Staff & Teacher Leadership
Staff & Teacher Leadership
We are committed to identifying opportunities to elevate voices within IPS and recognize team members through additional leadership roles and compensation. This provides teachers and staff exciting avenues to learn new skills, take on additional responsibilities, and expand their impact beyond their current focus and individual school.
The district offers eight leadership roles ranging from mentoring peers to managing school-based devices — each role includes professional development, a cohort model and annual compensation up to $7,000 that’s dependent on the role.
The Art Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of art education within our district, fostering collaboration among educators, and driving continuous improvement in teaching practices around the district. In this role, you will have the chance to inspire creativity, collaborate with colleagues, and make a positive impact on the artistic development of both students and art teachers across our district, ensuring that our practices support and honor students of diverse backgrounds.
Cooperating Teachers/School Counselor & USS Supervisors (CTs/SCUSs) play a vital role in the development of pre-service educators and serve as a key retention lever in the district’s overall talent strategy. They do so by coaching, supporting, and inspiring Student Teachers/School Counselor Interns (STs/SCIs) and other pre-service educators as they prepare to join the teaching profession.
The school or program Device Manager plays a vital role in student success by ensuring that students have laptops or tablets assigned to them and a stock of devices available for swaps and new students.
The Digital Learning Leader (DLL) at Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is a year-long role focused on driving digital proficiency and instructional excellence within a school. The DLL serves as a cheerleader, information source, and mentor, helping all staff effectively use IPS's digital learning resources, especially the Edge*U micro-credentialing program, and instructional tools.
The IB Authorization Lead plays a critical role in guiding schools across the district through the International Baccalaureate (IB) authorization and evaluation processes. This position provides targeted support, coordination, and coaching to school leaders and IB coordinators to ensure readiness for IB authorization and reauthorization aligned with IB Framework
The IB Evaluation Lead provides leadership and guidance for the evaluation and continuous improvement of International Baccalaureate (IB) programs across the district. This role ensures that all IB initiatives align with IB standards and district academic goals. The Evaluation Lead will serve as a critical link between district leadership and school-based IB coordinators, focusing on program evaluation, strategic improvements, and capacity building in IB best practices.
The ENL Professional Development Facilitator plans, develops and presents professional learning opportunities for ENL teachers and bilingual assistants during district-wide professional development days. The facilitator will maintain communication and share appropriate resources with their community.
The ENL PD Facilitator is currently a 1 school year position. This role has an estimated time commitment of 5- 10 hours a month.
The Learning Community literacy Lead plays a key role in strengthening K–5 language arts instruction across their learning community by supporting high-quality implementation of district curriculum and instructional practices. In partnership with the district ELA, Reading, and Coaching Coordinators, the literacy Leads foster collaboration among educators, build shared expertise, and support continuous improvement in teaching and learning, grounded in high expectations, cultural responsiveness, and equitable outcomes for all students.
The Learning Community Math Lead plays a key role in strengthening K–5 math instruction across their learning community by supporting high-quality implementation of district curriculum and instructional practices. In partnership with the district Math Coordinators and Coaching Coordinator, the Math Leads foster collaboration among educators, build shared expertise, and support continuous improvement in math teaching and learning, grounded in high expectations, cultural responsiveness, and equitable outcomes for all students.
The Library Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of library media instruction, fostering educator collaboration, and driving continuous improvement in teaching practices district-wide. In this role, you will inspire creativity, collaborate with colleagues, and positively impact the literacy and information literacy skills of students and library staff across IPS, with a focus on supporting and honoring the diverse backgrounds of all students.
The Music Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of art education within our district, fostering collaboration among educators, and driving continuous improvement in teaching practices around the district. In this role, you will have the chance to inspire creativity, collaborate with colleagues, and make a positive impact on the artistic development of both students and art teachers across our district, ensuring that our practices support and honor students of diverse backgrounds.
The Physical Education / Health Lead serves as an instructional leader and advocate for PE and Health educators across the district. This role supports consistent, standards-aligned instruction; promotes physical literacy, wellness, and student engagement; and ensures equitable access to high-quality physical education and health programming.
