Searching for US-based options

I have been lucky to be a part of international and private cooperative schools that allowed me to explore my teaching in less traditional models. I am all in on concept-based learning and inquiry learning. As we look at a likely return to the United States coming up I am having mixed feelings of where I should put my search. I want to be a part of good teaching being accesible to all students and therefore want to join a public school. I am on the flip-side concerned with the lack of trust and freedom I see many of my colleauges in the groups I am a member of having to deal with. As someone who hasn’t been stateside in a traditional school I am curious what will be awaiting me. I am in love with my job as a teacher, and also want to be an active participant in improving schools moving forward for all students.

I did a quick search to see what PYP schools are in Northern Virignia which is a likely area we will target in our move back home, and was sad to see there is very little in the area. I am also not married to the IB but open to concept-based and inquiry focused schools, and it seems that is often left to private schools. The lack of access to best-practice schools for all students is heartbreaking. I know there are large pockets of teachers doing the right thing, but saddened it isn’t more of a norm from the top down. While I will be joining a cohort for concept-based learning, rewriting a curriculum this year at a new to me school, plus another pet project, and some writing on the side, I will also be job searching and researching how to be more active in improving our schools when I get back. Oh and of course likely doing all this while bouncing back and fourth from in-person to online- should be quite the year;)

Any leads on getting involved locally in the US schools sytem very much appreciated.