HIGH POINT ACADEMY
Position: PreK Teaching Assistant
Reports to: Managing Director/Director of School
Location: Aurora, CO
Work Year: 2026-2027
Temporary Position Starting in November to March
High Point Academy's teachers are inspired to support and educate our students to contribute to a better world.
At High Point Academy (HPA), we understand that powerful learning only happens with strong relationships between students, staff, and families. We are on the path to becoming an EL Education Credentialed School, which guides the educational philosophy that we all live by. At HPA, students will engage in meaningful, challenging work that connects to real-world issues, builds character, and drives mastery of knowledge and skills. We're designing learning that's active, purposeful, and high-quality–because that's what our students deserve. It's about preparing them to be critical thinkers and risk-takers so that they can lead with confidence and take pride in their work.
High Point Academy is a public charter school serving students in PreKindergarten through 8th grade. Located in Aurora, CO, just north of Green Valley Ranch, HPA serves an ethnically and linguistically diverse student population which includes 28% linguistically diverse students and 68% of our students qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch. HPA is an award-winning wellness school whose systems and structures promote healthy lifestyle choices.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at High Point Academy. We are passionate about building and sustaining inclusive and equitable working and learning environments for all students, staff, and faculty. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver solutions.
- High Point believes the role of every member of the community is to ensure our students are known, cared for, and celebrated. That every member of the community respects each other's race, gender, ethnicity, and all other differences we experience today.
- High Point Academy is committed to each child's growth and success, and we know that creating an accessible, safe, and supportive environment is an integral component for academic excellence. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths in this area.
- Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds is essential for facilitating learning at HPA.
- Each individual is expected to demonstrate skills in promoting and supporting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and have the ability to serve as an advocate for individuals of all ethnicities, races, genders, ages, and backgrounds.
All employees of High Point Academy work together to achieve HPA's mission. In addition to the duties and responsibilities listed below, we seek staff who are collaborative with colleagues, empathetic in their relationships with students and families, and willing to work above and beyond their job description to ensure success for students. HPA teachers possess a school-wide focus and can see beyond their classroom to create a unified HPA community that is rooted in both rigor and joy.
As a representative of the school, a teacher must present a professional, courteous, and friendly attitude when interacting with students, parents, staff, and the public. This position requires the teacher to remain calm and poised in stressful situations and work toward solutions and possibilities. The teacher maintains confidentiality and uses discretion in all aspects of communication. The teacher strives to enhance the programs and experience for all students at High Point Academy.
Position Summary
A PreK Assistant at an EL Education K-8 charter school plays a vital role in creating a student-centered, inquiry-driven learning environment that fosters academic excellence, character development, and real-world application of knowledge. PreK Assistants work at the direction of the PreK Teacher. A PreK Assistant must enjoy working on a team and collaborating. This educator implements EL Education's core practices, including project-based learning, student-led inquiry, and active citizenship, while ensuring all students achieve mastery of rigorous academic standards.
Instruction:
PreK Assistants support in creating classrooms that are alive with discovery, inquiry, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Prek Assistants talk less. Students talk and think more. Lessons have explicit purpose, guided by learning targets for which students take ownership and responsibility. In all subject areas, teachers differentiate instruction and maintain high expectations to bring out the best in all students and cultivate a culture of high achievement.
- Assistants support in providing instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards and their district's organized plan of instruction.
- Assistants support in developing and implementing lessons that connect to a variety of content areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematical practices.
- Assistants demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
- Encourage students to demonstrate habits of scholarship (e.g., curiosity, craftsmanship, and collaboration).
- Provide meaningful feedback and opportunities for students to reflect on their learning.
- Work collaboratively with other educators to meet the needs of all students.
Climate and Culture:
PreK Assistants establish a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students. Alongside all stakeholders, teachers build a culture of respect, responsibility, courage, and kindness, where students and adults are committed to quality work and citizenship. School structures and traditions such as Pack, community meetings, exhibitions of learning, portfolios, and service learning ensure that every student is known and cared for, that student leadership is nurtured, and that contributions to the school and world are celebrated. Students and staff are supported to do better work and be better people than they thought possible.
- Assistants foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.
