Horizons Greater Washington Inc - Summer Academy Literature Lead Teacher (Grades 6-9)

Overview 

Horizons Greater Washington seeks dedicated and effective candidates with classroom experience and a penchant for cultivating students’ lifelong love of learning for the role of Grades 6-9 Literature Lead Teacher in our five-week Summer Academy enrichment program. 

Work Locations 

In the application, candidates will be asked to share their preference for the following locations: 

Maret School

3000 Cathedral Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20008

St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School

4700 Whitehaven Parkway NW

Washington, DC 20007

Norwood School

8821 River Road

Bethesda, MD 20817

Schedule 

The typical daily schedule will be Monday through Friday, 8 am to 3:15 pm. For staff members who are riding the bus for bus duty, your schedule will adjust accordingly, based on bus schedules.

KEY DATES include:  

Staff Orientation: 06/23/2026-06/26/2026

Summer Program: 06/29/2026-07/31/2026

*There will be no program on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day on July 4th.   

Organizational Background  

Horizons Greater Washington (HGW), an affiliate of Horizons National, is a dedicated leader in advancing educational opportunities by creating long-term partnerships with students, families, communities, and schools to create enriching out-of-school experiences that ignite the joy of learning for our students.

HGW supports over 400 students across grades 1–9 with robust year-round programming. Our approach is centered on whole-child development, specifically focusing on building problem-solving skills, fostering a strong sense of community responsibility, and instilling respect for self and others. By maintaining this multi-year commitment from the first to the ninth grade, HGW cultivates meaningful, long-term connections between diverse learners and dedicated, supportive staff. Our program design and staff practices utilize a Positive Youth Development framework, prioritizing engagement, interaction, support, and a safe environment to effectively meet the needs of our youth.

The cornerstone of our work is the five-week Summer Academy, which expertly blends high-quality academics—with a specific focus on math, humanities, literacy, and STEAM—with comprehensive social-emotional learning, arts instruction, swimming, and confidence-building opportunities.

Position Description  

HGW seeks dedicated and effective candidates for the role of Grades 6-9 Literature Lead Teacher. Each Lead Teacher will work with a Program Support Staff, and a certified Reading Specialist to create an engaging, inquiry-based curriculum in small classes of no more than 20 students. Additionally, Lead Teachers are supported by a Site Director and the HGW administrative team. Lead teachers leverage their experience and expertise in project-based instruction, behavior management, and differentiation to ensure students have a highly impactful summer learning experience. Successful applicants will be flexible and creative in response to students’ interests and needs, passionate about Horizons’ mission and building transformative relationships with young people, and self-driven, demonstrating a commitment to quality and growth. 

Core Duties and Responsibilities  

Teaching & Student Engagement 

• Create a high-quality, culturally responsive, project-based curriculum with effective teaching strategies to bolster student progress throughout our five-week summer enrichment program. 
• Engage approximately 15-20 students in daily lessons that promote active, student-centered learning in English Language Arts. 
• Analyze student assessment data to inform decision-making and improve instruction, consulting with the Site Director and Reading Specialists as necessary. 
• Collaborate and plan with the Reading Specialist to provide one-on-one and small-group instruction for students who need more intensive support and/or enrichment activities 
• Supervise students on experiential learning experiences and field trips throughout the summer. 
• Collaborate with teaching assistants and/or program support staff to deliver lessons and activities. 

Classroom & Program Management: 

• Establish and maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning. HGW’s programs adhere to the Pyramid of Program Quality designed by the David Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. All HGW staff strive to support the domains of Engagement, Interaction, Supportive Environment, and Safe Environment to support the needs of youth. 
• Assist in the administration of student assessments, as necessary. 
• Supervise students during daily meals and recess. 
• Prepare and submit a final evaluation of each student’s progress prior to the end of the program. 
• Meet regularly with the Site Director (and Program Director as needed) to proactively accomplish goals and problem-solve as issues arise. 
• Ensure compliance with state and organizational regulations and policies. 

Professional Development & Team Building 

• Attend a four-day orientation session prior to the start of the program (as noted in the dates above).  
• Attend Family Night, Faculty Meetings, and other activities, including those that may fall outside the program hours. 

Qualifications and Competencies  

In addition to having a steadfast commitment to Horizons’ mission, the ideal candidate will possess classroom experience in project-based instruction, behavior management, and differentiation. Candidates must also be flexible, organized, and self-driven. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• HS Diploma or GED required; BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university preferred, equivalent experience considered 
• Position-relevant teaching credentials are strongly preferred, but equivalent content expertise or teaching experience will be considered in lieu of certification 
• Knowledge of best practices for classroom management as well as social-emotional learning and the ability to implement specific strategies for developing children’s non-cognitive skills such as focus, determination, empathy and self-discipline 
• Proven ability to plan and deliver engaging, challenging lessons for school-aged children 
• Excellent communicative, organizational, and time management skills 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of a multidisciplinary team 
• Experience teaching elementary and/or middle school-aged students in a classroom setting is strongly preferred 

Compensation  

This is a salaried position, ranging from $5,320 to $6,520 for six weeks, based on four eight-hour days during Orientation and 24 eight-hour days during the five week program, for a total of 224 hours over six weeks at hourly pay rates ranging from $23.75 to $29.11. The specific pay for each teacher is determined by our teacher pay model that accounts for education and academic year teaching experience to ensure equity across all teachers.

There is an opportunity for staff to earn a bus bonus of $30 per ride.

How to Apply  

Please fill out our online application which will include uploading a current copy of your resume. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with interviews beginning in mid-January. Final candidates will be subject to a reference check.

Background Check Requirements

All offers of employment to employees 18 or over are contingent on the successful completion of the background checks described below:

• Fingerprinting (FBI) (MD & DC)
• MD Criminal Database Background Check (MD)
• Maryland Child Protective Services Clearance (MD)
• DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) Child Protection Registry (CPR) (DC)
• Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Criminal Background Check (DC)
• National Sex Offender Registry (DC)

All offers of employment at Horizons Greater Washington are contingent upon clear results of the above suitability checks. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates immediately after acceptance of employment offer and on all employees who are promoted, as deemed necessary.  

COVID-19  

Horizons Greater Washington is committed to providing and maintaining a workplace that is free of known hazards.  As such, we strongly encourage our employees to receive the latest COVID vaccination to minimize the risk of infectious disease in our workplace.

Environmental and Physical Conditions

The environmental factors and/or physical requirements of this position include the following: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; and the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of up to 20 pounds. Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard. The employee frequently is required to be in one position for long periods of screen use, reach with hands and arms, and talk and hear both in person and over devices. The employee interacts in close spaces and frequently with children and other staff. May be in situations which require conflict resolution. The employee must have visual, auditory, and physical ability to respond quickly to critical incidents involving students and act in an emergency situation. Work is performed in a school environment with artificial light and air, with occasional trips off-site to parks, museums, etc.

Horizons Greater Washington is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, matriculation, source of income, place of business or residence, pregnancy, homeless status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.