Valence College Prep, a new 5th-8th grade charter school in Queens, seeks a dedicated educator and instructional leader for the position of Middle School Social Studies Teacher. Valence College Prep opened in Fall 2019 with 112 fifth graders and is growing by one grade per year to a full size of 448 scholars in the fall of 2022. We continue to build our founding team of passionate, adaptive, and detail-oriented educators united behind our mission - to equip each of our students with the academic skills, professional habits, and strength of character to graduate from college and lead lives of opportunity.
Job Summary
As a school, our first core belief is that excellent instruction yields strong academic performance. Our teachers have the most important job in our school, and our program is designed for teachers to be given the tools and support to thrive as classroom leaders every day. A lead social studies teacher will teach four periods per day, driving students toward mastery of the New York State standards in Social Studies. S/he will also co-teach Advisory, Reading Circle, and Tutorial, providing supports that scholars need to excel. All teachers report to the Head of School and will participate in weekly collaboration, coaching, and professional development to maximize their positive impact on our scholars.
Key Responsibilities
Prepare Valence College Prep curricular materials to execute lesson plans at a high level every day
Implement Valence College Prep’s classroom routines and operational procedures to provide a consistent experience and expectations for scholars
Provide scholars with frequent and accurate academic and behavioral feedback
Participate actively in frequent professional development, coaching, and collaboration, and promptly implement coaching feedback into teaching practice
Communicate weekly with families
Collect and analyze multiple forms of scholar achievement data for purposes of targeting intervention, guiding instructional next steps, and improving practice
Collaborate with special education teachers and Dean of Student Support to provide accommodations for the success of scholars with special needs
Step in as a teacher leader on ad hoc tasks and projects when necessary to support and build a strong school environment
Key Competencies & Qualifications
Unwavering high expectations for all scholars and a belief that all children deserve access to a college education
Positivity and enthusiasm for the potential of every scholar
Ability to lead a classroom where excellence is expected and cultivated in 100% of scholars
Strong communication, organization, and on-the-fly problem solving skills
Capacity and passion to grow every day based on data and feedback from coach and peers
Bachelor’s degree required
Minimum two years of urban teaching preferred
New York State teacher license/certification preferred
Proficiency in technological tools, including Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drive (or equivalents)