TOOL: SUMMARY OF NEW ROLES CREATED BY OPPORTUNITY CULTURE MODELS
This table describes the qualifications and responsibilities of some of the new roles that school design teams can
create in an Opportunity Culture. School design teams should refer to this background information as they
consider how to change staffing to create an Opportunity Culture for teachers and other staff that will include
advanced career opportunities, for more pay, while giving all students access to excellent teachers. Design
teams may modify the roles to meet the needs of each school, within the five Opportunity Culture Principles.
In this table, there is one teacher-leader role—the multi-classroom leader—but multiple “direct reach” roles in
which teachers directly extend their reach to more students. Schools may choose to combine the direct-reach
roles to fit each school and its teachers and students best.
Role
Qualifications
Major Responsibilities
MultiClassroom
Leader (MCL)
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Student outcomes (growth)
consistently in top 25% of
teachers on state or
national tests
Excellence on other
teaching measures,
relevant to leadership, used
by the school
Demonstrates
competencies to
lead/manage adults
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Senior Team
Teacher
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Team Teacher 
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Prior evidence of highgrowth results with many
students
Moving toward excellence
on other teaching measures
Demonstrates teamwork
behaviors
Still developing skills to be
an ST or MCL
Demonstrates high
potential for teaching,
teamwork, and/or
leadership
If experienced,
demonstrates teamwork
behaviors
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©2014 Public Impact
Leads a pod of 2–7 teachers and paraprofessionals
(about 50–200 students in elementary; more in
secondary)
Responsible for student outcomes across pod
Determines team member subjects, roles, and
classroom routines
Provides direction about instructional methods,
materials, and planning/grouping/differentiation
Monitors student progress and team effectiveness
Develops team members’ teaching and teamwork
skills
Works with principal to dismiss ineffective team
members, when necessary
Helps select new team members
Teaches on a teaching team led by an MCL
Plays advanced roles (e.g., data assessment and
planning) that support additional leader reach
Grades/reviews work, and plans, groups students, and
differentiates work for students as determined by
MCL
May specialize in subjects or teaching roles
Uses methods and materials of MCL
May be a step on a career path that advances pay and
responsibility as a teacher’s contribution to the team
advances in areas such as instructional excellence,
learning assessment, differentiated instructional
planning, and leading peers
Teaches on a teaching team led by an MCL
With frequent supervision, provides instruction and
plays roles that support additional leader reach, as
determined by MCL
Grades/reviews work, and assists with planning,
grouping, and differentiation of work for students in
subjects as determined by MCL
May specialize in subjects or teaching roles
Uses methods and materials of MCL
OpportunityCulture.org
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Role
Qualifications
Major Responsibilities
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Specialized
Teacher (ST)
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BlendedLearning
Teacher (BLT)
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Remote
BlendedLearning
Teacher
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Learning
Coach (LC)
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Digital Lab
Monitor (LM)
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©2014 Public Impact
Student outcomes (growth)
consistently in top 25% of
teachers on state or
national tests
Excellence on other
teaching measures

Student outcomes (growth)
consistently in top 25% of
teachers on state or
national tests
Excellence on other
teaching measures

Student outcomes (growth)
consistently in top 25% of
teachers on state or
national tests
Excellence on other
teaching measures
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Previous experience
working with children
Demonstrates strong
interpersonal and
development behaviors
Teamwork behaviors
At least two years of
college
Knowledge of subject
matter being taught
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Previous experience
working with children
Strong computer skills,
including troubleshooting
software and hardware
issues
Bachelor’s degree a plus,
but not required
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May be first step on a career path that advances pay
and responsibility with increased team contribution
Teaches a larger-than-typical load of students in a
specialized teaching role, or, in elementary school,
teaches just one or two subjects, with the help of
other staff who handle other subjects and
noninstructional tasks
Spends most of day teaching or planning
Teaches a larger-than-typical load of students,
focusing on higher-order skills, because students
rotate through a digital learning lab, for ageappropriate time periods, where they receive basic
content instruction
Spends most of day teaching or planning
Teaches a larger-than-typical load of students from a
remote location, focusing on higher-order skills,
because students rotate through a digital learning lab,
for age-appropriate time periods, where they receive
basic content instruction
Engages and motivates students remotely
Partners with Learning Coaches, who are on-site with
students
Manages students during less structured times and
transitions
Identifies and addresses individual students’ social,
emotional, and behavioral needs, and develops their
organizational and time-management skills
Maintains administrative duties for teachers
Helps with tutoring in areas of content knowledge,
under direction and using tools/rubrics of teacher(s)
May partner with on-site or remotely located
teacher(s)
Ensures that students are working productively in the
digital learning lab
Trains and re-trains to ensure all students can use
equipment and software
Assists with software and hardware issues
Answers basic questions about learning content, when
possible
Ensures that teacher(s) receive student data
generated from software for planning instruction
OpportunityCulture.org
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Role
Qualifications
Major Responsibilities
Tutor (T)
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Previous experience
working with children
Knowledge of subject
matter being taught
Bachelor’s degree a plus,
but not required
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Previous experience
working with children
Bachelor’s degree a plus,
but not required
Instructional Assistant
Variation: Knowledge of
subject matter being taught
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Assistant
Teacher
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©2014 Public Impact
Implements small-group and individual interventions
determined by teacher(s) that personalize and tailor
instruction
Assesses student learning progress in the intervention
group and communicates to teacher(s) using provided
tools/rubrics
May review student work using rubrics from
teacher(s), and provides frequent feedback to
students
Manage student behavior during transitions and less
structured time (e.g., recess, lunch)
Monitor independent work time in classroom while
teacher provides instruction
Hold students accountable for high expectations of
behavior and engagement that are ambitious and
measurable
Maintain administrative duties on behalf of teacher
OpportunityCulture.org
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COMPARING THE CORE MODELS
Elementary
Specialization
MultiClassroom
Leadership
TimeTechnology
Swap
(blended
learning)
Class-Size
Changes
100%–300%
100%–700%
25%–100%
10%–40%
REQUIRES…
… some teachers to lead other
teachers
… some elementary teachers to
specialize in 1–2 core subjects
… some class sizes to be larger
… students to receive part of
their instruction digitally
… teachers or students to rotate
REACH POTENTIAL
(percentage of additional students
reached by excellent teachers)
Note: Remote teaching models may have any of these characteristics, aligned with role designs in table.
COMPARING TEACHING ROLES
Teaching Role
Works Under
Another
Teacher’s
Direction
Leads Other
Teachers
Multi-Classroom
Leader (MCL)
-
Specialized
Teacher (ST)
-
-
Blended Learning
Teacher (BLT)
-
-
Team Teacher
(TT)
Reach Extended
-
Delivers
Classroom
Instruction
-
Note: Remote teaching models may have any of these characteristics, aligned with role designs in table.
©2014 Public Impact
OpportunityCulture.org
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