Associate Teacher (2026-2027 SY)

Description

Application Timeline: We are currently gathering Associate Teacher applications and interviews are anticipated to begin in May.

Location: Nashville, Tennessee   

Employment Type: This is a full-time, in-person support role for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. 

Annualized Salary: Associate Teacher's salary: $35,360. If confirmed in a long-term Instructional Support role, the salary will increase to $44,520. 

About Valor:  

Founded in 2014, Valor Collegiate Academies is a top-performing, public charter school network in Nashville, Tennessee, serving students in Grades 5-12 across three schools. Our mission is to create a community where students of all backgrounds have equitable access to an education that prepares them to live inspired and purposeful lives. This mission is made possible through an innovative school model that balances rigorous academics and whole-child education in an intentionally diverse environment. Learn more about Valor: https://valorcollegiate.org/our-model/

About The Role:  

Valor Collegiate Academies is hiring full-time Associate Teachers to serve as instructional support in the event of short-term teacher absences and long-term vacancies when a certified teacher is unavailable. Valor’s Associate Teacher model is similar to a teacher residency program, where individuals are not just substitute teachers, but receiving on-the-job experience as educators and applying that training as Instructional Support this first year before becoming a certified teacher in their second or third year as a Valor teacher.   

Associate Teachers will be assigned to a specific school campus to internalize the culture, integrate into that team, and provide instructional coverage for short-term teacher absences, though that assignment may change based on organizational needs. Short-term coverage assignment is at the discretion of each campus’ Principal and/or Director of Operations. Once a long-term, permit-eligible vacancy is confirmed at a campus, however, Associate Teachers may be assigned to fill that vacancy. This may mean intercampus movement to serve where the long-term vacancy exists. Coverage in long-term vacancies supersedes short-term coverage support for our Associate Teachers. 

Once assigned to a permit-eligible, long-term teaching vacancy:   

• Valor will apply for a temporary, 1-year teaching permit with the Tennessee Department of Education on their behalf.  
• Associate Teachers will be promoted to an "Instructional Support" position, which changes in job title and increased salary to $44,520 because of the additional responsibilities that come with leading, teaching, and grading for permit-eligible content classes.    
• The Associate Teacher will assume all responsibilities associated with the course, receive coaching, attend professional development, and remain in that vacancy for the remainder of the school year as Instructional Support.   

For those interested in becoming a fully certified teacher after one year of service at Valor, we encourage Associate Teachers to apply to our Transition to Teach Program. An Associate Teacher can serve a maximum of two years before making a decision about continuing as a full-time, certified teacher at Valor in Year 3. Those choosing not to pursue that path will not be eligible to continue employment in this capacity.    

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver lessons to a class of students wherever the campus has deemed a coverage need.   
• Evaluate student work and grade assignments.   
• Meet with an assigned coach and attend instructional preparation meetings to refine approach and craft as an educator-in-training.   
• Enforce, uphold, and exhibit the school's values, student behavior management policies, and culture.   
• Fill in to support with needed school-based duties (e.g lunch/recess monitoring or arrival/dismissal duties).   
• Track, manage, and input daily student behavior and engagement feedback to share with Student Support Team and leader teachers.   
• Respond to students’ behavior progress in real-time with recommended interventions based on Valor’s behavior framework.   
• Participate in faculty Circle once a week (Wednesdays after school)   

Critical Experiences and Qualifications:   

• At a minimum, you have earned your Bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.50 GPA. 
• You have an interest in becoming a certified teacher within 1-2 years.   
• You are flexible and a team player, willing to support in various content areas across the middle school and high school grades (5-12), as needed until placed in a long-term vacancy as Instructional Support. 
• You feel confident in your ability to manage and keep students on track academically.   
• You are a quick learner and have the ability to learn new tech systems and online platforms quickly.   
• You are self-aware and self-reflective with a strong desire to continuously grow professionally and personally.   
• You have a growth mindset and are quick to incorporate feedback into your daily practice.    
• You have the ability to set and reach ambitious goals, and can handle the intensity required to thrive in a high-performing, fast-paced school environment.   
• You have the passion and commitment to serve an ethnically & economically diverse student body as an educator.   
• You have the ability to model, live, and reinforce the school’s core values, norms, and policies.   
• You enjoy cultivating relationships with students, families, and staff to create a positive school environment.   

Hours, Compensation, Benefits:    

• Must be available during school hours and on-campus Monday-Friday from 7:00-4:00pm. On Wednesdays, must be available to attend faculty Circle, a core Valor practice across faculty and students.    
• Must also be available for Valor’s three-week summer training program, which will begin in mid-July 2026.   
• This is a full-time role with comprehensive health benefits.   
• Annualized salary is $35,360; once in a long-term, permit-eligible position, title will change to Instructional Support and salary will increase to the annualized salary of $44,520, which will be prorated based on the date the positional shift is made.    
• Intensive, on-the-job training on becoming an educator in one of the best public schools in Tennessee   
• 8 days of PTO per academic school year, plus access to Valor’s PTO Sharing program.   
• Valor-subsidized childcare and priority seating with Little Wonders Day Care
• Free access to an on-site strength & conditioning facility, Vanderbilt Health Clinic, retirement counseling, and mental health support and resources   
• Employee laptops and unlimited supplies   
• Full-time employees wishing to enroll their student at Valor in grades 5-12 will be placed at the top of the new student waitlist    

Interview Process:   

1. Resume Review   
2. Phone Interview   
3. Virtual Leadership Interview   
4. Reference Checks
5. Offer Extension   

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:   

Valor believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables students and staff to thrive. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We actively seek applications from people of all backgrounds to strengthen our community and the perspectives needed to thrive in a diverse world.