Virtual Arkansas Instructor of Science, 7-12

Position Type: TeacherJob Title: Virtual Arkansas Science TeacherReports to: Virtual Arkansas PrincipalLocation: Arch Ford Educational Service Cooperative; Telework from home officeContract Length: 190, beginning the 2026-2027 school yearDate Available: August 3, 2026Date Posted: May 1, 2026Closing Date: May 11, 2026Essential Qualifications:Science of Reading level required: AwarenessArkansas Teacher's License with Physical Science, 7-12 required; additional Life Science certification preferredArkansas residency requiredAbout Virtual Arkansas:Virtual Arkansas's (VA) mission is to equip, engage, and empower students through unique digital opportunities. As Arkansas's fully accredited state virtual program, we partner with local schools to provide course opportunities that might not otherwise be available with local resources. Virtual Arkansas is not an online school or a diploma-granting institution, but serves as a resource for supplementing the education of local students. Virtual Arkansas's program is implemented through a partnership between the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Education Service Cooperatives. Virtual Arkansas offers a variety of instructional services, and teachers may be assigned to different services based on organizational needs. These assigned areas include: Content + Teacher Supplemental, Dedicated/Emergency Use, Division of Youth Services, Alternative Learning Environment, and/or the Learn Anywhere Academy. Additionally, teachers are not able to make course requests but are instead assigned within their licensure area by organizational need. Virtual Arkansas maintains a comprehensive catalog of courses that were created to fully align to the Arkansas Curriculum Standards or other learning outcomes defined by credit-granting entities, such as Advanced Placement or Institutions of Higher Education offering concurrent course offerings in partnership with Virtual Arkansas. Because of the unique nature of our organization, Virtual Arkansas online teachers also serve as subject matter experts who engage in ongoing curriculum and assessment design tasks aimed at assuring the quality of Virtual Arkansas online courses and the alignment of content, assessments, and instructional practice.Expectations for Virtual Arkansas Teachers: Adopted in 2023, the Virtual Arkansas Online teacher is evaluated using a unique evaluation instrument, A Crosswalk of the NSQ Teaching Standards and the Danielson Framework. This crosswalk instrument was designed to better articulate the responsibilities of online instructors and to be used by evaluators for providing better support to teachers assigned in a variety of learning environments, including online, hybrid, and blended. While the majority of the standards and their components presented in the Crosswalk reflect traditional teacher responsibilities related to instruction, grading, communication, and professional practice, Standard H specifies expectations that are specific to online teachers and describes their unique responsibilities related to curriculum development and the curation of research-based instructional materials, tools, and strategies found to be effective in an online learning environment.Standard H: The online teacher curates and creates instructional materials, tools, strategies, and resources to engage all learners and to ensure achievement of academic goals.H1 The online teacher designs learning experiences that use technology to efficiently engage learners.H2 The online teacher uses a formative approach to lesson design.H3 The online teacher incorporates diverse media into online learning modules.H4 The online teacher is able to incorporate subject-specific and developmentally-appropriate digital learning resources into online learning modules.H5 The online teacher continuously reviews and aligns all course content with applicable course objectives and standards.H6 The online teacher creates, selects, and organizes appropriate assignments and assessments to align curricular content with associated standards-based learning goals.Virtual Arkansas Instructor Job Summary: Virtual Arkansas is seeking applications from Arkansas certified Physical Science, 7-12 instructors for the Core campus. Additional Life Science 7-12 certification preferred. The position could be assigned to any of the Arkansas 7-12 Science Courses in addition to Physical Science. Virtual Arkansas online teachers are responsible for following the established curriculum and for providing instruction to students in a virtual learning environment. The teacher leverages the capabilities of the digital tools, the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), the Student Information System (SIS), and the course itself to effectively deliver lessons, assess student progress and learning, provide personalized feedback, and identify and intervene with students who are demonstrating difficulty in mastering the standards, learning objectives, and goals of the course. The Virtual Arkansas teacher must be adept at engaging students remotely while fostering a positive learning environment and adapting to the unique challenges of digital education. Virtual Arkansas teacher duties and responsibilities are described below and fall into three primary categories: Instructional/Traditional, Curriculum, and Assessment.Instructional/Traditional