Is there an MCPS teacher here who can describe what a FOCUS teacher position at an elementary school entails?

[Anonymous]

Hello!
I am considering applying to some part-time positions in MCPS and came across the Focus Teacher position at elementary schools. I taught previously for many years in another state and am not familiar with this position. I obviously read the description, but am wondering what a typical day looks like for a Focus teacher. Are they working alongside various classroom teachers to support specific students, or working with students in small groups?

Can anyone here give me a better idea of what the Focus teacher position entails?

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Each school determines what the job's focus will be for that position. You need to contact the schools to ask. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

The official description is so vague you'll need to contact the school.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/personnel/classification/descriptions/description.aspx?fn=1031-317

[Anonymous]

Isn’t this to set people up for vice principal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t this to set people up for vice principal?

No

[Anonymous]

Yep can be anything, depending on the school. You might provide reading or math intervention. You might teach a reading or math block to lower class size for a grade level.

[Anonymous]

Retired MCPS here - We used it to lower class sizes or save a staff member who may have been cut. So, in essence we never really hired a person. For instance if staffing was cut in social studies to .6 we would give that teacher .4 under focus to make that person a 1.0 (full time). This would lower the class sizes because classes could be assigned to this person under focus. This would leave a .6 to distribute to another department. As a previous poster stated, make sure you ask in the interview how the position would be used in the school. It could be pull outs, leveling classes, etc. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

It's going to depend on the school and even then varies year to year. We have used that position as a full classroom teacher to lower the class sizes; we have used that position as an intervention, pulling small groups all day; we have used that position as another ELA teacher, taking students for the entire ELA block. Best thing is to email and ask.

[Anonymous]

My DD is in a title 1 school where there are a few focus positions (I think title 1 schools get more). I think many of them pull small groups for those who need extra help in math/reading. Last year they used some focus teachers to provide enrichment.

[Anonymous]

At our ES, the focus teacher is the ELC teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Retired MCPS here - We used it to lower class sizes or save a staff member who may have been cut. So, in essence we never really hired a person. For instance if staffing was cut in social studies to .6 we would give that teacher .4 under focus to make that person a 1.0 (full time). This would lower the class sizes because classes could be assigned to this person under focus. This would leave a .6 to distribute to another department. As a previous poster stated, make sure you ask in the interview how the position would be used in the school. It could be pull outs, leveling classes, etc. Good luck.

Thank you so much to everyone who responded. This makes much more sense and I will definitely contact the school principal to get more information.