Virtual Arkansas Instructor of English Language Arts 6-12

Arch Ford • Plumerville, AR

2d • Remote

About The Position

Virtual Arkansas (VA) is Arkansas's fully accredited state virtual program, partnering with local schools to offer unique digital learning opportunities. VA supplements education, rather than being a diploma-granting institution. Teachers may be assigned to various instructional services based on organizational needs, including Content + Teacher Supplemental, Dedicated/Emergency Use, Division of Youth Services, Alternative Learning Environment, and the Learn Anywhere Academy. Teachers are assigned courses within their licensure area by organizational need, not by request. VA courses are designed to align with Arkansas Curriculum Standards or other learning outcomes. Online teachers also act as subject matter experts, participating in curriculum and assessment design to ensure course quality and alignment.

Virtual Arkansas online teachers are evaluated using a unique instrument, A Crosswalk of the NSQ Teaching Standards and the Danielson Framework, adapted for online instructors. This framework emphasizes traditional teaching responsibilities alongside specific online teaching duties, particularly Standard H, which focuses on curating and creating instructional materials, tools, and strategies to engage learners and achieve academic goals. This includes designing technology-enhanced learning experiences, using a formative approach to lesson design, incorporating diverse media, utilizing digital learning resources, aligning content with objectives and standards, and creating/selecting appropriate assignments and assessments.

Requirements

• Science of Reading level required: Proficiency
• Arkansas Teacher's License with English 6-12 certifications
• Arkansas residency required
• Arkansas licensure in assigned area(s) (6-12 English Language Arts)
• Teaching license must indicate Science of Reading proficiency
• Minimum of a B.A. or B.S. required

Nice To Haves

• Employee must earn the 115/4051 licensure code, Online Teaching K-12, within two academic years of being hired, if applicable.

Responsibilities

• Effectively utilize the Virtual Arkansas technology systems, programs, software, and platforms to perform duties and deliver instruction.
• Plan, prepare, and design live (synchronous) digital lessons and assignments.
• Learn and utilize effective synchronous and asynchronous student engagement strategies.
• Monitor and track student attendance to synchronous sessions.
• Implement intervention and enrichment strategies, based on assessment data and mastery of standards.
• Utilize effective and efficient student feedback tools and strategies.
• Monitor student progress and respond appropriately to the needs of the students.
• Implement effective/efficient communication strategies with students and local digital learning facilitators.
• Attend and participate in required professional development, department-level collaborative teams, intervention meetings, and other required meetings.
• Meet at least once weekly with the local facilitator(s) to coordinate upcoming lessons and strategies.
• Maintain availability for students throughout each school week.
• Deliver and respond to communications, including emails and messages, in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with all stakeholders (e.g. students, parents, colleagues, local school facilitators, supervisors, etc.) for the purpose of establishing and maintaining effective professional communication and positive relationships.
• Implement ELL, IEP, and 504 goals and accommodations into lessons and assessments.
• Maintain a professional home office.
• Make occasional site visits to schools to foster relationships with students and school staff.
• Complete other duties as assigned consistent with online, digital teaching.
• Monitor the digital curriculum and make recommendations for continuous curricular improvement through the established curriculum change/support process.
• Assist design team members with the implementation of requested curriculum changes.
• Make curriculum change recommendations based on standard revisions or misalignments between standards, content, and assessments.
• Create and enhance online content, including the creation of focus and micro-topic videos.
• Engage in bi-annual course blueprint maintenance initiatives.
• Update course syllabi and pacing guides, and complete course alignment matrices.
• Use various simple tools to create small, fun learning objects to improve the interactive aspect of courses (Learning Objects).
• If enrollment numbers do not meet the desired enrollment threshold, engage in more extensive course enhancement projects.
• Utilize and/or design assessment items that are aligned to the Arkansas Curriculum Standards (or other learning outcomes) that reflect appropriate DOK levels for each course.
• Align assessment items to learning outcomes.
• Monitor assessment data and student mastery of standards to inform student learning, instruction, curriculum gaps, and assessment validity.

Benefits

• Salary will be commensurate with years of experience and education level, and will correspond to the Virtual Arkansas 190 contract day certified salary schedule.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level