Focus Teacher

[Anonymous]

We just moved to the area from out of state. I'm a teacher and I'm looking at positions open for next year. Does anyone here know what the job of a focus teacher entails? The description on the listing is vague at best. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

At our school they act as an intervention teacher

[Anonymous]

Sometimes they are for pulling out a group of students to work on a different math level from the rest of the class, for example. I think a lot depends on the principal's intentions.

[Anonymous]

It should say in careers what the focus is (it is based on school needs). It can be anything from math to ELD, to Sped, to STEM, etc… If it is not listed, it is something you would definitely want to ask about in your interview.

[Anonymous]

Highly coveted position, you won't get it over an internal hire

[Anonymous]

It depends on the grade level - it can be someone who does pull out/push in groups (math/ELA) at the elementary level, or at the secondary level it can be a catch-all person who fills random positions that are needed that can be classroom-based or not. It's really for internal candidates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Highly coveted position, you won't get it over an internal hire

Highly coveted? LOL. I used to be a focus teacher and it was a nightmare. Most other focus teachers I know either switched positions or left the profession altogether as well. It's code for "doing everything no one else in the building wants to do." (All while having admin constantly pestering, berating, yelling, micromanaging, and delegating all their unwanted tasks onto you while blaming you for it not going the way they wanted,etc.) This isn't just my experience, it's pretty universal for focus teachers across the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Highly coveted position, you won't get it over an internal hire

Highly coveted? LOL. I used to be a focus teacher and it was a nightmare. Most other focus teachers I know either switched positions or left the profession altogether as well. It's code for "doing everything no one else in the building wants to do." (All while having admin constantly pestering, berating, yelling, micromanaging, and delegating all their unwanted tasks onto you while blaming you for it not going the way they wanted,etc.) This isn't just my experience, it's pretty universal for focus teachers across the county.

Lol exactly. It's an interesting-sounding name which is code for 'the principal is waiting for numbers to settle so they can squeeze some poor teacher into the worst schedule ever"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should say in careers what the focus is (it is based on school needs). It can be anything from math to ELD, to Sped, to STEM, etc… If it is not listed, it is something you would definitely want to ask about in your interview.

This is not correct. Focus cannot be ELD or Sped. Those teachers have a separate certification.

The focus position is to be used however a principal feels it can best be used: reading or math intervention or enrichment, or to pull an extra section of a specific content area as a teacher of record. The position is fluid, you could provide math enrichment one month and reading intervention another month.