3rd Grade Teacher (1 Year Only) - Longfellow Elementary

TITLE: 3rd Grade Teacher (1 Year Only) - Longfellow Elementary

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Longfellow Elementary School is seeking an energetic, enthusiastic, and creative teacher to join our third grade team team for the 2026-2027 school year. We are seeking a teacher who has a passion for working with children, brings an equity-oriented approach to their instruction and who holds all students to high expectations. The successful candidate will have experience creating meaningful student and parent relationships, collaborate with other teachers and school-wide educators; demonstrated experience in engaging students across content areas; and commitment to incorporating global perspectives and strengthening students' social/emotional education throughout the classroom and school. We seek a teammate who is collaborative and open to giving and receiving feedback in service of the shared goals of the school and the district. 

As a school, we work together collaboratively to ensure all students feel a sense of belonging and that all students are engaged in grade level learning every day.  Every morning, every classroom begins their day in a circle, running a morning meeting focused on belonging and building social emotional skills. We are committed to teaching explicit and systematic foundational literacy skills in all K-2 classrooms, and are adopting a high quality Expeditionary Learning curriculum in all classrooms next year. We use Illustrative Mathematics as our math curriculum and student inquiry and engagement is important to our philosophy of teaching and learning. 

As a school community, we are committed to implementing anti-racist systems and practices, including restorative practices for our discipline policy. We require and support our staff with continually examining their own identities and biases and engage regularly in necessary conversations about race and equity.  These values guide our community as we commit to social justice and consistently working towards becoming an anti-racist school.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under direction of the school principal, the successful candidate:

• Plans and provides for appropriate learning experiences for students
• Provides an atmosphere and environment conducive to the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of individuals to ensure success for every student
• Supervises students in a variety of school related settings
• Monitors and evaluates student outcomes
• Communicates and interacts with students, parents, staff and community
• Develops, selects, and modifies instructional plans and materials to meet the needs of all students
• Maintains appropriate records and follows required procedures and practices
• Monitors appropriate use and care of equipment, materials, and facilities

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of PPS curriculum, techniques for integrating curriculum, PPS policies, and effective standards based instructional practices
• Understanding of the teaching/learning/assessing process
• Ability to create a welcoming environment conducive to the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of all students
• Ability to provide instruction that involves collaboration with special education team, intervention and RTI team and ML team
• Ability to monitor and evaluate student outcomes and take responsibility for student growth
• Strong equity orientation and an openness to personal reflection on deepening awareness of personal bias and being culturally responsive and humble
• Ability to infuse technology into the curriculum
• Team player.  An openness and desire to collaborate with colleagues and administration, including sharing lessons, assessments, student work and data
• Ability to work effectively with administrators, colleagues, central office and school based staff, students, parents and community
• A growth mindset.  Sincere belief that all students can rise to high expectations and a passion for differentiating in support of ensuring all students meet goals
• Excellent oral and written communication and human relations skills
• Experience with PBIS, SEL curriculum and restorative practices

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in applicable field of education from an accredited college or university

CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Maine State fingerprint (CHRC) authorization (more info)
• Maine State teacher certificate with 020 Endorsement, General Elementary (K-6 or K-8) (more info)

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• Schedule: School Year, Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Assignment: 1 Year Only (2026-2027)
• Overtime: Not eligible for overtime
• Contract: Part of the PEA union (see 2025-2028 CBA here)
• Salary: Based on education and experience, per CBA
• Benefits: Eligible for benefits as outlined here

ABOUT LONGFELLOW: 

Located in Deering Center on Stevens Avenue, between Deering High School and Lincoln Middle School, Longfellow Elementary School is a PK–5 school serving approximately 250 students. We are committed to academic excellence, social-emotional learning, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving, while fostering a strong sense of belonging for every member of our community. Our Longfellow community is supportive and collaborative, with a shared goal of ensuring that every student feels included, valued, and empowered with the tools and strategies they need to be successful.

We prioritize explicit, systematic literacy instruction and data-driven practices in grades K–2, and implement EL Education across K–5 alongside Illustrative Mathematics to promote inquiry, engagement, and deep understanding. Professional collaboration and coaching are central to our work. Each staff member participates in multiple teams, including administration, special education, multilingual/intervention/RTI, and instructional coaching, to support continuous growth and student success.

Our school is grounded in a strong commitment to equity and anti-racist practices. We center restorative approaches, honor multilingual learners as assets, and engage in ongoing reflection and dialogue around identity and bias. As part of Portland Public Schools, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive, supportive environment for both students and staff, with meaningful opportunities for professional growth, collaboration, leadership, and belonging.

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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.