Opportunity Culture in IPS

Opportunity Culture in IPS

We’re delighted to give our schools the opportunity to give all teachers the support, on-the-job learning, leadership opportunities, and higher pay they deserve. 

Opportunity Culture: Excellence Matters

Excellent teacher leaders create a positive multiplier effect in teaching and student learning outcomes. Excellent teachers make approximately three times (3X) the progress of others. Students with excellent teachers make well over a year of progress each year.  

Indianapolis Public Schools is the first district in the state of Indiana to develop an Opportunity Culture.  An Opportunity Culture model leverages the impact of excellent teachers and their teams by reaching more students, paying excellent teachers more and designing an innovative teacher leadership model.

Investing in excellent teachers transforms schools, creates empowered teams of educators and positively impacts teaching and student learning outcomes in the city of Indianapolis.

Opportunity Culture:  Learn More

• How to Pay Our Teachers More
• Opportunity Culture: Learn More
• Opportunity Culture: Teaching, Leading, Learning
• Opportunity Culture in Action

Opportunity Culture: Impact

Leadership and Talent Development

• Career pathway opportunities based on excellence, leadership and student impact.
• Competitive compensation, with outstanding teachers earning more.

Student Impact

• The best teachers reach more students with excellent instruction, directly and by leading a team.
• Close achievement gaps.
• A team of educators to focus on each student’s needs.

Support and Collaboration

• More on-the-job learning for all teachers, so everyone improves and excels.
• Roles that let teachers focus on their teaching strengths.

School Autonomy and Accountability

• School design teams select the Opportunity Culture models that meet the unique needs of the school.

Opportunity Culture: Teacher Leader Roles

Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL)

• Leads a team of teachers and other staff responsible for multiple classrooms
• Establishes each team member’s roles and goals and determines how students spend time
• Assigns roles to fit each teacher’s strengths, knowledge, and professional development goals
• Plans collaboratively and improves instruction with the team to meet student needs
• Teaches some of the team’s students directly, with a schedule that frees time for team leadership too
• Takes full accountability for the learning and development of all students taught by the team

Expanded Impact Teacher (EIT)

• Works on a teaching team that reaches at least 33% more students than a typical team of the same size, or reaches more students directly with the help of an aspiring teacher/teaching assistant
• Uses blended learning, extra teaching assistant support and/or elementary subject specialization
• Plans, prepares and delivers instruction with high expectations and targeted approaches for all students
• Collaborates at school with teammates to monitor student progress and ensure learning for all
• Has more time for planning and learning on the job

Opportunity Culture: Application & Selection Process

1. Application
   • Eligible teachers are invited to apply for available Opportunity Culture, school-based positions, beginning in February and continuing throughout the Spring. Click here to apply!
2. Application Initial Review
   • IPS Talent Office will conduct an initial review.
3. Highly Qualified Candidate Pool Selection
   • After the initial review process, a pool of qualified candidates will be selected.
4. School-Based In-Person Interview
   • Selected applicants will be invited to in-persona interview.
5. School-Based Hiring
   • Principals will make selections of Opportunity Culture Teacher Leadership positions.