Duties and Responsibilities:Effectively utilize the Virtual Arkansas technology systems, programs, software, and platforms to perform duties and deliver instructionPlan, prepare, and design live (synchronous) digital lessons and assignmentsLearn and utilize effective synchronous and asynchronous student engagement strategiesMonitor and track student attendance to synchronous sessionsImplement intervention and enrichment strategies, based on assessment data and mastery of standardsUtilize effective and efficient student feedback tools and strategiesMonitor student progress and respond appropriately to the needs of the studentsImplement effective/efficient communication strategies with students and local digital learning facilitatorsAttend and participate in required professional development, department-level collaborative teams, intervention meetings, and other required meetingsMeet at least once weekly with the local facilitator(s) to coordinate upcoming lessons and strategiesMaintain availability for students throughout each school weekDeliver and respond to communications, including emails and messages, in a timely mannerCollaborate with all stakeholders (e.g. students, parents, colleagues, local school facilitators, supervisors, etc.) for the purpose of establishing and maintaining effective professional communication and positive relationshipsImplement ELL, IEP, and 504 goals and accommodations into lessons and assessmentsMaintain a professional home officeMake occasional site visits to schools to foster relationships with students and school staffComplete other duties as assigned consistent with online, digital teachingCurriculum/Content Duties and Responsibilities:Monitor the digital curriculum and make recommendations for continuous curricular improvement through the established curriculum change/support processAssist design team members with the implementation of requested curriculum changesMake curriculum change recommendations based on standard revisions or misalignments between standards, content, and assessmentsCreate and enhance online content, including the creation of focus and micro-topic videosEngage in bi-annual course blueprint maintenance initiativesUpdate course syllabi and pacing guides, and complete course alignment matricesUse various simple tools to create small, fun learning objects to improve the interactive aspect of courses (Learning Objects)If enrollment numbers do not meet the desired enrollment threshold, engage in more extensive course enhancement projectsAssessment Duties and Responsibilities:Utilize and/or design assessment items that are aligned to the Arkansas Curriculum Standards (or other learning outcomes) that reflect appropriate DOK levels for each courseAlign assessment items to learning outcomesMonitor assessment data and student mastery of standards to inform student learning, instruction, curriculum gaps, and assessment validitySupervisory Responsibilities:NoneRequired Skills/Abilities:Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasksAbility to function well in a high-paced and at times, stressful environmentExcellent verbal and written communication skillsExcellent interpersonal, teamwork, and customer service skillsProficiency in using digital tools and platformsExcellent organizational skills and attention to detailStrong analytical and problem-solving skillsAbility to monitor, analyze, and interpret student data to then make informed decisions related to student progress and successDesire and ability to learn and adapt to new and emerging technologies and teaching strategiesEducation, Experience, and Qualifications:Arkansas licensure in assigned area(s): 7-12 Physical Science required, additional Life Science 7-12 certification preferredTeaching license must indicate Science of Reading AwarenessMinimum of a B.A. or B.S. requiredEmployee must earn the 115/4051 licensure code, Online Teaching K-12, within two academic years of being hired, if applicable. Virtual Arkansas will provide the prescribed program of study and will pay the initial exam fee required to meet the DESE licensure requirements.Physical Requirements:Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computerPeriodic travel requirementsSit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, or crouchUse hands to handle or feel, type, and pick up objects, and reach with hands and armsSpeak and hear to communicate effectivelyFrequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 poundsOther Information:This position will be hired through the Arch Ford Education Cooperative; however, employee may reside and work remotely in an Arkansas location that has robust Internet connectivity, per the terms of the Virtual Arkansas Telework Agreement.Virtual Arkansas teachers are engaged in their teaching duties, 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., from their home office, although periodic travel may be required.Attending scheduled and required in-person meetings (e.g., annual start-of-school meeting) with the understanding that these required meetings do not qualify for travel reimbursement.Salary will be commensurate with years of experience and education level, and will correspond to the Virtual Arkansas 190 contract day certified salary schedule.Please attach:Cover letterResumeCollege TranscriptsTeaching licenseContact information for three professional references