Founding Teacher Leader

Wildflower Schools Founding Teacher Leader, Minnesota (Primary-6th 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 80 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, you will design, lead, and teach at a new primary/lower elementary charter or independent school site in Minnesota, in partnership with other Teacher Leaders and in collaboration with Wildflower partners. Each site will launch with two co-teachers that collectively design and oversee their Montessori school with support from the broader Wildflower Schools network.

Over the course of the Wildflower School Startup Journey, candidates will engage in four phases:
Discovery, Visioning, Planning, and Startup, that will ultimately prepare them to design, launch, and teach at a new Montessori microschool. The timeline and responsibilities will include:

(1-2 months) Discovery:

• Get to know Wildflower through conversation with Wildflower Partners, existing Teacher Leaders, and community members.

• Complete self-reflection activity in order to explore interest and alignment with Wildflower.

(1-3 months) Visioning:

• Develop authentic, enduring relationships with community members to inform ongoing site design and evolution, and to deepen your conviction to serve.

• Complete a Visioning Album to begin the design of a school with input from the community.

• Identify a Teacher Leader partner to co-found, co-lead, and co-teach alongside (with the support of the Wildflower network).

(4-9 months) Planning:

• Co-create the school design with and for families and children and cultivate a committed community of students, families, and stakeholders rooted in partnership.

• Collaborate to design a physical space for a new Wildflower microsite - including leasing and renovating a community embedded site.

• Build a balanced site budget and implement sound financial practices to ensure accountability and fiscal health.

• Build a board (if an independent school).

• Affiliate your microsite with the Wildflower Network and become an employee of the independent or charter entity.

(1-2 months) Startup:

• Prepare a Montessori learning environment in alignment with your vision and the community’s needs.

• Ensure compliance with either the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (if independent) or the Wildflower charter contract and the regulations set forth by the charter authorizer and the state department of education (if charter).

• Align operational practices with the Wildflower network’s policies, plans, and school site-based practices that center the child and their sense of belonging.

• Enroll students and families in the school program.

• Co-host community engagement activities.

• Hire site-based staff such as assistants and paraprofessionals.

• Launch and co-lead a Wildflower microsite that:

  • Supports all learners, especially students with special needs by employing inclusive teaching practices, including healing-centered instruction, that meet the needs of every child.
  • Maintains compliance with the school’s charter, if relevant, and statewide accountability expectations.
  • Supports caregivers of students to adopt aligned practices at home as desired to create a seamless learning environment.
  • Operates with sound human resource and legal practices.
  • Meets all licensing and paperwork requirements depending on the school’s grade bands.

Launching and Co-Leading Your Site:

• Co-lead and co-teach a mixed age group Montessori classroom.

• Attend relevant professional learning events.

• If launching a charter site, attend authorizer and state compliance trainings to ensure the school stays in charter compliance.

• Collaborate…