e-Teacher - Next Online at Zero Dropouts in Denver, CO

Description

Location - Colorado (Hybrid)

FLSA Status - Exempt, Full-Time

About Zero Dropouts

Zero Dropouts exists to deliver innovative student development opportunities in a way that invites school districts, communities, and students to co-create unique solutions that recognize, foster, and unleash students’ unrealized potential so that their lives are transformed as they thrive in their education and work.

Our Next GED Plus Online (Next Online) program is designed for learners whose lives do not align with traditional school structures, pacing, or attendance expectations. Many of our students are highly mobile, balancing work, family responsibilities, housing instability, or other complex life circumstances that make consistent participation in brick-and-mortar settings difficult.

We design for flexibility without lowering expectations—creating responsive, relationship-based learning environments where students can engage, re-engage, and make meaningful progress on pathways that adapt to their lives.

What We Believe

Our foundational beliefs guide every aspect of our work:

We Believe Mysteries are Opportunities

We are inspired to solve the deeply complex mysteries that face our world. Our innovative approach drives us to uncover hidden truths and create tailored solutions that address the unique challenges of our clients and communities.

We Believe in Anti-Deficit Ideology

Anti-deficit ideology focuses on recognizing and valuing the strengths, abilities, and potential of individuals and communities, rather than highlighting their shortcomings or deficiencies.

We Believe in a Sociocultural Model for Learning

People develop knowledge and skills through an active learning process that encourages interactions with teachers, peers, and their communities. We meet people where they are in their learning journeys, centering their experiences and identities in the process to foster both independent learning and collaboration.

We Believe in a ‘Power With’ Approach to Relationships

We use a ‘power with’ approach that emphasizes collaboration, mutual support, and collective empowerment in our relationships with youth, partners, and each other. Instead of hierarchical or competitive dynamics, it focuses on sharing power, fostering partnerships, and working together to achieve common goals.

We Believe Organizations are Living Systems

We believe that organizations and groups operate as dynamic living systems. This perspective emphasizes interdependence and collaboration, fostering resilience and adaptability. By nurturing supportive relationships and collective growth, we create conditions and environments where all members can thrive.

Role Overview

The e-Teacher provides live online instruction to students working toward earning their GED and preparing for postsecondary pathways. This role is responsible for creating a supportive and engaging virtual classroom environment where students can build academic skills, gain confidence, and make progress toward their goals. e-Teachers lead synchronous online classes, support students through challenges, monitor academic progress, and help students stay connected and motivated throughout their educational journey. This position works closely with other members of the Next Online team to ensure students receive the instruction, encouragement, and support needed to persist and succeed. 

Who You Are

You are an educator who knows that learning happens in relationship. In an online environment, you don’t just deliver content—you design for connection, belonging, and forward momentum.

You meet students where they are and build with them. You understand that consistency, pacing, and participation may look different for each student—and rather than expecting students to fit a system, you adapt the system to fit students. You are skilled at differentiating in real time, adjusting instruction, expectations, and supports to meet learners with varying schedules, skill levels, and life demands.

You understand that engagement is not compliance—it is something we intentionally design through purpose, agency, and meaningful work. You create opportunities for students to re-engage without penalty or shame, while still maintaining clear pathways toward progress.

You hold the hope. You see potential before students can see it in themselves and create conditions where they can experience progress, capability, and ownership of their learning.

You believe access matters. Students should be able to demonstrate what they know and can do in ways that align with their strengths—including language. You work to remove barriers and expand pathways. Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are especially valuable in supporting students preparing for GED assessments offered in both languages.

You thrive in a collaborative, evolving environment. You are reflective, adaptable, and grounded in a “power with” approach—working alongside students, families, and colleagues to co-create meaningful learning experiences.

