Founding Teacher Leader

Wildflower Schools Founding Teacher Leader Albuquerque or the Permian Basin New Mexico (PK-3rd Grade)About Wildflower SchoolsThe mission of Wildflower Schools is to provide families with child-centered authentic Montessori education that bridges academic outcomes and social-emotional development through intimate learning communities deeply rooted in place access and belonging. Founded in 2014 Wildflower Schools has launched over 70 Montessori schools in the US and Puerto Rico. Wildflower offers startup support proven strategies and a community of like-minded peers to educators that are passionate about bringing the Montessori model to more more information about our organization and ways of working please visit The Role As a Founding Teacher Leader at Wildflower Schools you will design lead and teach at a new primary/lower elementary charter school site in Albuquerque or the Permian Basin New Mexico (Hobbs Carlsbad Roswell or Artesia) in partnership with other Teacher Leaders and in collaboration with the Administrative Partner and other charter-wide support roles. Teacher Leaders report to the charter schools Board of Directors. Each site will launch with three co-founders - two primary Teacher Leaders (for a classroom of 3-6 year olds) and one lower elementary Teacher Leader serving 1st-3rd grade - who collectively design launch and operate a Montessori microcharter school with support from the broader Wildflower Schools the course of a 2-year School Startup Journey which includes the development and approval of a new Wildflower charter application proposed school founders will engage in a phased process that will ultimately prepare them to design launch and operate a new Wildflower public school the first of its kind in New Mexico. Responsibilities of founding Teacher Leaders will include:Discovery and Model DesignGet to know Wildflower through self-reflection and conversations with Wildflower Partners and community and engage a professional network of like-minded advocates experts and community collaborators who will eventually serve as your Steering Committee during the charter application and authorization process. This committee may include 1-2 Emerging Teacher Leaders/potential co-founders future board members parents who share your vision and may have an interest in sending their children to the school non-profit leaders and/or community partners. Cultivate authentic enduring relationships with families from the district you intend to serve to inform ongoing school design and evolution and to deepen your conviction to bring a Wildflower school to that community. Engage in Wildflowers Charter Entrepreneurs Cohort to design and solicit feedback on a charter school model rooted in high fidelity Montessori practices microeconomics and the Wildflower principles as well as the unique needs and assets of the proposed needed research and select a Montessori Training Center partner and timeline for securing Montessori certification in the age band you plan to Fellowship for the Development and Authorization of Your Charter SchoolEngage in in-depth learning experiences to equip you to design and launch a successful charter school including learning from other high-performing schools and education organizations in-state and support from Wildflower Schools Excellent Schools New Mexico and your Steering Committee translate your school vision and operational plan into a comprehensive charter application to include detailed plans for curriculum and instruction board development family and community engagement staffing finance and charter approval and move into Planning and School Planning and Start-upWork closely with Wildflower Schools and Excellent Schools New Mexico to ensure all foundational elements are in place for a successful school up strong systems for operations governance finance legal and compliance and onboard your schools Founding Board of Directors and work with the Board to hire a charter-wide Administrative Partner. Secure renovate and license a physical space for your a Montessori learning environment in alignment with your vision the communitys needs and the regulations set forth by your charter authorizer and the state department of students and families in the school in alignment with year one -host community engagement and train site-based staff such as assistants and your microsite with the Wildflower Network and become an employee of the charter entity. Launching and Co-Leading Your SchoolCo-lead and co-teach a mixed age group Montessori authorizer and state compliance trainings to ensure the school stays in charter charter-wide professional learning with your founding charter team and board to best anticipate and serve all students needs. Ensure accurate and complete records collaborating with the Administrative Partner and your charter authorizer to always stay in compliance with regulations. Maintain a healthy well-functioning facility that meets the needs of students and licensing requirements. Minimum Qualifications Completion of an AMI AMS or other MACTE accredited primary or elementary Montessori training programWhile preference will be given to candidates with Montessori certification training scholarships are available for emerging Teacher Leaders who are not already Montessori degree required A New Mexico state teaching license will be required to be hired by the board of directors but is not required to begin the startup journey with WildflowerPreferred Attitudes Knowledge and Skills Deep commitment to authentic Montessori - You are an experienced educator who loves the classroom and brings a teaching philosophy deeply rooted in child-led approaches social emotional learning fostering independence and intentionally teaching kindness and in all children - You believe that every child should have access to a high quality education and are eager to bring a high-fidelity Montessori education to more families. You work to understand the students and families you serve and reflect on how your own experiences impact your practice as an leadership - You are flexible open-minded see opportunity in obstacles and are energized by using creativity and resourcefulness to anticipate challenges and create solutions to problems. Growth mindset and a love of learning - You are comfortable with a culture of direct feedback and eager to develop new skills and expertise. You enjoy challenging yourself and exploring your purpose and potential more of spirit - You are able to build authentic relationships in a variety of different settings practice gratitude and lead with love. You seek advice openly and are comfortable working in a non-hierarchical organization. Strong sense of accountability - You thrive in high-autonomy high-accountability contexts and feel a deep sense of responsibility to the kids families colleagues and broader community of your school. You are comfortable being in a decision-making leadership role and accepting ownership of the tradeoffs implications and results of your to work hard - You have the aptitude stamina time and appetite to raise yourself to the challenge of starting and leading your own school. You will not be alone but you will be busy. Compensation and BenefitsCompensation will begin in August 2026 with the charter application submission expected in May 2027. One co-founder per team will dedicate themselves full-time to model design charter development and the authorization process and will earn an annual stipend of $110000 (benefits not included). Other co-founders may choose to engage in the development and authorization work part-time and earn a partial annual stipend. Once the school is approved and operational co-founders who share in the teaching and administrative responsibilities of the microsite will determine starting salaries in alignment with the schools overall budget. Year one salaries are estimated to be in the $ range plus benefits coverage. Exact salaries are dependent on enrollment facilities and staffing structure and salaries typically grow with enrollment growth year over Learn MorePlease fill out this brief Get Involved form (hyperlink: to learn more about us and explore a fit. If you meet our minimum qualifications Rachel Kelley-Cohn New Mexicos Regional Growth Lead will reach out to you to connect and discuss next steps along your path to bringing a Montessori microschool to your community. We look forward to hearing from you!Wildflower Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race color national or ethnic origin creed religion sex or gender disability age marital status sexual orientation status with regard to public assistance or in any other way based on personal identity markers that do not relate to the capacity of an individual person to carry out the responsibilities of a role.