Ascent Classical Academy of Douglas County seeks upper school teachers for its K-12 Lone Tree campus in the south Denver metropolitan area.

At Ascent Classical Academies, teachers create their own lessons within the framework set by our content-rich curriculum, in collaboration with colleagues and in partnership with Hillsdale College's Barney Charter School Initiative. Teachers are dedicated to mastering the key elements of their instruction and to the intellectual and moral betterment of their students. 

Science

Science is one of the most tangible ways for our students to experience wonder in the classroom. A classical school encourages students to approach the study of the natural world with an attitude of wonder and curiosity. Through the study of scientific topics, students learn how to observe the universe and investigate the phenomena they observe. They practice critical questioning and reasoning through collecting data, building inferences, testing hypotheses, and applying theories and principles already discovered. Too often, the scientific disciplines are valued only for their monetary potential. In a classical classroom, biology, chemistry, and physics are valued as means of understanding and marveling at nature. In tandem with our virtue of wonder, our students are shaped by science into thoughtful human beings who examine, question, and integrate prior knowledge into their encounter with the unknown. It is our hope that our students find within the study of science a miniature portrait of the power of human reason when applied to the natural world.

About Ascent Classical Academies 

Ascent Classical Academies is a growing K-12 classical charter school network based in Colorado. Our schools offer an American Classical Education, using the Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative K-12 curriculum. Ascent Classical Academy Charter Schools currently serve approximately 1,500 students in K-12 campuses located in the Denver and Fort Collins areas of Colorado, with significant expansion planned throughout Colorado and the West. Ascent Classical Academies offer a well-rounded liberal arts and classical education grounded in virtue and supporting the ideas and philosophy behind the American Founding. 

Desired Start Date: Applications are open for the following school year.  Student contact days typically begin the week before Labor Day.  Ascent Classical Academies takes seriously its responsibility to support teachers' moral and intellectual improvement and to develop a hard-working, supportive, and excellence-driven culture.  To this end, teacher training and development is robust during the summer, with opportunities to begin intermittent training as early as June.  Teachers are expected to participate in pre-service training beginning the last week of July.  

Compensation Range and Particulars: $43,000 to $55,000 annually, highly dependent on class load, experience, and qualifications.  Because they desire to continuously improve and hone their craft, teachers are paid a monthly salary year round, with more flexibility for time off during school breaks and in the summer, while making development goals a priority.  

Schedule and Classification: Full-Time Exempt

Benefits Available:

• Employee-only coverage for group medical, dental, and vision plan; dependent coverage available
• Health savings account with employer contributions
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance plans
• Retirement investment account with employer match
• Generous paid time off packages under the Family Medical Leave Act and the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Free employee benefit and healthcare guidance through HealthJoy
• Paid leave for qualifying events under the Family Medical Leave Act, the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and Colorado FAMLI law
• Robust teacher training including several weeks of pre-service on-site training (late July through end August) and several days at Hillsdale College in Michigan each summer in June

Qualified candidates will have a strong background in the subject matter, demonstrate high moral character and embrace the virtues of a democratic society. The successful candidate will also foster professional friendships with faculty and staff, seek collaborative relationships with parents, and mentor students in the pursuit of their own flourishing.

• Bachelor's degree or higher
• For co-curricular subjects, at least 36 hours of higher education credit in the subject area of instruction (alternatively, a passing grade in a content exam)
• Eligibility to work in the United States
• After offer is accepted, satisfactory background check as required by state law and Colorado Department of Education
• Conviction in the values of a rigorous liberal arts education
• Loyalty to the school and ACA’s mission and vision
• Commitment to model moral character in line with the school’s core virtues and the pursuit of the Good, True, and Beautiful
• Adherence to all ACA policies, including but not limited to the Employee Handbook, Family Handbook, and all applicable school and board policies

A teacher's license is neither required nor preferred.