Gifted & Talented Coordinator 26/27 SY

WHO WE ARE

Heartwood Community School is a community-focused, tuition-free charter school serving Jasper, Beaufort, and Hampton Counties in South Carolina. We believe in educating the whole child, nurturing each student academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Honoring every child's unique journey, we bridge home and school to foster a compassionate, empowering environment where students feel seen and valued.

Our mission goes beyond academics. We guide students to become resilient problem-solvers, compassionate community builders, globally minded citizens, emotionally intelligent leaders, and lifelong learners. Embracing mistakes as part of growth, we equip students to thrive in school and life, ready to make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.

THE ROLE

The Gifted & Talented (GT) Teacher at Heartwood Community School is a visionary educator responsible for designing, implementing, and refining a high-quality gifted program.

This individual will provide direct pullout instruction aligned to South Carolina state requirements while building the systems, structures, and curriculum necessary for a sustainable and exemplary gifted program. The GT Teacher will deeply understand the academic and social-emotional characteristics of gifted learners and create rigorous, inquiry-based experiences that cultivate creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and global awareness.

Reporting to the Director of Academics and collaborating closely with the Instructional Leadership Team, this educator will play a foundational role in shaping the future of gifted education at Heartwood.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Student Instruction

• Provide pullout instruction for identified gifted students starting in grade 3 in alignment with South Carolina state minute requirements.
• Design and facilitate inquiry-based, project-based, and problem-based learning experiences that promote deep thinking and authentic application of standards.
• Develop lesson arcs and enrichment units that extend beyond grade-level standards while maintaining vertical alignment across all grade levels.
• Develop a nurturing program for our K-2 students. 
• Differentiate instruction to support academically gifted, artistically gifted, and twice-exceptional students.
• Foster a classroom culture where gifted learners explore global cultures, collaborate meaningfully, and take intellectual risks.

Program Development & Systems Building

• Conduct research and school visits to strengthen program design and gifted programming best practices.
• Build and refine systems to ensure long-term sustainability and scalability of Heartwood's gifted program.
• Develop and implement progress monitoring systems to track student growth, enrichment outcomes, and long-term development.
• Ensure alignment between classroom cluster grouping and gifted pullout instruction.
• Maintain compliance with all South Carolina gifted education requirements.
• Collaborate with school leadership to explore thoughtful program expansion, including future middle grades development.

Collaboration & Family Partnership

• Attend parent conferences for gifted students and serve as a resource for families navigating the academic and social-emotional needs of gifted learners.
• Support compliance and accommodations for twice-exceptional students.
• Host meetings and provide guidance to GT-endorsed and classroom teachers to strengthen differentiation strategies.
• Partner with the Instructional Leadership Team to refine curriculum, documentation, and instructional practices.

SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Deep understanding of the academic, cognitive, and social-emotional characteristics of gifted learners.
• Strong systems thinking mindset with the ability to build sustainable structures.
• Experience designing inquiry-based, interdisciplinary, and enrichment-focused curriculum.
• Ability to analyze data and design long-term progress monitoring systems.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with families and colleagues.
• Reflective practitioner who thrives in a growing, evolving school environment.

We are unapologetically committed to recruiting the best people in our field. We seek team members who set the highest standards for themselves and are passionate about building something exceptional for students.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree
• Valid South Carolina teaching certification with Gifted & Talented Endorsement
• Minimum of 4 years of successful elementary teaching experience, including service to gifted students
• Experience designing project-based or inquiry-based learning experiences
• Demonstrated ability to differentiate instruction and support twice-exceptional learners

Preferred:

• Advanced Gifted Endorsement
• Experience teaching in a pullout model
• Experience building or refining a gifted program
• Background in curriculum design
• Experience supporting artistically gifted programming

COMPENSATION

The salary for this role is $80,000, with eligibility for relocation support. To uphold our commitment to equitable and fair compensation, we offer a competitive salary and have a no-negotiation policy.

We are committed to building a best-in-class team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.