3rd - 5th Grade ELA Teacher; Lower School

3rd – 5th Grade ELA Teacher (Lower School)

Join Emerald Charter Schools as a 3rd – 5th Grade ELA Teacher (Lower School) and help grow scholars into leaders in urban Knoxville.

Emerald Academy is looking for an innovative, highly‑motivated, and values‑aligned leader to help grow scholars into leaders in urban Knoxville. These leaders will have the unique opportunity to mold the next chapter of Emerald Academy by embracing the student‑centered learning environment that every child will be college‑bound and career ready.

• Medical, Dental, & Life Insurance
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Voluntary Vision Insurance
• PTO
• Paid Sick Leave
• 13 paid Holidays
• School Holidays & Staff Development Days
• Retirement – competitive Co. Contribution

3-5 Grade Band Director / Director of School

2025/2026 Academic Year

$50,000

The Lead Teacher helps to prepare scholars for the college of their choice and community leadership. The Lead Teacher delivers instruction and manages the classroom in ways that maximize scholars’ academic engagement and outcomes. The Lead Teacher is responsible for overseeing the Associate Teacher and reports directly to the director of a grade band.

• Design and implement rigorous lessons and classroom instruction with a focus on student achievement determined by demonstration of mastery.
• Create a classroom climate of high expectations that rewards perseverance through academically challenging materials.
• Communicate and build strong partnerships with families through phone calls, conferences and home visits when appropriate.
• Use current student data to drive instruction, planning and decision‑making.
• Work collaboratively with all Emerald Academy team members to ensure students achieve at high levels.
• Develop processes that encourage student self‑assessment and self‑monitoring.
• Document, analyze, and summarize student progress based on both formal and informal assessment measures.
• Utilize technology to maintain student data and enhance student learning.

• Must hold a Tennessee Teacher License and any needed endorsements.
• Must have an active TDOE Teaching License or completed the TDOE Application process for current and active out‑of‑state license transfer prior to application.
• Must meet highly qualified status for area(s) will be teaching. Teaching experience preferred, but not required.
• Must possess a passion for the work itself.
• Must thrive in an innovative environment.
• Must work collaboratively to form creative solutions.
• Must have record of demonstrated expertise in their domain – grade‑level, and in teaching literacy.
• Must demonstrate a growth mindset – flexibility to learn new methods and present ideas to improve learning and the school.
• Must believe all kids can learn and achieve at high academic levels.
• Must commit to being an active part of a staff that will never tire in its efforts to have all our scholars succeed academically.

Emerald Academy is Knoxville’s first college preparatory charter school. We are committed to the singular focus of growing all our scholars into leaders. We are a K‑8 school of high expectations that creates the right learning culture for city students to thrive through our innovative use of time, personalized focus on each scholar and strong partnerships with scholars’ families and the community.

We believe that all students should read at or above grade level by third grade. We are committed to having our students perform in the top 5% of the state within our first decade of existence. We will develop in our scholars the skills, habits and values for them to graduate from high school, enroll in college and succeed in life.

Emerald Academy values its staff for their professional knowledge and abilities to foster student achievement. We will create an environment where teachers are empowered to make instructional decisions using the most current student evidence (data) and the team’s instructional expertise.