Founding ENL Teacher - High School

The American Dream School; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Dream Charter School in Manhattan is seeking an energetic ENL Teacher to join our founding high school team. This startup environment offers a unique opportunity to shape culture, build systems, and support multilingual learners across a growing student body.

You will collaborate with general education and special education teachers to design accessible, rigorous ninth-grade coursework and targeted interventions.

Qualifications

• New York State teaching certification is required.
• Ability to support English Language Learners and diverse learning needs.
• Willingness to collaborate and contribute beyond traditional classroom responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide engaging ENL instruction for students at varying levels of English proficiency.
• Work with students individually and in small groups, including those with IEPs.
• Collaborate with content-area and special education teachers to ensure access to ninth-grade coursework.

Skills

Instructional skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Data-driven instruction

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

New York State teaching certification

TESOL/ESOL ENL certification

Job description

The American Dream Charter School is looking for an energetic, creative, and multi-talented ENL Teacher to join the founding team of our newest high school in Manhattan.

This is not your typical high school teaching position—and that’s exactly what makes it exciting.

We are a small, start-up high school launching with only 9th grade , which means our founding staff will have the unique opportunity to help build the culture, traditions, systems, and identity of the school from the ground up. We are looking for someone who is excited by that challenge: a go-getter, problem-solver, team player, and educator who isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves and jump in wherever needed.

At American Dream, we serve a diverse community of English Language Learners and immigrant students and are committed to developing academic excellence in both Spanish and English while preparing students for college and leadership in their communities.

What You'll Do

As our High School ENL Teacher, you will provide targeted language development and academic support to English Language Learners while working closely with general education and special education teachers.

You will:

• Provide engaging ENL instruction that supports students at varying levels of English proficiency.
• Work with students individually and in small-group settings , particularly students who need targeted academic intervention and students with IEPs.
• Collaborate with content-area and special education teachers to ensure students can successfully access rigorous 9th-grade coursework.
• Differentiate lessons and create instructional materials that meet students where they are while moving them toward grade-level expectations.
• Use assessment data to identify student needs, plan interventions, monitor progress, and adjust instruction.
• Support the implementation of students' IEP accommodations, modifications, and instructional goals.
• Administer required ELL assessments, including WIDA preparation and administration.
• Develop short- and long-term goals for students and monitor their progress.
• Communicate regularly with students and families about progress, goals, and areas for growth.
• Participate in parent conferences, student support meetings, intervention planning, and schoolwide professional learning.
• Serve as a resource to colleagues around best practices for supporting multilingual learners.
• Help create a warm, structured, joyful, and academically ambitious school culture.

Because We're a Start-Up...

We are intentionally looking for someone who wants to do more than stay inside the boundaries of a job description .

With only one grade level during our founding year, everyone on our team will wear multiple hats. On any given day, you might teach an ENL small group, collaborate with a special education teacher, help a student solve a problem, support advisory activity, communicate with a family, help organize a school event, or jump in to help a teammate.

We want someone who sees "That's not my job" as the opposite of how a founding team operates. You might be a great fit if you are flexible, resourceful, positive, organized, student-centered, and willing to figure things out. We especially value people who bring multiple talents to the table and get excited about helping build something new.

What We're Looking For

Required:

• New York State teaching certification
• Strong instructional, organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to use student data to plan and adjust instruction
• Commitment to supporting English Language Learners and students with diverse learning needs
• Willingness to collaborate, problem-solve, and contribute beyond traditional classroom responsibilities

Highly Preferred:

• NYS certification in TESOL/ESOL or an appropriate ENL certification
• Experience working with English Language Learners
• Knowledge of small-group instruction and intervention strategies , particularly for ENL and IEP students
• Experience implementing IEP accommodations, modifications, and student goals
• Experience collaborating with special education and content-area teachers
• Experience working in a charter school, start-up school, or other fast-moving educational environment

Who Will Thrive Here?

Someone who thinks:

"I'll figure it out."

"How can I help?"

"Let's try it."

"Our kids need it, so let's make it happen."

We aren't looking for someone who simply wants to inherit a classroom and follow an established playbook. We're looking for an educator who wants to help write the playbook with us.

If you are a talented educator who loves teenagers, believes deeply in multilingual learners, enjoys working with a small team, and gets excited about building a high school from the ground up, we want to meet you.