Middle School ELA Teacher

Middle School ELA Teacher, Brooklyn, New York

In-Person Work Required

This is an exempt position and is not eligible for overtime.

WHO WE ARE

Explore Schools is a network of public charter schools providing 2,000 students in Brooklyn with the outstanding education they deserve. We strive to provide students with the academic skills and critical-thinking abilities they need to succeed in a college-preparatory high school and beyond. As an organization, we acknowledge the detrimental impact of racism and systems of oppression. We envision a pathway to equity that features excellent curriculum and instruction in response to the opportunity gap—providing our scholars with access and opportunities to succeed. We commit to reflect individually on the roles we play within systems of oppression, and we channel our individual talents and cultural sensitivity to help our scholars and local community thrive. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a talented team that reflects the backgrounds and experiences of our students and creates an inclusive environment for all employee

WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe that all children can learn when immersed in a rich environment full of high expectations, rigorous academics, and caring, committed adults. We believe equity and excellence are not mutually exclusive—we can meet the needs of all students in our schools, while actively engaging parents and driving toward excellent academic results. We believe it is both our privilege and responsibility to help close the opportunity gap in the Brooklyn community

WHO YOU ARE

You are an educator with experience teaching grades 6-8. You are ready to lead a classroom and excited to work closely with students in an approximately 20:1 student-to-teacher ratio. You prioritize student engagement, critical thinking, and relationship building in the classroom. You have demonstrated that you are a reflective practitioner and prioritize the needs of your students first and are committed to doing the work to educate the whole child.

• Dedicated to working in communities that have historically been underserved and under-resourced
• Committed to thoughtfully engaging in identity work necessary to take a culturally responsive approach to pedagogy and relationship-building with students and colleagues
• Exceptional level of patience and focus to overcome challenges, and achieve results
• Strong classroom management skills: you can set high expectations in the classroom and keep scholars engaged
• ELA content knowledge
• Exceptional communication skills: you shine in front of the classroom and through written and verbal communication
• Detail-oriented, and highly organized
• Classroom teaching experience required; 2 years preferred
• Bachelor’s degree required
• New York State Teaching Certification, preferred
• Master’s Degree in Education, preferred

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As a Middle School ELA Teacher you will lead classrooms of about 20 middle school students. You will be expected to manage the following daily:

• Provide a range of instructional, management, and assessment strategies to meet the different needs of students
• Create thoughtful and engaging unit and lesson plans daily
• Participate in creating, revising, administering, and grading assessments
• Keep accurate and organized records of student information
• Provide tutoring to small student groups as required
• Collaborate with colleagues across content areas and grade levels
• Attend and actively participate in all meetings including PLCs, grade-level meetings, and PD sessions
• Conduct parent-teacher conferences as needed, as well as ongoing parent communication
• Ensure the safety of students at all times
• Assist with non-instructional supervision of students, such as arrival/dismissal, hallway monitoring, substitute teaching, lunch and playground duty, or supervision of extracurricular activities
• Actively engage in identity work and necessary conversations in order to dismantle white supremacy culture

BENEFITS AND PERKS

Explore Schools staff members receive a competitive salary, paid time off including network shutdown days, considerable matching of retirement contributions, and more. Additionally, you can expect:

• Comprehensive benefits package including three health plans to choose from, two dental plans, and vision insurance. We also offer flexible spending accounts for health, dependent care and transit.
• Flexible and reflective leadership: dedicated to staff development, team cohesion, and shared responsibility for decision-making, development, and team-wide priorities
• Driven and passionate colleagues who contribute to a professional and collaborative work environment
• Opportunities to sit on various committees and participate in initiatives central to key organizational decisions and strategic planning
• Our school-based staff also receive:
• Professional development: weekly PD, year-round retreats and trainings, and ongoing coaching by professionals
• Continued education support: staff are eligible to receive scholarship funds towards qualifying certification costs or higher education tuition
• Our ESI Staff also have the opportunity to seek out and attend professional development, have a supervisor committed to their growth and development, and are eligible to apply to our staff scholarship program.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Explore Schools is a network of 8 charter schools located in Canarsie, Crown Heights, and Flatbush communities of Brooklyn, NY. Our schools are currently operating fully in-person. For this position:

• In-person work is required.
• This is an exempt position and is not eligible for overtime. This is a non-exempt position and is eligible for overtime.
• The standard work week is 45 hours, though at times you may work more. For non-exempt roles, employees are eligible for overtime for any work over 40 hours.
• This role requires that you be able to stand for at least 5 hours a day, take multiple trips up and down the stairs in a day, and move quickly in an emergency.
• As this is an in-person role in a DOE building, all staff members are required to follow the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Please reach out to humanresources@explorenetwork.org if you'd like to see a copy of the mandate.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

As discussed in our Who We Are section, Explore Schools is an equal opportunity employer. It is important to us that all staff members have a place of employment that is free of discrimination of all kinds and where staff can bring their authentic selves to work. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran, or military status. If any employee or applicant believes they have been discriminated against, they should let Rachel Modica-Russell or Tiffany Williams know immediately.