About this role
Rockwood Preparatory Academy is hiring a Small Groups teacher for the 2026-27 school year. We are a K-5 charter school in the Rockwood neighborhood of Portland, serving students in the Reynolds School District. Our mission is simple: every student who walks through our doors leaves with rock-solid reading, writing, arithmetic, and spelling skills.
We run a Direct Instruction model, which means our curriculum is structured, proven, and always focused on student achievement. We believe that where a child comes from has nothing to do with what they're capable of, and we build our school around that belief every single day. That's not just something we say. It shows up in our data, in our classrooms, and in the students who leave RPA reading well above grade level.
If you're the kind of teacher who holds high expectations because you actually believe in your students, who finds real satisfaction in watching them rise to meet those expectations, and who wants to work alongside people who feel the same way, you're going to love it here.
The Small Groups role is where a lot of our best growth happens. You'll work with small groups of students across grade levels who need more time, more repetition, or a different placement than their homeroom group can give them. These are the kids who are closest to a breakthrough, and you get to be the person who gets them there. Small group sizes mean you know exactly where every student is, every day, and you see movement fast.
What the job looks like:
You'll deliver Direct Instruction lessons in reading, language, math, and spelling to small groups, administer and interpret DI placement tests, track student progress and adjust groupings as students move, and communicate regularly with classroom teachers and leadership about how students are doing. You'll collaborate with grade-level teams through regular planning and professional development, and build real relationships with students and families. We expect professionalism, follow-through, and a genuine investment in the Rockwood community. In return, you'll have a supportive team around you, strong instructional systems that actually work, and leadership that wants to see you succeed.
What we're looking for:
Oregon Teaching License preferred. Bachelor's degree or higher preferred. Strong organizational skills, comfort with data and technology, flexibility as schedules and groupings shift, and a background check. Most importantly, a belief that all children are capable of high levels of achievement when given the right instruction and support. If you've been looking for a school that shares that belief and actually lives it out, this is it.
The details:
193 work days beginning August 17, 2026, with 165 days of student contact. Daily schedule is 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM with required PD until 4:30 on Wednesdays. Salary ranges from $42,211 to $79,678+ depending on license type and experience. We cover employer-paid 6% PERS, medical, dental, vision, and EAP. Bonus opportunities available as budget allows.
Physical demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of what an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
• Sustained talking for the majority of the instructional day, including projecting the voice clearly and maintaining a brisk lesson pace with group signals
• Frequent sitting in adult and child-sized chairs, on the floor, and at low tables while working with small groups
• Frequent standing, walking, and moving between classrooms, small group spaces, and shared areas throughout the building
• Regular bending, kneeling, crouching, reaching, and twisting to work at student eye level and access materials
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for writing, handling instructional materials, and operating a computer, tablet, or document camera
• Close visual acuity to read student work, scripted lesson presentations, and data on a screen, and the ability to visually monitor a group of students at once
• Hearing sufficient to distinguish individual student responses within a group response
• Occasional lifting and carrying of instructional materials up to 25 pounds
• Ability to move quickly and respond physically in the event of a student safety concern, emergency drill, or evacuation
• Work is performed indoors in a school setting with frequent interruptions and a moderate to high noise level, with occasional outdoor duty in varying weather
$42,211-$79678+, DOE