What You’ll Do

Design & Facilitate Learning in Relationship

• Design and facilitate live, online, standards-aligned virtual learning experiences grounded in interaction, dialogue, and shared meaning-making
• Create opportunities for students to learn with and from each other, not just independently or passively via lectures or texts
• Design learning experiences that flex to meet students with varying schedules, skill levels, and levels of participation
• Differentiate instruction in real time—adjusting pacing, grouping, and support based on student engagement and readiness
• Re-engage students who have missed learning by helping them re-enter without penalty or shame, while maintaining momentum toward their goals
• Provide targeted Tier 2 and 3 support through small groups and 1:1 instruction as needed
• Integrate academic skill-building with real-world relevance and postsecondary pathways
• Implement accommodations aligned with IEPs and 504 plans

Build Engagement & Momentum

• Take an active, ongoing role in student engagement—reaching out, building connection, and sustaining momentum over time
• Recognize that engagement may be inconsistent and design proactive strategies to re-engage students without relying on compliance-based approaches
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with students and families using a “power with” approach
• Communicate regularly with students and caregivers to support persistence, clarity, and shared understanding of goals
• Support and help coordinate key student milestones, including GED Ready and Official GED testing—working alongside students and team members to ensure testing happens in a timely and supported way
• Work alongside students to identify and navigate barriers that impact their ability to engage
• Create conditions where students feel known, supported, and accountable to themselves and their goals
• Recognize that responsibility for student progress is shared, and step in where needed to ensure forward movement

Notice, Interpret, and Respond to Learning

• Monitor student engagement, progress, and participation as part of an ongoing learning process
• Use patterns in student work, attendance, and interaction to inform instructional decisions and supports
• Provide timely, meaningful feedback that helps students understand their progress and next steps
• Maintain accurate records in required systems
• Capture both quantitative and qualitative evidence of student growth to inform program improvement and storytelling

Contribute to a Living System

• Collaborate with the Next Online team to align practices, share learning, and strengthen the program over time
• Participate in team conversations grounded in inquiry, reflection, and continuous improvement
• Contribute to design and innovation efforts as the program evolves
• Build and maintain relationships with internal teams, district partners, and community connections
• Use shared communication tools (Teams, Outlook, Coda) to stay connected and coordinated
• Operate with a mindset of interdependence—recognizing when to lead, when to support, and when to step in to move shared work forward

Continue to Learn and Evolve

• Engage in professional learning, coaching, and reflection to strengthen your practice
• Stay responsive to new ideas, tools, and research that support student engagement and learning
• Contribute to a culture of shared learning across the organization

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Current Colorado Teaching License (7–12) or eligibility to transfer a valid out-of-state teaching license to Colorado
• Experience with or strong readiness for teaching in virtual learning environments, particularly facilitating live online instruction
• Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft applications
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a dynamic environment
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport across diverse backgrounds, with strong cultural competence and adaptability in communication with students, families, and partners

Preferred Qualifications

• Current Colorado Teaching License in Language Arts or Social Studies (7–12) or eligibility to transfer a valid out-of-state teaching license to Colorado
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing, as the GED assessment is offered in both languages and language access is critical to student success
• Experience working with youth in alternative educational or community-based settings (e.g., credit recovery, GED preparation, re-engagement, or wraparound services)
• Experience working with IEPs, 504 plans, and multilingual learners (ELD populations)
• Experience in case management, including tracking student progress and supporting resource or career navigation
• Knowledge of Colorado’s community college and career technical education systems and workforce development programming, particularly transitions from secondary to postsecondary pathways

COMPENSATION: Starting at $58,000/year

BENEFITS: Company 401(k) plan with Employer Contribution Match, Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage, Paid Time Off (Sick Time, Holidays, Flexible Vacation), Life Insurance; Not PERA eligible.  

Work Environment & Schedule:

• Full-time, year-round position
• This is a hybrid role—primary responsibilities are carried out virtually, with some in-person meetings, professional development, and all-staff gatherings will be required several times throughout the year
• Candidates must reside in Colorado
• Some evening availability may be required to meet student needs