2nd Grade Teacher, Alpha - $120,000/year USD

• On-site position at an Alpha School campus (Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Greenwich, CT
• Lake Forest, CA
• Miami, FL
• Palo Alto, CA
• Piedmont, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Santa Monica, CA; relocation assistance available)
• $120,000 annual salary, distributed weekly. Full health, dental, and vision coverage begins day one
• School-year calendar with predictable, structured working hours
  
  

If a 6-year-old earns a 99%, the most valuable thing you can do is withhold calling it 100%. If that statement makes you uncomfortable, this position isn't for you. If it resonates, if you believe children meet the expectations you consistently uphold, this role is designed with you in mind.

Alpha operates differently from conventional schools. Academic content is delivered through adaptive software that adjusts to each student's level and pace. There are no traditional lectures. No identical worksheets distributed to 25 students assumed to be at the same point. Instead, each child progresses through individualized learning applications while you—their Guide—support them through the challenging moments: maintaining focus when difficulty increases, working through frustration, and recognizing genuine mastery rather than mere participation.

You'll begin each morning facilitating motivation sessions: analyzing individual student progress within their learning apps, establishing daily targets, and identifying the most effective approach for each child. For some, that might mean a leaderboard competition, school currency incentives, or a personal conversation about their potential. Afternoons transition to life skills instruction where you facilitate workshops on public speaking, concentration, and constructive feedback through interactive, project-driven activities. You'll administer mastery-based evaluations (Test2Pass) where students demonstrate internalized understanding, not passive attendance. Throughout, you're guiding emotional self-regulation, resilience, and critical thinking through consistent routines and genuine care.

Guides who excel here advance to Lead Guide roles, mentoring Guide teams while maintaining direct work with their own student cohort. The progression from "I transformed these 15 students' trajectories" to "I'm developing the team that impacts hundreds" is tangible and achievable. If traditional education never appealed to you but you believe the years between 4 and 7 fundamentally shape future outcomes—submit your application.

What You Will Be Doing

• Facilitating daily motivation sessions with K-2 students: analyzing Coachbot data, establishing personalized targets, and applying Alpha's motivational framework (school currency, leaderboards, individual coaching) to achieve 100% goal attainment
• Leading one-hour life skills workshops focused on public speaking, concentration, constructive feedback exchange, and time management, all interactive and project-driven, utilizing Alpha's curriculum framework
• Guiding emotional self-regulation, resilience, and critical thinking in collaboration with Reading Specialists who deliver literacy instruction
• Conducting Test2Pass mastery evaluations where students prove internalized understanding of each life skill prior to advancement
• Establishing authentic connections with every student by understanding their passions, capabilities, and challenges so coaching feels individualized, not formulaic
  
  

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Presenting lectures or providing direct academic instruction. Academic learning occurs through adaptive applications, not through your teaching.
• Creating curriculum materials independently. Alpha supplies the life skills curriculum and lesson frameworks; your role is execution and delivery.
• Advancing students who haven't proven mastery. A 99% score means coaching them to reach 100%.
• Supervising children passively using computers. Every moment is intentionally structured for active coaching, motivation, and competency development.
• Handling parent communications or campus-wide logistics. Those responsibilities belong to the Campus Lead.
  
  

2nd Grade Teacher Key Responsibilities

Guide a cohort of K-2 students who are enthusiastic about learning, progress through adaptive curriculum at double the conventional rate, and achieve proficiency in fundamental life skills.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in any discipline
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience with children ages 4–7 (classroom teaching, afterschool programming, youth coaching, camps, or comparable roles)
• Proven ability to manage groups of young children with both clear structure and sustained engagement
• Strong storytelling ability and dynamic presentation skills capable of captivating a room of 5-year-olds
• Track record of continuous growth and adaptation in response to feedback
• Available to work on-site at an Alpha campus (Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Greenwich, CT
• Lake Forest, CA
• Miami, FL
• Palo Alto, CA
• Piedmont, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Santa Monica, CA; relocation assistance provided)
• Authorized to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship
  
  

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Experience in youth sports coaching, camp leadership, or afterschool program management where you balanced both engagement and measurable results
• Performance background (theater, public speaking, improvisation) that supports your ability to captivate young audiences
• Familiarity with adaptive learning systems or educational technology tools in instructional or tutoring contexts
• Personal history of high achievement—academically, athletically, or professionally—that informs your commitment to holding students to elevated standards
  
  

About Alpha

Want to join a learning rebellion that’s transforming the traditional classroom?

Alpha School is on a mission to reshape education with a bold approach that harnesses AI to accelerate learning and unleash student potential.

They don’t play by the old rules.

Alpha is creating a new paradigm where students master core academics in just two hours a day, freeing up time for hands-on, passion-driven learning that truly prepares them for the real world.

Alpha School is rewriting the rules of education.

Sounds too good to be true? It’s not.

There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited. Hit the Apply button if you found this interesting and want to learn more. We look forward to meeting you!

Working with us

This is a full-time (40 hours per week), long-term position. The position is immediately available and requires entering into an independent contractor agreement with Crossover as a Contractor of Record. The compensation level for this role is $60 USD/hour, which equates to $120,000 USD/year assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. The payment period is weekly. Consult www.crossover.com/help-and-faqs for more details on this topic.

Crossover Job Code: LJ-5634-US-Greenwic-2ndGradeTeache