Head Boys Cross County Coach​/Teacher Social Studies

Position: Head Boys Cross County Coach / Teacher Social Studies
Location: La Joya

Job Title:

High School Teacher / Head Boys Cross Country Coach Wage/Hour Status:
Exempt

Reports to:

Principal / Athletic Coordinator / Executive Director of Athletics Pay Grade:
Teacher Pay Dept./School:
La Joya High School Initiated Date:
March 2026 WHO WE ARE La Joya Independent School District is committed to excellence for students, staff, and the community. With a strong legacy in the Rio Grande Valley, La Joya ISD is focused on providing high-quality academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities for all students. The district's vision, Educational Excellence:
The Right of Every Student, reflects our commitment to ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education and opportunities that support student success. Our work is rooted in the district's core priorities:
* Customer Service
* Trust & Transparency
* High-Quality Instruction
* Excellence in Leadership
* Integrity & Accountability La Joya ISD serves more than 22,000 students across more than 30 schools and is committed to building systems that support academic achievement, athletic excellence, student leadership, and community pride. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR La Joya ISD seeks a committed, motivated, and highly organized educator-coach to serve as a High School Teacher and Head Boys Cross Country Coach at La Joya High School.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about student development, classroom instruction, distance running, athletic competition, and building a cross country program rooted in discipline, endurance, accountability, character, and excellence. We are looking for a leader who:
* Demonstrates excellence in classroom instruction and cross country coaching.
* Holds high expectations for student-athletes academically, behaviorally, and athletically.
* Develops and implements a competitive boys cross country program focused on distance running, endurance, pacing, strength, recovery, nutrition, mental toughness, and race strategy.
* Builds a culture of accountability, commitment, sportsmanship, work ethic, and continuous growth.
* Leads by example through professionalism, organization, integrity, consistency, and personal discipline.
* Mentors assistant coaches and supports vertical alignment with middle school cross country programs.
* Builds strong relationships with students, families, faculty, staff, and community partners.
* Promotes equity, broad student participation, and multi-sport athlete development.
* Supports academic accountability, eligibility, attendance, and student success.
* Commits to continuous professional growth and year-round program improvement. WHY LA JOYA ISD You will be joining a district that is building on a strong tradition of achievement while continuing to improve systems, expectations, and opportunities for students. La Joya ISD is committed to developing student-athletes who demonstrate excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. The district values strong leadership, student-centered decision-making, athletic program development, and a unified approach to building pride across all campuses.

QUALIFICATIONS Education / Certification
* Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
* Valid Texas Teaching Certificate.
* Valid CPR, AED, and First Aid certification.
* Completion of all required UIL coaching certifications and compliance trainings. Experience
* Minimum of two years of coaching experience at the secondary level preferred.
* Experience as a head coach or lead assistant preferred.
* Demonstrated experience in developing student-athletes in cross country, distance running, track, or endurance-based training.
* Experience organizing practices, meets, offseason programs, summer running plans, and program development preferred. Special Knowledge and Skills
* Demonstrated knowledge of TEKS and the ability to implement rigorous, standards-aligned instruction consistent with the La Joya ISD Instructional Framework.
* Strong knowledge of UIL rules, athletic compliance, eligibility requirements, heat safety, hydration protocols, and student-athlete supervision.
* Knowledge of cross country training principles, including aerobic base development, tempo runs, intervals, hill training, race pacing, recovery, injury prevention, nutrition, and meet preparation.
* Ability to develop practice plans, training cycles, mileage progressions, offseason conditioning programs, and competitive race strategies.
* Ability to safely supervise early morning, afternoon, outdoor, road, campus, park, and off-site running activities.
* Effective classroom and team management skills.
* Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
* Ability to work collaboratively with campus administration, athletic coordinators, assistant coaches, parents, athletic trainers, and community members.
* Ability to promote student participation and develop a positive, competitive athletic culture. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES Instructional Responsibilities
* Deliver…