and mission-aligned learning environment. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, organized, and instructional leader who thrives in both strategic planning and hands-on execution.

Role Expectations

K-5 Lead Teachers will be part of a hardworking team to help grow Charleston’s newest open enrollment public charter school serving all scholars. K-4 Lead Teachers are responsible for achieving the school’s mission through leading joyful classrooms that are academically rigorous, intensely focused on literacy skill development for all scholars, and intentional about daily scholar social and emotional growth. He or she will report to a member of the academic leadership team and contribute to creating the school’s achievement-oriented culture.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Instructional Leader

• Develop weekly lesson plans and instructional materials that are informed by data.  Adapt plans and materials as necessary to ensure that every scholar experiences a high-quality curriculum.
• Utilize effective teaching strategies to deliver effective whole class, individualized and small group instruction.
• Lead a daily classroom-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program and link SEL lessons to the academic program. 
• Regularly collaborate with classroom co-teachers and school staff to provide effective instruction to all scholars.
• Identify, record, reflect on scholar needs and participate regularly in professional development to assess, plan, monitor, and implement methods to solve scholar learning challenges.
• Communicate regularly with parents to support scholar learning needs.
• Lead Teachers are accountable for scholar’s mastery of academic standards.
• Develop expertise with the school’s literacy program, including the STEP Assessment.

Classroom Management

• Establish and maintain high standards of scholar behavior needed to achieve an optimal learning classroom learning environment.
• Regularly input, review, and use CCA’s schoolwide data system for tracking scholar behavior.
• Provide a functional and attractive classroom learning environment with teaching aides and materials aligned to the curriculum.
• Regularly collaborate with classroom co-teachers and school staff to provide effective behavior interventions and supports to all scholars.

Assessment and Data

• Participate cooperatively in CCA’s assessment system and data platforms to monitor scholar learning and progression.
• Develop classroom based formative assessments as necessary to check for scholar progress and mastery.
• Advance professional knowledge of CCA data systems, data reports consistent with CCA’s distributed data philosophy and approach.
• Administer assessments in a variety of forms (formative, summative, standardized, etc.) in accordance with CCA’s testing programs.
• Evaluate scholar’s academic and SEL growth, keep appropriate records, prepare scholar reports and regularly communicate with parents regarding their scholar's progress.

General Responsibilities

• Regularly participate in CCA’s professional development program, including CCA’s annual summer professional development prior to school opening.
• Actively participate in CCA’s instructional coaching program (coach and be coached).
• Supervise scholars in out-of-classroom activities on rotating schedules. Examples include, but are not limited to: lunch duty, bus monitor, and recess duty.
• Communicate with parents, CCA leadership team, and CCA colleagues in a timely, consistent manner.
• Attend school wide functions and community events as requested.

K-5 Lead Teachers will perform other duties as required to achieve the school’s mission.

Key Responsibilities:

Academic Leadership

• Assist in launching and refining the academic program to align with the school’s mission and performance goals.

• Coach and develop instructional staff through regular observation, feedback, and professional development.

• Collaborate with the instructional team on curriculum design and instructional practices, particularly in literacy and data-driven instruction.

• Lead the implementation of the school’s social-emotional learning and discipline programs.

• Analyze scholar academic performance data to drive instructional improvement.

• Monitor lesson planning, assessments, and scholar academic progress to ensure alignment with state standards and school goals.

• Oversee compliance for special populations (including special education and 504) in collaboration with the Special Education Coordinator.

• Direct and coordinate school-wide assessments and ensure fidelity in assessment administration (e.g., iReady, SC Ready).

• Support scholar attendance, academic, and behavioral interventions.

Instructional Staff Management

• Assist with recruiting, hiring, and onboarding instructional staff who embody the school’s mission and values.

• Conduct regular staff meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and performance evaluations.

• Provide leadership for professional development sessions and instructional planning meetings.

• Collaborate with staff on classroom management techniques and scholar engagement strategies.

• Foster a positive and supportive staff culture and monitor school morale.

Operational Leadership

• Oversee daily school operations, including food service, transportation, technology, facilities, and safety procedures.

• Supervise the operations team and part-time support staff, ensuring high-quality performance and accountability.

• Serve as the main point of contact for HR-related issues and support staff onboarding and compliance.

• Lead logistics for school-wide and off-site events (e.g., orientations, family nights, recruitment fairs).

• Manage school-wide operational systems and ensure fidelity of implementation across all teams.

• Serve as the school’s expert on data and student information systems

Fiscal & Compliance Management

• Manage the school’s purchasing, inventory, and vendor relationships.

• Support the Executive Director in budget development, financial reporting, and audit preparation.

• Ensure adherence to internal controls, fiscal policies, and all local, state, and federal compliance requirements.
  Assist in reporting to the Board of Directors and external stakeholders.

Scholar Enrollment & Family Engagement

• Lead scholar recruitment and enrollment processes to ensure full enrollment each academic year.

• Manage student registration and transitions (entry/exit) and maintain accurate records.

• Support family engagement efforts by enhancing classroom-home communication and participating in school events.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s degree or higher preferred).

• Minimum of three years business experience required; charter school operations experience preferred.

• Experience with charter school finance and budgets preferred.

• Demonstrated competency with technology, including but not limited to Microsoft Word, Excel, Student Information Systems and accounting software systems required.

• Experience working with a culturally diverse student body preferred.

Ability to:

• Work hard to achieve the school’s mission.

• Communicate clearly and effectively in both oral and written language.

• Be extremely attentive to detail.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and responsibilities at once and prioritize the highest-leverage and most urgent tasks.

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with a variety of people. 

• Engage families and the larger community in the life of the school.

• Plan, coordinate, and direct work and activities of the operations team.

• Manage budgets, prioritize expenditures, and seek innovative methods for providing school resources.

• Promote and market the educational program and services of the school.

We Offer:

• A supportive and energetic team environment.

• Opportunities for professional growth and community impact.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with your experience. Compass Collegiate Academy full-time employees are provided with a benefits package that includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, retirement plan, parental leave, and a laptop.

All employment with CCA is AT-WILL and nothing contained in this job description or in any other document provided by CCA creates a contract of employment for a specified term. In at-will employment, both the employee and employer retain the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and with or without any advance notice.

Compass Collegiate Academy is committed to providing equal access to educational and employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, pregnancy, age, sex, or any other protected characteristic, as may be required by law.