The PE/Health Lead collaborates with teachers, administrators, district leadership, and community partners to strengthen curriculum, professional learning, resource coordination, and student outcomes in physical education and health.
Senior Cooperating Teachers (SCTs) play a vital role in the development of pre-service educators and serve as a key quality assurance and support layer within the district’s educator preparation pipeline. SCTs coach, support, and mentor Cooperating Teachers (CTs) who host pre-service student teachers, interns, and other pre-service educators throughout the school year and serve as a point of contact and escalation for CTs as they carry out their responsibilities.
These roles are named by IPS Leaders and School Leaders. If interested, please reach out to your school leadership with your interest.
Apprenticeship Coaches play a vital role in shaping the experience for new apprentices beginning their careers in IPS. Apprenticeship Coaches are responsible for helping apprentices navigate their role as an instructor and member of a school team, as well as cultivating a constructive dialogue with apprentices on their performance. They are supportive and approachable figures with whom apprentices can discuss their daily experiences, triumphs and challenges.
Indianapolis Public Schools is seeking highly organized and motivated licensed educators to serve as a High Ability Building Liaison at the elementary level. This role is responsible for coordinating all aspects of high ability testing and data reporting for students in Kindergarten, Grade 2, and Grade 5, as aligned with the IPS High Ability Program guidelines and Indiana Department of Education requirements.
Role of the Mentor - proficient classroom teachers responsible for supervising apprentice teachers in their classroom. They are responsible for supporting their apprentice in:
Learning the skills necessary to become a proficient teacher
Lesson planning for each day/class period/small group based on assessment data/exit tickets/student work
Involving and explicitly supporting their apprentice in their daily work (instruction, data digs, planning, meetings, etc.)
Completing all micro-credentials on time
The ENL Lead Teacher of Record (ToR)is responsible for ensuring that the ENL Requirements are being followed with fidelity at all times at their school. They are responsible for legal and compliance oversight, instructional and leadership support, data and assessment coordination, and advocacy and institutional voice.
The ENL PD Facilitator is currently a 1 school year position. This role has an estimated time commitment of 5- 10 hours a month.
Mentors play a vital role in training, supporting and inspiring novice and veteran teachers beginning their careers in IPS. Mentors are supportive and approachable educators who cultivate constructive dialogue; discuss daily experiences, triumphs, and challenges in the classroom, and influence the development of their mentees. Mentors serve as champions of IPS and promote urban teaching, while supporting instructional and professional best practices through 1:1 and team support.
The Building-Level MTSS Designee is a building-based, certified staff member who advocates for students’ and teachers’ academic development. This role serves as the building’s point-person and liaison for intervention and MTSS processes.
The Building-Level Literacy Designee is a building-based, certified staff member who advocates for students’ and teachers’ literacy development. This role serves as the building’s point-person and liaison for literacy best practices, screening and progress monitoring systems, and dyslexia-related implementation, working within a network of leaders to strengthen teaching and learning at the school level. Ideally, this should be either the building-level instructional coach or interventionist.
The Building-Level Math Designee is a building-based, certified staff member who advocates for students’ and teachers’ math development. This role serves as the building’s point person and liaison for math best practices, screening and progress-monitoring systems, and math-related implementation, working within a network of leaders to strengthen teaching and learning at the school level. Ideally, this should be either the building-level instructional coach or interventionist.
First impressions matter. The first few days in a new building can feel overwhelming — new faces, new systems, new expectations, and a lot of information all at once. The Onboarding Liaison exists to make that transition feel personal, organized, and welcoming.
This role ensures that every new staff member feels noticed and supported from day one. Whether it’s a first-year teacher, a veteran educator new to IPS, a custodian, instructional assistant, food service team member, or a student teacher — this person helps set the tone. They are the friendly face, the go-to person, and the connector who helps new staff feel like they belong.
Each building will have one (1) Onboarding Liaison role.