Elementary Reading Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

About Sankofa Montessori

Sankofa Montessori embarked on its educational journey as a public charter school, receiving its charter from the Georgia State Charter School Commission in 2021. We officially opened our doors in July 2023, starting our adventure with Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades. As we chart our course, we have continued adding one grade level each year. This year we serve students in grades K-5 Our mission is to empower children with the knowledge, skills, and agency needed to lead purposeful lives. Join our team and help us continue to chart our course.

At Sankofa Montessori, we bridge standards-based instruction with the Montessori approach. If you believe every child deserves exceptional literacy instruction and you're excited to help young readers build the foundation for lifelong success, we invite you to apply for a Reading Teacher.

Location: 5881 Phillips Drive, Forest Park, GA 30297

• Deliver daily standards-aligned reading instruction to assigned students.
• Plan and implement engaging literacy lessons grounded in evidence-based instructional practices.
• Provide explicit instruction in foundational literacy skills, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing connected to reading.
• Differentiate instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of students.
• Administer and analyze literacy assessments to inform instructional planning.
• Use student data to provide targeted small-group instruction and accelerate student growth.
• Submit lesson plans weekly for review and incorporate instructional feedback into planning.
• Regularly monitor student progress and adjust instruction based on assessment results.
• Collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure alignment between literacy instruction and classroom learning.
• Participate in Child Study, MTSS, and IEP meetings as appropriate.

• Foster habits of excellence, including order and grace & courtesy, through schoolwide and classroom-level practices.
• Build joyful, literacy-rich learning environments where every student feels successful.
• Be a model of character for students.
• Supervise students within the classroom and outside of the classroom, including transitions, lunch, recess, and field trips.
• Maintain high academic expectations while building strong relationships with students.

• Lead family communication regarding students' literacy progress.
• Prepare progress reports and communicate student growth with families.
• Partner with families by providing strategies and resources to support reading development at home.

• Participate in formal check-ins with assigned academic support team members at least biweekly.
• Engage in teacher meetings, collaborative planning, professional development, and data reviews.
• Collaborate closely with classroom teachers, instructional leaders, and student support staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Teaching at Sankofa Montessori is demanding and deeply purposeful. As a founding school, teachers are asked to do meaningful, high-impact work that challenges the status quo—with real support built into the structure of the day.

Reading Teachers at Sankofa Montessori:

• Deliver high-quality literacy instruction that builds strong readers and lifelong learners.
• Use student assessment data to drive instructional decisions and monitor student growth.
• Collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure a cohesive instructional experience for students.
• Build joyful classroom cultures grounded in identity affirmation, restorative practices, and high expectations.
• Receive the instructional materials, curriculum resources, technology, and coaching needed to be successful.

While the work is harder than the status quo, teachers are not asked to build in isolation. We believe challenge should be purposeful, supported, and shared—and we invest accordingly.

This role is not for educators seeking comfort or predictability. It is for those who want to grow in their leadership, build something new, more just, and more powerful than what currently exists.

Requirements

For this position, we're looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• Bachelor's degree (required)
• Georgia certified teacher (required)
• Two or more years of effective elementary teaching experience in a high-needs public school environment
• Demonstrated success teaching reading in the primary grades
• Knowledge of evidence-based literacy instruction and the Science of Reading
• Experience using literacy assessment data to inform instruction
• Strong instructional practices and classroom management skills
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Work collaboratively with a growth mindset. Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship.
• Strong learning orientation and desire to work in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.
• Ability to complete physical demands of the role (including standing and walking for extended periods and lifting objects up to 40 lbs.)
• Unwavering commitment to Sankofa Montessori's mission and willingness to go above and beyond to meet the needs of Sankofa Montessori students, families, and staff.
• Successful background check results required.

• A dedicated instructional coach with a track record of success.
• Daily planning time and weekly teacher collaboration focused on student work and instructional planning.
• Curriculum resources, instructional materials, classroom supplies, and teacher/student technology.
• Ongoing professional learning and coaching to strengthen literacy instruction.

Benefits

• Sankofa Montessori's compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for the PK–12 charter market to ensure equity across our institution.
• Participation in the Teacher Retirement System of Georgia (TRS).
• Optional 403(b) retirement account.
• Competitive health benefits.