Founding Teacher Leader

Wildflower Schools Founding Teacher Leader, Albuquerque or the Permian Basin, New Mexico

(PK-3rd Grade)

The mission of Wildflower Schools is to provide families with child-centered, authentic Montessori education that bridges academic outcomes and social-emotional development through intimate learning communities deeply rooted in place, access, and belonging. Founded in 2014, Wildflower Schools has launched over 70 Montessori schools in the US and Puerto Rico. Wildflower offers startup support, proven strategies, and a community of like-minded peers to educators that are passionate about bringing the Montessori model to more families.

For more information about our organization and ways of working, please visit wildflower schools.org.

As a Founding Teacher Leader at Wildflower Schools, you will design, lead, and teach at a new primary/lower elementary charter school site in Albuquerque or the Permian Basin, New Mexico (Hobbs, Carlsbad, Roswell, or Artesia), in partnership with other Teacher Leaders and in collaboration with the Administrative Partner and other charter-wide support roles. Teacher Leaders report to the charter school’s Board of Directors.

Each site will launch with three co-founders - two primary Teacher Leaders (for a classroom of 3-6 year olds) and one lower elementary Teacher Leader serving 1st-3rd grade - who collectively design, launch, and operate a Montessori micro charter school with support from the broader Wildflower Schools network.

Over the course of a 2-year School Startup Journey, which includes the development and approval of a new Wildflower charter application, proposed school founders will engage in a phased process that will ultimately prepare them to design, launch, and operate a new Wildflower public school, the first of its kind in New Mexico. Responsibilities of founding Teacher Leaders will include:

• Get to know Wildflower through self-reflection and conversations with Wildflower Partners and community members.
• Identify and engage a professional network of like-minded advocates, experts, and community collaborators who will eventually serve as your Steering Committee during the charter application and authorization process.
• This committee may include 1-2 Emerging Teacher Leaders/potential co-founders, future board members, parents who share your vision and may have an interest in sending their children to the school, non-profit leaders and/or community partners.
• Cultivate authentic, enduring relationships with families from the district you intend to serve to inform ongoing school design and evolution and to deepen your conviction to bring a Wildflower school to that community.
• Engage in Wildflower’s Charter Entrepreneurs Cohort to design and solicit feedback on a charter school model rooted in high fidelity Montessori practices, microeconomics and the Wildflower principles as well as the unique needs and assets of the proposed community.
• If needed, research and select a Montessori Training Center partner and timeline for securing Montessori certification in the age band you plan to serve.

• Engage in in-depth learning experiences to equip you to design and launch a successful charter school, including learning from other high-performing schools and education organizations in-state and out-of-state.
• With support from Wildflower Schools, Excellent Schools New Mexico and your Steering Committee, translate your school vision and operational plan into a comprehensive charter application, to include detailed plans for curriculum and instruction, board development, family and community engagement, staffing, finance, and facilities.
• Achieve charter approval and move into Planning and School Startup.

• Work closely with Wildflower Schools and Excellent Schools New Mexico to ensure all foundational elements are in place for a successful school launch.
• Set up strong systems for operations, governance, finance, legal, and compliance functions.
• Recruit and onboard your school’s Founding Board of Directors and work with…