- PreK Assistants demonstrate an awareness of, a commitment to, and a respect for multiple aspects of diversity while working toward common goals as a community of learners.
- Assistants support in engaging students as individuals, including those with diverse needs and interests, across a range of ability levels by adapting their teaching for the benefit of all students.
- Lead by example, exhibiting strong ethics and moral leadership, with a relentless focus on excellence, joy, and wellness for students and staff.
- Utilize daily PACK/Leader in Me meetings to build strong relationships and foster a sense of belonging among students.
- Provide meaningful feedback and consistent opportunities for students to set goals, monitor progress, share high-quality work, and reflect on their learning.
- Actively and strategically build positive, trusting, honest relationships with families that support student growth and success.
- Engage in courageous conversations with students, families and staff to address challenges and build common expectations for culture that builds respect because of the care and attention you devote to them.
Assessment & Data-Driven Instruction
Our leaders, teachers, and students embrace the power of student-engaged assessment practices to build student ownership of learning, focus students on reaching standards-based learning targets, and drive achievement. This approach to assessment is key to ensuring that schools achieve educational equity. Students continually assess and improve the quality of their work through the use of models, reflection, critique, rubrics, and work with experts. Staff members engage in ongoing data inquiry and analysis, examining everything from patterns in student work to results from formal assessments, disaggregating data by groups of students to recognize and address gaps in achievement.
- Use formative and summative assessments to measure student progress toward mastery.
- Engage in regular, consistent data-driven decision-making, using student performance data to adjust instruction.
- Support students in creating high-quality work that demonstrates depth of understanding.
- Helps in facilitating student-led conferences and portfolio presentations to showcase student growth.
Family & Community Engagement
Students and staff in EL schools welcome families, know them well, and engage them actively in the life of the school. EL schools explicitly recognize that families care about their children's education, bring strengths, and add value to the community. Regular communication and multiple opportunities for participation encourage families to be strong partners in their children's learning. Teachers are encouraged and expected to include families in the learning experience of their children beyond the school-wide experiences in order to build a strong classroom community. In addition, schools build and sustain partnerships with community organizations and cultural institutions.
- Involve students' families and community members in supporting and enhancing the school; communicate consistently and effectively with internal and external stakeholders including planning and supporting student-led conferences, newsletter updates on academics, etc.
- Build strong partnerships with families to support student learning and growth.
- Communicate regularly with families about academic progress, character development, and behavior through newsletters, classroom updates, etc and document communication in the contact log.
- Connect learning to real-world experiences by collaborating with community partners and facilitating student fieldwork.
- Involve families in student-led conferences and celebrations of learning.
Professionalism:
PreK Assistants demonstrate professionalism through ethical conduct, reflection, and leadership.
- PreK Assistants demonstrate high standards for professional conduct by following set policies and procedures when dealing with problems or issues
- PreK Assistants link professional growth to their professional goals.
- PreK Assistants demonstrate leadership in the school, the community, and the teaching profession by displaying a positive and respectful attitude and working with honesty and integrity
- Adhere to timelines and deadlines. Demonstrate high levels of executive functioning that yield highly effective practices aligned with job responsibilities
- Representing the organization in a responsible manner
- Embody core values with staff, families and students.
- Maintaining good attendance. When you are out, make sure all required plans and processes are followed.
Other Duties:
In addition to the duties outlined above, teachers are expected to contribute to a positive, collaborative community of high expectations.
- Participate in all professional learning, team meetings, data analysis, grading, and professional expectations set out by supervisor/ED.
- Contribute to the school community by participating in a committee and executing a school-sponsored event/activity.
- Other duties as assigned
Required Skills and Qualifications:
- Must be a level 2 in the PDIS early childhood credentialing or engage in training and development to get to this level.
- Being punctual and dependable
- Experience contributing to a professional learning community that is high-functioning and yields strong results.
- Experience with Restorative Justice Practices and is deeply committed using discipline as a tool for learning.
- Commitment to evidence-based practices and continuous improvement and innovation.
- Strong communicator with significant experience building strong relationships with students, staff, families, board members, and other key stakeholders.
- Team player with a "what-else-can-I-do-to-support-HPA" attitude, strong work ethic and great sense of humor.
- Commitment to educational equity and high expectations for all students.